For all the critics have to say, I must admit that this is one of my cult favorites. I keenly remember anticipating its release and seeing it at the 8th St. Playhouse theatre (where the weekly Rocky Horror movie/show ran for years in NYC). The mood and cinematography attest to its aspirations and for me are quite successful. In particular, the choice of soundtrack music is quite adept and urbane although only those very familiar with classical music will appreciate the tie-ins: Deneuve's playing of Ravel's "Gibet" from "Gaspard de la Nuit" for piano after John passes and after Sarandon's character makes her first kill...her husband. This piece is Ravel's programmatic interpretation of a French poem which describes a person wearily walking under the intense scorching sun and seeing something in the distance, approaches, only to find a corpse strung up, rotting in the midday sun. Beautiful usage of Schubert's Piano Trio as well as haunting movements of a Schubert piano sonata. Then there is the obvious thematic tie-in with "Lakmé" by Délibes. (Lesbian love) And you've got to love the use of the band BAUHAUS in the opening sequence-with the lead singer singing "Bela Lugosi's Dead" in the suspended cage. Deneuve is absolutely ravishing and used to great effect and lovingly photographed. David Bowie does an exceptional turn as her lover. What I admire most is the movie's ability to paint a feeling and mood of their existence outside time, eternally present yet eternally on the fringe, startlingly beautiful yet shrouded, veiled, amorphous and ultimately predatorial. Finally, the thought that Deneuve's past lovers never die but are trapped eternally in a constantly decaying shell is absolutely frightening. Did I mention that Deneuve is sublimely beautiful?!
177 Reviews
Highly styled gothic story
rosscinema20 January 2003
I just watched this film again for the first time in maybe 15 or 20 years and I did forget how slow moving this film is. I don't mind a film taking its time to tell a story but there are so many scenes where nothing happens and the characters are just staring at one another. Lots of style and beautiful cinematography and great sets really set the gothic mood in a contemporary setting. But while all this looks great there really is not much in the way of characterization. Film could have benefited from that. The make-up is terrific as we watch David Bowie age in a short time. For you trivia buffs they're are some recognizable actors in small roles like Willem Dafoe, John Pankow, Ann Magnuson and Jane Leeves. Not a bad film. Well made technically and some effective music but little characterization. A real curio.
Stylish vampire flick.
HumanoidOfFlesh24 February 2003
"The Hunger"(1983)by Tony Scott is a stylish vampire flick filled with some wonderful visuals.The film is excellently acted-a stunningly beautiful Catherine Deneuve is truly memorable as Miriam-an ageless vampire and former Egyptian queen.There is plenty of blood and vampire lesbian sex,so everyone who is into horror films or Goth music should see this cult flick.The opening scene with Bauhaus playing "Bela Lugosi is Dead" is priceless!
Gother Than Thou
Gafke26 March 2004
"The Hunger" opens with the by now familiar Goth anthem "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus. Not a bad way to open a vampire film, though nowadays it would seem almost a parody. "Undead undead undead" indeed. Enter Cathy and Bowie into a slick, sleek, neon nightclub, filled to the rafters with post-punks & pre-Goths playing dead. Too bad they weren't as ready for the real thing as they thought they were. You see, Cathy and Bowie are vampires.
This is a visually stunning film, making up for in effects what it sometimes lacks in coherence. It seems that lovely, immortal Cathy, called Miriam, is a vampire queen who has been around since the Sphinx was built, apparently. Bowie is her consort, a once mortal man whose two hundred-odd year lifespan is suddenly winding down at a frighteningly rapid rate. Desperate to find a cure, he seeks out scientist Susan Sarandon, who at first disbelieves Bowie's claims, but is soon convinced when the young and handsomely androgynous man suddenly ages over the course of a few hours time into a decrepit ruin. Miriam, who has had countless lovers over the centuries, gives Bowie the heave-ho and turns her attention to lovely young Sarandon. But Sarandon, though initially easy to seduce (in an erotic lesbian scene) proves to have a will stronger than Miriam's, and Miriam's habit of keeping her collection of ex-lovers cadavers close at hand, proves to be a mistake.
This is a strange film, almost as cold and dispassionate as one might well imagine a vampire to be. It seems to hold the viewer at arms length, not allowing them to experience the emotions of the characters...but the characters, for the most part, are severely lacking in emotion anyway, so the stark emptiness of the film becomes a brilliant mirror. Some vampire enthusiasts might find this boring and confusing, but it's a good effort and not a total loss.
The three main characters are worth watching simply for their amazing beauty and grace. Tony Scott (brother of Ridley) has made a nice, if somewhat bizarre and chilling, work of art here and, like most works of art, it's up for interpretation.
This is a visually stunning film, making up for in effects what it sometimes lacks in coherence. It seems that lovely, immortal Cathy, called Miriam, is a vampire queen who has been around since the Sphinx was built, apparently. Bowie is her consort, a once mortal man whose two hundred-odd year lifespan is suddenly winding down at a frighteningly rapid rate. Desperate to find a cure, he seeks out scientist Susan Sarandon, who at first disbelieves Bowie's claims, but is soon convinced when the young and handsomely androgynous man suddenly ages over the course of a few hours time into a decrepit ruin. Miriam, who has had countless lovers over the centuries, gives Bowie the heave-ho and turns her attention to lovely young Sarandon. But Sarandon, though initially easy to seduce (in an erotic lesbian scene) proves to have a will stronger than Miriam's, and Miriam's habit of keeping her collection of ex-lovers cadavers close at hand, proves to be a mistake.
