Bakjwi (2009)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Chan-wook Park

Writers:

Seo-Gyeong Jeong (writer)
Chan-wook Park (writer)

Release Date:

30 April 2009 (South Korea)

Genre:

Drama | Horror

Plot:

A failed medical experiment turns a man of faith into a vampire.

Plot Keywords:

Virus | Priest | Vampire | Medical Experiment | One Word Title

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Kang-ho Song	...	Priest Sang-hyeon
Ok-vin Kim	...	Tae-joo
Hae-sook Kim	...	Lady Ra
Ha-kyun Shin	...	Kang-woo
In-hwan Park	...	Priest Noh
Dal-su Oh	...	Yeong-doo
Young-chang Song	...	Seung-dae
Mercedes Cabral	...	Evelyn
Eriq Ebouaney	...	Immanuel
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hee-jin Choi	...	Nurse
Woo-seul-hye Hwang	...	Girl with a whistle
Hwa-ryong Lee	...	Professor Ku
Mi-ran Ra	...	Nurse Yu

Also Known As:

Thirst (International: English title) (UK) (USA)
Evil Live (International: English title) (working title)
Untitled Chan-wook Park Project (International: English title) (working title)

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

133 min | South Korea:145 min (director's cut)

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean | English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:18 | USA:R (certificate #45440) | Australia:MA (2009) | Canada:18A (British Columbia/Ontario) | New Zealand:R18 | Singapore:R21 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | UK:18 | France:-12 | Ireland:18 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III

Company:

CJ Entertainment

Movie Connections:

References Sam gang yi (2004)

Soundtrack:

Ich habe genug

Story of a vampire, guilty of lust and love

I am no fan of Chan-wook Park, neither of extreme violence as a pursuit of visual aesthetics and possible box office results. And I am still trying to figure out why vampire movies and TV shows have become so popular in recent years.

That said the director is an auteur with his own visual style and story telling. This movie is original in two ways: it's impossible to tell its genre in a word of two, as it is a thriller, a vampire drama love story with some good dose of dark humor. And there is no clear story line as the movie wanders from one tone to another along with the lead actress' change in character. This is not particularly a bad thing, as the charged visuals and very good acting by the lead characters allow this film to go anywhere.

Kang-ho Song is one of my favorite actors who has this genuinely funny face and has shown great performances in Milyang and Salinui chueok, both of them great movies. The lead actress is also very talented and her acting comes across vividly throughout the movie.

While desperate people looking for miracle cures to their ailments are devoted to religion, the priest overcomes his extreme sense of guilt and leaves religion to follow carnal pleasures with his married lover. Amidst the bloodshed there is passionate sex, constant struggle a la Postman Always Ring Twice and love of Romeo Juliet.

If you can endure the bloodshed, you will experience an original movie by a bold and talented filmmaker.