Park Chan-Wook’s Thirst for a Great Vampire Movie

By Eric Kohn
URL: http://www.moviemaker.com/directing/article/park_chan_wook_thirst_vampire_movie_cannes_oldboy_20090731/
Writer-director Park Chan-wook has emerged as one of the most provocative moviemakers of the last decade. Although not limited to the genre, his explicit horror movies—such as Oldboy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance—transcend the boundaries of such narratives by way of elegant camerawork and stories grounded in credible humanity. Chan-wook’s latest feature, Thirst, follows a well-meaning Catholic priest (Song Kang-ho) who is accidentally stricken with a disease that turns him into a vampire. As he slowly gives into his newfound desires, cultivating a deadly relationship with a curious young girl, the character’s plight becomes a fascinating symbol for human vices.