This is a strange film, almost as cold and dispassionate as one might well imagine a vampire to be. It seems to hold the viewer at arms length, not allowing them to experience the emotions of the characters...but the characters, for the most part, are severely lacking in emotion anyway, so the stark emptiness of the film becomes a brilliant mirror. Some vampire enthusiasts might find this boring and confusing, but it's a good effort and not a total loss.
The three main characters are worth watching simply for their amazing beauty and grace. Tony Scott (brother of Ridley) has made a nice, if somewhat bizarre and chilling, work of art here and, like most works of art, it's up for interpretation.
Lush scenarios in a weird vampires story with three attractive protagonists
ma-cortes10 May 2007
The film talks about Catherine Deneuve ,she's a seductive vampire living along centuries with David Bowie.They need fresh blood for the eternal life .But Bowie is about to disintegrate and is substituted by a new lover,an enticing scientific-medic ,Susan Sarandon.
The picture is a bizarre bloodsuckers film and for somebody considered with a cult movie's status.It displays luxurious scenarios,arty photography although mostly developed on interior studios.The French actress Catherine Deneuve,as always, is cold and elegant.David Bowie as young and older vampire in an exciting transformation is well.Susan Sarandon as an obstinate scientist is good.Features known secondary actors, Dan Hedaya as a Police Inspector and Cliff DeYoung as Sarandon's lover. Besides future famous actors in small roles, almost extras, as Willem Dafoe,Anne Magnuson,John Pankow and English actors as Sophie Ward and Philip Sayer.The creepy sequences by stop motion referred to an aging monkey are made by Dave Allen.Splendid cinematography reflecting luxuriously sets and scenarios by Stephen Goldblatt.Stylish,elegant costumes by the expert Milena Canonero and wardrobe department and gowns of Catherine Deneuve by the famous French fashion designer Ives Saint-Laurent. The movie is classified by the MPAA with the rating R for blood,violence,gore and kinky nudism.The motion picture is well realized by Tony Scott though a little slow-moving and quite boring.He's nowadays much success and getting high box-office with hits like : ¨Crimson tide, Enemy of state,Spy game,Man of fire and Deja Vu¨ and founded along with his brother Ridley, ¨Scott-Free Production¨.
The picture is a bizarre bloodsuckers film and for somebody considered with a cult movie's status.It displays luxurious scenarios,arty photography although mostly developed on interior studios.The French actress Catherine Deneuve,as always, is cold and elegant.David Bowie as young and older vampire in an exciting transformation is well.Susan Sarandon as an obstinate scientist is good.Features known secondary actors, Dan Hedaya as a Police Inspector and Cliff DeYoung as Sarandon's lover. Besides future famous actors in small roles, almost extras, as Willem Dafoe,Anne Magnuson,John Pankow and English actors as Sophie Ward and Philip Sayer.The creepy sequences by stop motion referred to an aging monkey are made by Dave Allen.Splendid cinematography reflecting luxuriously sets and scenarios by Stephen Goldblatt.Stylish,elegant costumes by the expert Milena Canonero and wardrobe department and gowns of Catherine Deneuve by the famous French fashion designer Ives Saint-Laurent. The movie is classified by the MPAA with the rating R for blood,violence,gore and kinky nudism.The motion picture is well realized by Tony Scott though a little slow-moving and quite boring.He's nowadays much success and getting high box-office with hits like : ¨Crimson tide, Enemy of state,Spy game,Man of fire and Deja Vu¨ and founded along with his brother Ridley, ¨Scott-Free Production¨.
Cult classic for All 80's Goth's
ala-4947819 November 2019
I watched the Hunger in my teens as a young punk in the 80's. Honestly, back then the fact that Bowie, Peter Murphy and vampire lesbianism was in it made it a 'cool' movie..
flash forward to me now and it's nostalgic 80's with lots of bad makeup and a sub par plot. The lighting effects in the movie annoy me as they use a lot of shadows and dim lighting with blurred backgrounds and points of bright lights. I feel like I need to squint while watching it.
Anyway the acting is good and the story is good (never read the book).
Do you want to live forever? Do you like vampires, do you like over the top 1980's style ? If so then it's worth the watch.
Totally Eighties
Oggz25 September 2006
Before embarking onto this one, you must decide whether or not you enjoy films which look like a very extended (and quite expensive) MTV video clip of the early to mid 80's. If you don't, don't bother with this, it'll probably annoy you greatly. If you do, you're in for an indulgent visual ride and great entertainment, because every frame in Tony Scott's cult classic is carefully planned, beautifully orchestrated and wonderfully filmed - from the iconic opening sequence through to the heavily filtered last shot, it's polished until it gleams. Production design is given full reign and is faultless - the sets, lighting and costumes work fabulously with the soundtrack and the editing, creating a very recognisable style which is a genuine product of the trend aesthetics of the decade in question. And there's an added bonus of knowing use of music - this being the film that "relaunched" the Delibes' Lakme aria, paving the way for it becoming a monster classipop hit it is today. The film also employs Ravel at his most frozenly emotional,and, to stunning effect, Deneuve at arguably her most frozenly beautiful. One of those films remembered for perfectly encapsulating the visual style of its times.
