Song Kang-ho is a dedicated Catholic priest who agrees to take part in an experiment in Africa to find a cure for a particular virus. He is supposed to be injected with the virus and then receive a blood transfusion to cure him. He is one of a select few to have survived the process, and is considered by his brethren to have tremendous healing abilities. One day he is asked to visit an ailing childhood friend, and finds himself pursuing a sexual relationship with the man’s wife (Kim Ok-bin), finding he has uncontrollable sexual urges. Meanwhile, he also realises that his blood has been contaminated, turning him into a vampire. This forces him to raid hospitals for blood. And then Kim Ok-bin tells him how poorly her husband treats her…
Trust controversial South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-Wook (the notorious “Old Boy” and “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance”) to take a story that has elements of both an Emile Zola novel and “The Postman Always Rings Twice”, and turn it into the weirdest damn movie you’re likely to see all year. This film blends vampire story (It’s a little bit Hammer-esque, and the main character starts off a little Stoker-esque if you ask me), erotic drama, black comedy, and tragedy into one big bizarro story that you’re unlikely to forget. Despite being extremely lengthy at around 130 minutes, I found it a hoot and a half. And although I recognised some of the plot elements of the film, I still had no idea where the hell the director was going to take us. In my view, it’s his best film to date, but like his previous films, it’s an acquired taste.
The film is pretty visually dynamic too, even if it comes from the filter/gel style of cinematography, courtesy of Jeong Jeoung-hun. I like that we get a semi-realistic view of vampirism, making it some kind of disease but without going so far as to connect it directly to AIDS, as some pretentious vampire films of the 90s tended to. The connection is still there, but it’s not in your face at all. Speaking of in your face, is the sex gratuitous in this film? Yep. Oh…that’s a BAD thing? Not in my universe, pal. We also get what might just be the most unsavoury threesome possible without the usage of children or animals. Helluva disturbing neck-breaking scene, btw, and an extremely impactful punch to the head too.
The humour for me is the key, it’s sadistically funny and morbid, with scenes of bandaged priest Song Kang-ho praying for people, and the most hilarious twist on the ‘hang on, I’ll get a doctor!’ scene you’re ever likely to see. Lead actress Kim Ok-bin is outstanding, going all kinds of bat-poo crazy. The ending is somewhat inevitable, but it is also beautiful, tragic, cool, sad, poetic- you name it.
OVERALL SUMMARY
If shorn of about fifteen minutes, this film would be sensational, as is it’s pretty good and about seven different kinds of weird. Certainly one of the better horror films I’ve seen lately, small praise or not.
