Thirst Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Thirst Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 22, 2019

WinPark Chan-wook's "Thirst" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include an original U.S. trailer for the film and exclusive new audio commentary by journalist and author Bryan Reesman. In Korean, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Unstoppable transformation

A young priest, Sang-hyeon (Song Kang-ho The Good, The Bad, The Weird), volunteers for a vaccine project and nearly dies. After a lifesaving blood transfusion, he becomes a vampire. Looking to quench his constant thirst for blood, the priest begins working in a large hospital with a never-ending supply of terminally ill patients, which he literally siphons off. The priest also meets an old friend (Shin Ha-kyun, Welcome to Dongmakgol) and immediately falls for his wife, Tae-ju (Kim Ok-bin, The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan). The two then begin a torrid affair and he reveals to her his secret. Tae-ju begs the priest to grant her eternal life, and eventually he does.

Things get complicated when the priest kills Tae-ju's husband. Filled with joy, Tae-ju ignores her lover's warnings and indulges in a dangerous feast. Meanwhile, Tae-ju's mother (Kim Hae-sook) becomes paralyzed, and the priest reveals to his blind mentor what has become of him. He also asks for absolution. The blind man offers the priest a deal -- he would grant him absolution if he makes him immortal.

There is a little bit of everything in Korean director Park Chan-wook's Thirst -- horror, romance, humor, drama, and even satire. If you have only heard that it is just another "weird vampire film", comparable to Swedish director Tomas Alfredson's "Let The Right One In", and have made plans to see it, I must warn you that there are practically no similarities between the two films, other than perhaps the fact that both use vampirism as a foundation for their stories.

Park has claimed that Thirst was inspired by Emil Zola's Therese Raquin, which French director Marcel Carne filmed in 1953, but I am having a difficult time finding any common themes between the two. Once you see Thirst, you will understand why.

Something else that needs to be said about Thirst is that even though it features plenty of graphic scenes, it is hardly a "serious" horror film. Park has infused it with so much dark humor that at times it feels like a giant farce, (A few key sequences actually look as if they have been taken straight out of a Tsui Hark film).

The sex in Thirst is different and erotic. (Shocking, I know). Probably not in the way most viewers can imagine, but there is something genuinely arousing in those prolonged lovemaking scenes from the second half of the film.

The acting is fantastic. Korean superstar Song Kang-ho deserves a lot of credit for his fascinating character transformations, as they provide Thirst with an enormous amount of depth. Kim Ok-bin is an actress most viewers are probably unfamiliar with, but I am convinced that after Thirst she would be easily recognized around the world.

Visually, the film is arguably the best yet cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon has worked on. (He has contributed to most of director Park's earlier films, including Old Boy, Three...Extremes and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance). Many of the panoramic vistas, for example, and in particular the final act, are exceptionally beautifully lensed. Thirst also boasts a unique music soundtrack -- a collection of original tunes by Cho Young-ook and Johann Sebastian Bach's cantata "Ich habe genug".

Thirst Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Park Chan-wook's Thirst arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from the same master that nearly a decade ago Palisades Tartan used to produce this Region-B release of Thirst for the UK market. Keep in mind that this isn't the same master that CJ Entertainment worked with when it produced this Korean release, which was the first high-definition release of Thirst.

The difference between the two masters is rather substantial because they provide the film with completely different color schemes. I don't want to speculate why there are two masters, but I would not be surprised if the international master was completed a bit later and approved by Park or/and his cinematographer because it does introduce various qualities that are quite common for the director's earlier films. I lean towards this master as the more aesthetically convincing one because its color scheme has primaries with better values and supporting nuances which match the film's darker ambience. Also, delineation is marginally superior on it, though this becomes very clear when the film is viewed on a larger screen. Fluidity is very good, even excellent, and image stability is outstanding. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Thirst Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame. (For some reason the main menu identifies the two audio tracks as English, but this is an obvious error).

The audio is clean, stable, and nicely balanced. I also think that there is a strong range of diverse dynamics, though I feel that Thirst is one of those films that can benefit quite a bit from a new Atmos track because there is plenty of material where separation can impress even more. Regardless, there are no technical issues to report.

Thirst Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - an original U.S. trailer for Thirst from Focus Features. In Korean with English text. (1 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - in this commentary, journalist and author Bryan Reesman shares plenty of interesting information about the production of Thirst and its themes, the evolution of Park Chan-wook's work, and contemporary Korean cinema. There is even good information about Korean label CJ Entertainemnt and its domestic and international business. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Kino Lorber.

• Trailer Reel - trailers for other Kino Lorber releases.

Thirst Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A member of our community sent me an email asking if I knew why the first release of Thirst from CJ Entertainment looks so different from every other release of the film. I don't know what the correct answer is. Nearly a decade ago, when Palisades Tartan produced its Region-B release, I tried to find out and from what I remember it turned out that the international master -- which is the one that Kino Lorber used -- was prepared later. If I had to guess, I would say that the international master was approved by Park Chan-wook or/and his cinematographer because it does introduce various qualities that are quite common for the director's earlier films. I still have the Korean release in my library, but I think that the international master offers a superior presentation of the film. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.