Blindingly Beautiful People Live Forever, Apparently
GroovyDoom1 August 2000
Warning: Spoilers
ENDING SPOILER
"The Hunger" is a difficult film to categorize. On the one hand, it's great because of the stunning cinematography and the performances by the actors. On the other, there is a noticeable lack of a coherent story here. Unless you have read the novel by Whitley Streiber, you may find it difficult to understand what is going on. Furthermore, the film jettisons the entire concept by tacking on an inexplicable ending that defies the story's own sense of self-contained logic.
The plot involves an ageless vampire, currently under the personage of Miriam Blaylock. She is immortal and, out of loneliness and the desire to love, she develops the ability to turn humans into companions that seem to share her immortality. The problem is, eventually their bodies give out after a couple hundred years and they begin to age rapidly. This is the problem with Miriam's current lover, John. Adding to the horror is the fact that although her lovers are emaciated and crumbling, they cannot truly die and are sealed into coffins, forever hungry. Miriam keeps the coffins with her wherever she goes, although the film never really decides why. Is it out of her love for them? Or guilt over what she's done to them? Or is she simply afraid of being found out?
The film seems faithful at times, abbreviated at others. In the novel, Miriam was not human, but rather a member of a race of humanoid creatures that Whitley Streiber suggested were the truth behind the vampire legend. Miriam clung desperately to her own life because, although she could live forever, she could also die if she lost a significant amount of blood, and lived her life in fear of dying.
In the film, these weighty subjects are glossed over in favor of dreamlike imagery, which is actually a fair trade to certain degree. Catherine Deneuve is certainly a stunningly beautiful woman, and David Bowie is perfect as her currently disintegrating partner. Susan Sarandon gives a typically engaging performance as Sarah, the new object of Miriam's affection.
The problem is that the movie doesn't seem to have time to explore the deeper meanings behind the motivation of the characters. Miriam comes off as beautiful but empty because we aren't really given a clue as to what she really is. Whitley Strieber's conception of "vampirism" is quite different from the traditional one, yet the movie doesn't define it for the viewer, so there could be some confusion about the contradictions that seem to arise (Why can the vampires come out during the daylight? Why don't they have fangs? Why are Miriam's lovers wasting away when she isn't?). Miriam's past is only vaguely hinted at in fleeting images, most notably her memory of an ages-old lover making a first killing out of an Egyptian slave.
However, the film's biggest weakness is not the Playboy-style lesbian scene between Sarandon and Deneuve, but rather the confusing ending. Somehow it appears as if Sarah has usurped Miriam's position as the "queen" vampire, which is impossible in the context of the original novel. There was no way Sarah could have become what Miriam was, so the movie seems to be suggesting something else was going on here.
On the positive side, there are a number of great actors in this cast, even other than Deneuve, Sarandon, and Bowie. Cliff De Young is good as Sarah's lover, Tom, and there is a memorable performance by Beth Ehler as Alice, a young girl who studies music with Miriam and John. Dan Hedaya is always a pleasure.
What Tony Scott sacrifices in plot here, he makes up for in style. The narrative is carried by the visuals of the film as much as the script, and he makes excellent use of the classical music in the soundtrack. Today it is not uncommon for a film to run more than two hours long, and "The Hunger" could have been much, much better if Scott had been given full reign to flesh out Whitley Streiber's original concept.
"The Hunger" is a difficult film to categorize. On the one hand, it's great because of the stunning cinematography and the performances by the actors. On the other, there is a noticeable lack of a coherent story here. Unless you have read the novel by Whitley Streiber, you may find it difficult to understand what is going on. Furthermore, the film jettisons the entire concept by tacking on an inexplicable ending that defies the story's own sense of self-contained logic.
The plot involves an ageless vampire, currently under the personage of Miriam Blaylock. She is immortal and, out of loneliness and the desire to love, she develops the ability to turn humans into companions that seem to share her immortality. The problem is, eventually their bodies give out after a couple hundred years and they begin to age rapidly. This is the problem with Miriam's current lover, John. Adding to the horror is the fact that although her lovers are emaciated and crumbling, they cannot truly die and are sealed into coffins, forever hungry. Miriam keeps the coffins with her wherever she goes, although the film never really decides why. Is it out of her love for them? Or guilt over what she's done to them? Or is she simply afraid of being found out?
The film seems faithful at times, abbreviated at others. In the novel, Miriam was not human, but rather a member of a race of humanoid creatures that Whitley Streiber suggested were the truth behind the vampire legend. Miriam clung desperately to her own life because, although she could live forever, she could also die if she lost a significant amount of blood, and lived her life in fear of dying.
In the film, these weighty subjects are glossed over in favor of dreamlike imagery, which is actually a fair trade to certain degree. Catherine Deneuve is certainly a stunningly beautiful woman, and David Bowie is perfect as her currently disintegrating partner. Susan Sarandon gives a typically engaging performance as Sarah, the new object of Miriam's affection.
The problem is that the movie doesn't seem to have time to explore the deeper meanings behind the motivation of the characters. Miriam comes off as beautiful but empty because we aren't really given a clue as to what she really is. Whitley Strieber's conception of "vampirism" is quite different from the traditional one, yet the movie doesn't define it for the viewer, so there could be some confusion about the contradictions that seem to arise (Why can the vampires come out during the daylight? Why don't they have fangs? Why are Miriam's lovers wasting away when she isn't?). Miriam's past is only vaguely hinted at in fleeting images, most notably her memory of an ages-old lover making a first killing out of an Egyptian slave.
