Thirst (2009)

Through a failed medical experiment, a priest is stricken with vampirism and is forced to abandon his ascetic ways.

Director:

Chan-wook Park (as Park Chan-wook)

Writers:

Émile Zola (inspired by "Thérèse Raquin"), Chan-wook Park (screenplay by) (as Park Chan-wook)

Stars:

Kang-ho Song, Kim Ok-bin, Hee-jin Choi

17 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kang-ho Song	...	Sang-hyun (as Song Kang-ho)
Hee-jin Choi	...	Nurse Sa
Dong-soo Seo	...	Hyo-sung
Hwa-ryong Lee	...	Doctor Ku
Mi-ran Ra	...	Nurse Yu
In-hwan Park	...	Priest Roh (as Park In-hwan)
Eriq Ebouaney	...	Emmanuel Research Director (as Eriq Ebouney)
Thati Pele	...	Emmanuel Research Nun (as Onthatile Peele)
Jong-ryol Choi	...	Grandfather
Yong-wan Goo	...	Devotee
Hwang Woo-seul-hye	...	Whistle Girl
Kim Hae-sook	...	Mrs. Ra
Shin Ha-kyun	...	Kang-woo
Kim Ok-bin	...	Tae-ju (as Kim Ok-vin)
Dal-su Oh	...	Young-du (as Oh Dal-su)

Storyline

Sang-hyun, a priest working for a hospital, selflessly volunteers for a secret vaccine development project intended to eradicate a deadly virus. However, the virus eventually takes over the priest. He nearly dies, but makes a miraculous recovery by an accidental transfusion of vampire blood. He realizes his sole reason for living: the pleasures of the flesh.

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Plot Keywords:

vampire | death by sunrise | 2000s | wheelchair | south korea | 

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Taglines:

Lusting after sinful pleasures.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphic bloody violence, disturbing images, strong sexual content, nudity and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The 148 minute Director's Cut of the film is Park Chan-wook's preferred version of the film. To date, it has only been released in South Korea on DVD and Blu-ray. All other home video releases (including the US Blu-ray and DVD) only contain the theatrical cut.

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Quotes

Priest Sang-hyeon: I don't kill anyone, you know. Hoy-sung... He loved helping the hungry. He'd offer me his blood if he wasn't in a coma. If you only heard the sponge cake story.

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Alternate Versions

On the South Korean and French Blu-ray editions, there is a director's cut featuring 13 minutes of new footage, including extended versions of many scenes.

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Connections

Referenced in Sardonicast: The Lighthouse, Thirst: feat. David F. Sandberg (2019)

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Soundtracks

Ich habe genug
(Cantata BWV 82)
Written by Johann Sebastian Bach

User Reviews

Beautiful, tragic, twisted, absurd, and darkly comic

If you love Chan-wook Park, you know what to expect. His films are brutal, poetic, tragic, and artistic, with splashes of very grim humor. THIRST is clearly Park's style, and I loved every second of it, from the cinematography (every shot is gorgeous and creative) to the story, which blends Shakespearean tragedy, murderous love, Gothic horror, and layered character drama. The characters are complex and there is plenty of moral ambiguity to go around. Even the most sociopathic character evokes sympathy. The direction is restrained and the performances are nuanced - like SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE, there are too many subtleties to take in on the first viewing. Chan-wook Park is an intelligent, bold, consistently surprising filmmaker. It's unpredictable - scenes go from brutal and heart-wrenching to laugh-out-loud hilarious in an instant. This is closer to LADY VENGEANCE then SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE as far as being over-the-top and comical. But, like LADY VENGEANCE, it's incredibly rich, thought-provoking, and rewarding.

If you like beautifully told vampire stories (LET THE RIGHT ONE IN) or are a fan of Chan-wook Park, seeing THIRST should be obvious. Easily one of the best films of 2009.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site (en) Official site [Japan]

Country:

South Korea USA

Language:

Korean English French

Release Date:

30 April 2009 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

Thirst

Filming Locations:

Seoul, South Korea

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$55,889, 2 August 2009

Gross USA:

$318,574

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$13,085,023

Company Credits

Production Co:

CJ Entertainment, Focus Features International, Benex Movie Expert Fund

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min 148 min (director's cut) 148 min (Blu-ray)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1