However, the film's biggest weakness is not the Playboy-style lesbian scene between Sarandon and Deneuve, but rather the confusing ending. Somehow it appears as if Sarah has usurped Miriam's position as the "queen" vampire, which is impossible in the context of the original novel. There was no way Sarah could have become what Miriam was, so the movie seems to be suggesting something else was going on here.
On the positive side, there are a number of great actors in this cast, even other than Deneuve, Sarandon, and Bowie. Cliff De Young is good as Sarah's lover, Tom, and there is a memorable performance by Beth Ehler as Alice, a young girl who studies music with Miriam and John. Dan Hedaya is always a pleasure.
What Tony Scott sacrifices in plot here, he makes up for in style. The narrative is carried by the visuals of the film as much as the script, and he makes excellent use of the classical music in the soundtrack. Today it is not uncommon for a film to run more than two hours long, and "The Hunger" could have been much, much better if Scott had been given full reign to flesh out Whitley Streiber's original concept.
Stylish Vampire Movie- Love Is Eternal While It Lasts
claudio_carvalho25 March 2007
Warning: Spoilers
In New York City, the lovers Miriam Blaylock (Catherine Deneuve) and John (David Bowie) are vampires that survive through time under the Egyptian symbol of Ankh. When John starts an accelerated aging process, he seeks the specialist Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon). However, he does not survive, and Miriam selects Sarah to be her next lover.
"The Hunger" is one of the best vampire movies ever made. I recall when I saw this movie for the first time, in an art cinema in Rio de Janeiro, and later at least three times on VHS. Now on DVD, this stylish film improves with the fantastic melancholic and artistic atmosphere, with a magnificent music score and wonderful cinematography. This movie is totally underrated in IMDb since it is one of the most beautiful vampire movies ever made, actually a masterpiece of the genre. Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie and Susan Sarandon have overwhelming performances in this unforgettable movie. The remarkable scene of the lesbian love of Miriam and Sarah is among the most erotic in the cinema history, never being vulgar. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Fome de Viver" ("Hunger for Living")
"The Hunger" is one of the best vampire movies ever made. I recall when I saw this movie for the first time, in an art cinema in Rio de Janeiro, and later at least three times on VHS. Now on DVD, this stylish film improves with the fantastic melancholic and artistic atmosphere, with a magnificent music score and wonderful cinematography. This movie is totally underrated in IMDb since it is one of the most beautiful vampire movies ever made, actually a masterpiece of the genre. Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie and Susan Sarandon have overwhelming performances in this unforgettable movie. The remarkable scene of the lesbian love of Miriam and Sarah is among the most erotic in the cinema history, never being vulgar. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Fome de Viver" ("Hunger for Living")
Starts off rather good, but has real second half issues.
Aaron137510 June 2004
This one started off good, but as soon as David Bowie exits the movie, it really goes downhill as the next part of the movie seems rather rushed and underdeveloped. The story is about a vampire lady and her various loves. I guess that is what it is about because the movie as a whole doesn't really explain things very well. Stuff happens and you are left wondering just what happened. I think though that has more to do with the fact I watched the movie on regular television so it was a bit cut up to shreds. The movie starts with a rather somber and sad little tale with the vampire girl and her lover played very well by Bowie luring a couple to their home. They don't kill how regular vampires kill. As the story moves forward, Bowie's character seems to be aging rather rapidly...his time is apparently nearly up. Unfortunately, he is not allowed to die, but rather face an eternity of rotting in the vampire gal's collection of lovers. Though she does seemingly care for each and every one of them. Then the story races to the finish as the vampire girl really moves fast to fill the void...to fast as this is where the story feels really rushed. At one point Susan Surandon's character does something with a cross either stabbing herself or the vampire...I couldn't tell. Then the movie franticly races to a bizarre zombie like scene and then the end which sort of makes sense. If only it could have ended after Bowie left the picture.
Artistic, Visually Interesting, But at Points Incomprehensible
eskdale5620 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
The plot of this movie is somewhat thin throughout, you got a nearly eternal vampire who takes lovers to whom she promises eternal life. Her promise is illusory. Eventually she comes to her own end, although it is not clear exactly why or how. We see the actual "how" but it seems a very easy/simple end to a cunning and eternal being. I assume she comes to her end out of the the enmity of the others caused by the promise of eternal life that is not quite what they thought it was.
We learn from the story of John of Miriam's past lovers who never actually die, they just aged rapidly and were stored in coffin-like boxes upstairs in Miriam's NYC Townhouse. Suddenly John and the others get out of their boxes and force Miriam over the side of a stairwell, where she falls to her apparent death and rapid transformation to an aged corpse.
The movie leaves unexplained how these weak, previously boxed up vampire-lovers suddenly get out of their boxes and unite against Miriam. Also left unexplained: A) Why Miriam loses control over the former lovers, falls and dies at their hands--how can this happen? B) There are all these birds in the top level of this apartment. What do they symbolize? What purpose or role do they play in the movie? Why isn't there bird guano all over the top floor of this house? C) Why and how does Sarah (Susan Sarandon) apparently take Miriam's place after her death? I mean, why was Miriam not replaced by John (David Bowie) or one of the others? D)Why is it that the other aged lovers appear to disintegrate in death before our eyes, but Susan Sarandon shows up in the final scene, apparently the new eternal vampire replacing Miriam. Why does she survive? E) Susan Sarandon apparently commits suicide in Miriam's embrace, however, when David Bowie asks Miriam to kill him, she tells him that it cannot happen, that he's eternal. So there is an apparent inconsistency here. Why can one commit suicide but the other not die?
This movie needed a lot more detail filled in to make its end comprehensible to the viewer and it needed some critical details to be consistent.
We learn from the story of John of Miriam's past lovers who never actually die, they just aged rapidly and were stored in coffin-like boxes upstairs in Miriam's NYC Townhouse. Suddenly John and the others get out of their boxes and force Miriam over the side of a stairwell, where she falls to her apparent death and rapid transformation to an aged corpse.
The movie leaves unexplained how these weak, previously boxed up vampire-lovers suddenly get out of their boxes and unite against Miriam. Also left unexplained: A) Why Miriam loses control over the former lovers, falls and dies at their hands--how can this happen? B) There are all these birds in the top level of this apartment. What do they symbolize? What purpose or role do they play in the movie? Why isn't there bird guano all over the top floor of this house? C) Why and how does Sarah (Susan Sarandon) apparently take Miriam's place after her death? I mean, why was Miriam not replaced by John (David Bowie) or one of the others? D)Why is it that the other aged lovers appear to disintegrate in death before our eyes, but Susan Sarandon shows up in the final scene, apparently the new eternal vampire replacing Miriam. Why does she survive? E) Susan Sarandon apparently commits suicide in Miriam's embrace, however, when David Bowie asks Miriam to kill him, she tells him that it cannot happen, that he's eternal. So there is an apparent inconsistency here. Why can one commit suicide but the other not die?
This movie needed a lot more detail filled in to make its end comprehensible to the viewer and it needed some critical details to be consistent.
Extraordinary
josepaulo29 May 2002
Perhaps the first movie to explore the join and pain of being a vampire and, most importantly, what it means to be immortal. Excellent soundtrack, photography and cast. Not the usual vampire film, it's beautiful and philosophical. I'd say it is even better than "Interview with the vampire" (also a great film).
A vampire film not guaranteed to live forever, but one that will not die quickly
StevePulaski22 December 2015
Miriam Blaylock (Catherine Deneuve) is an immortal vampire, who promises certain humans they will embrace eternal life if they become her lover. We see her current lover is John (David Bowie), a young and attractive cellist. The two comfortably live within their own means, sucking blood from unsuspecting people at the nightclubs they frequently venture and assimilate to New York life quite nicely. Feeding on young souls is what keeps Miriam and John eternally young and attractive, and presumably have an incorruptible youthfulness in terms of appearance and state-of-mind.
It isn't until John begins to suffer from chronic insomnia that robs him of his youthful looks and makes him show his age, roughly over two-hundred-years-old, meaning that while he has inherited eternal life, he will never inherit eternal youth. John seeks the help and companionship of Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon), a veteran gerontologist (age specialist) who has researched the aging effects in primates for many years. As John tries to decide whether to fight or come to terms with his aging, which has rendered him lethargic and hideous, Sarah tries to find comfort and answers with her sexuality and her own mortality. Her boyfriend Tom (Cliff De Young) notices her spending more time with Miriam, leading him to question her intentions as she becomes dangerously drawn to the lifestyle Miriam lives by.
Tony Scott's directorial debut The Hunger is one of the damnedest films I've seen in quite sometime, and certainly one of the more interesting vampire films, and directorial debuts for that matter, I've seen, as well. It's a combination of an exercise in modern Gothic style and the elaboration on vampire life in a way that's serious and believable. The Hunger plays like a devilishly sleek and visual soap opera that never so much as scares, but entrances, as it moves with the grace and elegance of a femme fatale, but hulks and lingers like Nosferatu in terms of the presence it reveals.
Simply put, this is an experience more-so than it is a film to find yourself attached to. I found myself rather alienated by the characters in the film, and more concerned with Scott's approach to style and filmmaking craft. The dichotomy of filmmaking brothers Ridley and Tony Scott always fascinates me because where Ridley lacks in craft and detail, Tony always seems to excel, even in his later action pictures like Unstoppable, which have now become grounds for "vulgar auteurism." Tony gets the details of The Hunger down to a tee, be them in an aesthetic perspective that allows the bright color of red to pulsate through the screen at various points in the film, or in a narrative perspective, which has Sarandon's Sarah the main subject of serious commentary on sexual awakening, particularly lesbianism and whether or not her story is a parable of coming to terms with one's own sexuality.
The Hunger is less a film defined by the strength of its acting, but by the sheer presences and personalities its performers exist as, particularly Catherine Deneuve, who radiates enigma throughout the entire film. A beautiful soul in the film, yet undeniably troubled and weighed down by circumstance, Deneuve's Miriam manages to be one of the film's most fascinating characters, despite most of the crucial events of the film happening to David Bowie's John, largely because of her ominous presence throughout the course of the film.
The Hunger's most prominent shortcoming comes in the regard of its editing, which juxtaposes the story of Dr. Roberts with Miriam and John's, causing a rather tumultuous and unpolished editing scheme that has Scott at a quandary in terms of maintaining narrative cohesion. Because of this, Scott can't focus on one particular character or situation and fully develop them, and instead, tries to balance out the playing field by throwing in another story when, in reality, bot need separate developments. It's a classic device many use on their directorial debut to try and prevent monotony and give the audiences a lot to digest, though it backfires here largely because of its strange and carefully plotted story.
With that, the aura of The Hunger and the cast itself, are worth the price of admission. This is a vampire film as original and immersive as it is perplexing, and the style of the film mimics that of Gothic/Victorian-era decor without being too overbearing or reliant on setpieces. Scott and company have, in turn, crafted a vampire film not guaranteed to live forever, but one that will not die quickly thanks to all it lays out on the table.
Starring: Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Susan Sarandon, and Cliff De Young. Directed by: Tony Scott.
It isn't until John begins to suffer from chronic insomnia that robs him of his youthful looks and makes him show his age, roughly over two-hundred-years-old, meaning that while he has inherited eternal life, he will never inherit eternal youth. John seeks the help and companionship of Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon), a veteran gerontologist (age specialist) who has researched the aging effects in primates for many years. As John tries to decide whether to fight or come to terms with his aging, which has rendered him lethargic and hideous, Sarah tries to find comfort and answers with her sexuality and her own mortality. Her boyfriend Tom (Cliff De Young) notices her spending more time with Miriam, leading him to question her intentions as she becomes dangerously drawn to the lifestyle Miriam lives by.
Tony Scott's directorial debut The Hunger is one of the damnedest films I've seen in quite sometime, and certainly one of the more interesting vampire films, and directorial debuts for that matter, I've seen, as well. It's a combination of an exercise in modern Gothic style and the elaboration on vampire life in a way that's serious and believable. The Hunger plays like a devilishly sleek and visual soap opera that never so much as scares, but entrances, as it moves with the grace and elegance of a femme fatale, but hulks and lingers like Nosferatu in terms of the presence it reveals.
Simply put, this is an experience more-so than it is a film to find yourself attached to. I found myself rather alienated by the characters in the film, and more concerned with Scott's approach to style and filmmaking craft. The dichotomy of filmmaking brothers Ridley and Tony Scott always fascinates me because where Ridley lacks in craft and detail, Tony always seems to excel, even in his later action pictures like Unstoppable, which have now become grounds for "vulgar auteurism." Tony gets the details of The Hunger down to a tee, be them in an aesthetic perspective that allows the bright color of red to pulsate through the screen at various points in the film, or in a narrative perspective, which has Sarandon's Sarah the main subject of serious commentary on sexual awakening, particularly lesbianism and whether or not her story is a parable of coming to terms with one's own sexuality.
The Hunger is less a film defined by the strength of its acting, but by the sheer presences and personalities its performers exist as, particularly Catherine Deneuve, who radiates enigma throughout the entire film. A beautiful soul in the film, yet undeniably troubled and weighed down by circumstance, Deneuve's Miriam manages to be one of the film's most fascinating characters, despite most of the crucial events of the film happening to David Bowie's John, largely because of her ominous presence throughout the course of the film.
The Hunger's most prominent shortcoming comes in the regard of its editing, which juxtaposes the story of Dr. Roberts with Miriam and John's, causing a rather tumultuous and unpolished editing scheme that has Scott at a quandary in terms of maintaining narrative cohesion. Because of this, Scott can't focus on one particular character or situation and fully develop them, and instead, tries to balance out the playing field by throwing in another story when, in reality, bot need separate developments. It's a classic device many use on their directorial debut to try and prevent monotony and give the audiences a lot to digest, though it backfires here largely because of its strange and carefully plotted story.
With that, the aura of The Hunger and the cast itself, are worth the price of admission. This is a vampire film as original and immersive as it is perplexing, and the style of the film mimics that of Gothic/Victorian-era decor without being too overbearing or reliant on setpieces. Scott and company have, in turn, crafted a vampire film not guaranteed to live forever, but one that will not die quickly thanks to all it lays out on the table.
Starring: Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Susan Sarandon, and Cliff De Young. Directed by: Tony Scott.
A feature length Obsession commercial
susansweb14 January 2002
This movie suffers from trying to cram too much into one movie. Plot points are introduced and then forgotten (most notably, the monkeys that went haywire, what was the point of that?) and the film's ending is completely baffling. I guess director Tony Scott was more interested in style over substance. Many shots of curtains billowing in the wind, birds flying around and reflections, clutter up the film. My main complaint is the too short scene on Bauhaus performing "Bela Lugosi's Dead", I wanted to see more of them. I guess the only thing to recommend is the love scene between Susan Sarandon and Catherine Deneuve, basically big budget softcore porn with big stars. I can't imagine that this movie ranks high on either one's personal portfolio. It's frustrating because if a lot had been stripped out and the film focused on Deneuve's attempts to replace lovers and Sarandon's battle with her vampirism, it could have been a good gothic horror film but instead, we get a commercial.
Interesting to watch
darth_sidious9 July 2000
A film with lots of style, beautifully shot, almost like a dream. This must be Tony Scott's best film to date, why do you ask? The director shows vision, not only in its visual medium but the editing, the music, the production design, the classical costumes and the chance to work with some talent.
David Bowie is very good, almost perfect for his part and Catherine steals the whole film. Susan Sarandon is also very good, the infamous Lesbian scenes are highly erotic and also very artistic.
This film isn't your usual Vamp movie, the film adds depth to these so-called Vampires.
The film probably required a bit more plot but nevertheless, this is all about style, this film looks fantastic.
Do not watch this in pan and scan, make sure you see it in widescreen because the director and cinematographer make full use of the panavision width.
David Bowie is very good, almost perfect for his part and Catherine steals the whole film. Susan Sarandon is also very good, the infamous Lesbian scenes are highly erotic and also very artistic.
This film isn't your usual Vamp movie, the film adds depth to these so-called Vampires.
The film probably required a bit more plot but nevertheless, this is all about style, this film looks fantastic.
Do not watch this in pan and scan, make sure you see it in widescreen because the director and cinematographer make full use of the panavision width.
A Decent Vampire Film
Aly20019 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The vampires in this directorial debut by the late Tony Scott are the kind of creatures to fear; relentless, fierce bloodsuckers who won't spare your life if you cross their path. There's a punk vibe to the characters and the environment surrounding them (thanks in no small part to the electronic sound effects used throughout the film).
Leading the deadly duo is the lovey French beauty and actress Catherine Deneuve as the seductively manipulative Miriam Blaylock. Deneuve uses silence to her advantage as her character utters little dialogue, instead relying on subtle body language like menacing glares. When Miriam does speak, her voice is laced with silky smoothness thanks heavily to Deneuve's natural French accent. Her behavior is almost callous when she learns how quickly her companion, John Blaylock, is dying; even to refusing to save his life by claiming "I can't". However during the film's shocking finale, Miriam's actions from the past do come back to give her retribution for refusing to help all her former lovers.
Playing the second female lead is the talented Susan Sarandon as scientist Sarah Roberts. She plays Sarah's naivety well as she is a rational woman, but when confronted with the rapidly dying John Blaylock her logic is soon thrown for a loop when she realizes John's tale of his fate comes true. There is a vulnerability always present in Sarandon throughout the film as her portrayal remains human to her final scene. The chemistry between her and Deneuve is electric as Miriam lures Sarah into her dangerous web.
The final member of the triangle though he exits nearly halfway through the film is the charismatic late singer David Bowie as John Blaylock. Bowie makes the most of his limited screen-time in the only way Bowie could. He is silent, brooding, charming, yet lethal. The late singer-actor even learned to play cello for the music scenes and the haunting melody pulls you in and keeps you entranced. The makeup to age Bowie's John is remarkable as the actor is barely recognizable under the layers; even Bowie's trademark British accent is barely recognizable when he speaks an aged vampire (According to Bowie himself, he would go out onto the George Washington Bridge and scream out punk rock songs to make his voice hoarse for his later movie scenes). Sadly John Blaylock was a character who was underused and given little to do before he is quickly gone before the viewer's eyes, but he does leave an impression.
The narrative is straightforward, but does little to develop the element of trying to save David Bowie's John Blaylock and seemed to rush forward to the relationship between Catherine Deneuve's Miriam and Susan Sarandon's Sarah. The atmosphere of the film is dark and brooding with a touch of the 1980s punk rock vibe in the background. The score is subtle and consists mostly of classical music (played by actors Catherine Deneuve (on piano) and David Bowie (on cello)) and electronic vibrations tossed in the background throughout the film's run time.
This is worth a watch for any vampire movie fan.
Leading the deadly duo is the lovey French beauty and actress Catherine Deneuve as the seductively manipulative Miriam Blaylock. Deneuve uses silence to her advantage as her character utters little dialogue, instead relying on subtle body language like menacing glares. When Miriam does speak, her voice is laced with silky smoothness thanks heavily to Deneuve's natural French accent. Her behavior is almost callous when she learns how quickly her companion, John Blaylock, is dying; even to refusing to save his life by claiming "I can't". However during the film's shocking finale, Miriam's actions from the past do come back to give her retribution for refusing to help all her former lovers.
Playing the second female lead is the talented Susan Sarandon as scientist Sarah Roberts. She plays Sarah's naivety well as she is a rational woman, but when confronted with the rapidly dying John Blaylock her logic is soon thrown for a loop when she realizes John's tale of his fate comes true. There is a vulnerability always present in Sarandon throughout the film as her portrayal remains human to her final scene. The chemistry between her and Deneuve is electric as Miriam lures Sarah into her dangerous web.
The final member of the triangle though he exits nearly halfway through the film is the charismatic late singer David Bowie as John Blaylock. Bowie makes the most of his limited screen-time in the only way Bowie could. He is silent, brooding, charming, yet lethal. The late singer-actor even learned to play cello for the music scenes and the haunting melody pulls you in and keeps you entranced. The makeup to age Bowie's John is remarkable as the actor is barely recognizable under the layers; even Bowie's trademark British accent is barely recognizable when he speaks an aged vampire (According to Bowie himself, he would go out onto the George Washington Bridge and scream out punk rock songs to make his voice hoarse for his later movie scenes). Sadly John Blaylock was a character who was underused and given little to do before he is quickly gone before the viewer's eyes, but he does leave an impression.
The narrative is straightforward, but does little to develop the element of trying to save David Bowie's John Blaylock and seemed to rush forward to the relationship between Catherine Deneuve's Miriam and Susan Sarandon's Sarah. The atmosphere of the film is dark and brooding with a touch of the 1980s punk rock vibe in the background. The score is subtle and consists mostly of classical music (played by actors Catherine Deneuve (on piano) and David Bowie (on cello)) and electronic vibrations tossed in the background throughout the film's run time.
This is worth a watch for any vampire movie fan.
Gothic and Sexy Vampire Tale
cassiewright-895201 December 2021
A pair of vampire lovers drift apart as one of them begins to age at a rapid rate and the other goes looking for another lover to turn and share an eternal life with.
Visually stunning and featuring great turns from Bowie, Deneuve, and Sarandon, The Hunger might not always spell things out plot-wise, but it pulls you in with the strange makeup effects, splashes of gore, and brooding sexuality. It's easily both one of the saddest and most sexually charged vampire films I've seen.
Visually stunning and featuring great turns from Bowie, Deneuve, and Sarandon, The Hunger might not always spell things out plot-wise, but it pulls you in with the strange makeup effects, splashes of gore, and brooding sexuality. It's easily both one of the saddest and most sexually charged vampire films I've seen.
One of a kind
MerryArtist3 July 2007
Some advice for those who are planning to watch this film: First of all, this is definitely not your regular cup of tea. I don't love this film and I haven't seen many who do. My advice is, don't go and set aside the time for this piece. It's rather interesting to watch once, but if you have better things to do, do them!
The movie uses a lot of visual effects and sounds to create a spooky, vampiry atmosphere. While the blue theme and the whole dark setting works quite well and the outcome is quite impressive, some people would say that the method is too slow or frustrating. Just keep in mind that this is a visual film. Don't expect too much dialogue, but remember to listen carefully to the things that are said, especially to Miriam (Deneuve). Otherwise you might miss some points and end up in a confused state.
As for the acting, David Bowie is remarkable in his little part, Catherine Deneuve is all class and beauty, and Susan Sarandon has some good scenes. If you're seeking to watch this movie solely because you want to see one of these actors (like I did), you probably won't regret it. But what will get your attention is all the fantasy about how the vampire life works in this story. There are some illogical and not too well thought out theories playing at hand, but when you're watching any fantasy movie, you have to let your imagination take over.
Personally, I think this movie is more fantasy and drama than horror or romance. The whole vampire idea will get your attention because of its relatively novel qualities, but the story is also about a vampiress and her tragic love affairs. I suppose the movie doesn't explore too much into this area. It would've been better if they had. For those who're interested, I recommend the book by Whitley Strieber, which does a better job of explaining things.
The movie uses a lot of visual effects and sounds to create a spooky, vampiry atmosphere. While the blue theme and the whole dark setting works quite well and the outcome is quite impressive, some people would say that the method is too slow or frustrating. Just keep in mind that this is a visual film. Don't expect too much dialogue, but remember to listen carefully to the things that are said, especially to Miriam (Deneuve). Otherwise you might miss some points and end up in a confused state.
As for the acting, David Bowie is remarkable in his little part, Catherine Deneuve is all class and beauty, and Susan Sarandon has some good scenes. If you're seeking to watch this movie solely because you want to see one of these actors (like I did), you probably won't regret it. But what will get your attention is all the fantasy about how the vampire life works in this story. There are some illogical and not too well thought out theories playing at hand, but when you're watching any fantasy movie, you have to let your imagination take over.
Personally, I think this movie is more fantasy and drama than horror or romance. The whole vampire idea will get your attention because of its relatively novel qualities, but the story is also about a vampiress and her tragic love affairs. I suppose the movie doesn't explore too much into this area. It would've been better if they had. For those who're interested, I recommend the book by Whitley Strieber, which does a better job of explaining things.
Simple and Stylish Vampire Story
tildagravette31 August 2019
How far would you go to be eternally youthful? If you're Miriam (Catherine Deneuve), you turn men and women into vampires and keep them encased in crypts once they start to deteriorate and look like death. She and her current lover (David Bowie) are looking for a cure to his rapid aging symptoms and they meet a doctor (played by Susan Sarandon) who might just be able to help. But will she be drawn into Miriam's seductive web herself?
As directed by Tony Scott, The Hunger is a triumph of style over substance. It mostly feels like a first draft script that has, somehow, been elevated by Scott's inventive staging, gorgeous photography, and the chemistry between the main trio of actors.
The Hunger isn't the kind of movie you watch for gripping dialogue or mind bending plot twists. It's a simple story, well told and well shot. Deneuve drenches the screen in her charisma throughout in a role that doesn't require her to say much, so it's an even greater feat that she's able to tell the audience everything they need to know from her body language and facial expressions. Sarandon gets the most full character in the film and she handles it with her typical professionalism even if she seems to be under the spell of a bad haircut. Still, The Hunger is, more or less, Bowie's film for the first 30 minutes or so and he's the one we identify with the most. He's been both blessed and cursed with eternal life, but a failing body. Bowie captures this terror beautifully and his is the character we think most about when the film comes to an end.
Even if you're not traditionally a big vampire movie fan, The Hunger might just satisfy your thirst for a well made, intriguing horror film.
As directed by Tony Scott, The Hunger is a triumph of style over substance. It mostly feels like a first draft script that has, somehow, been elevated by Scott's inventive staging, gorgeous photography, and the chemistry between the main trio of actors.
The Hunger isn't the kind of movie you watch for gripping dialogue or mind bending plot twists. It's a simple story, well told and well shot. Deneuve drenches the screen in her charisma throughout in a role that doesn't require her to say much, so it's an even greater feat that she's able to tell the audience everything they need to know from her body language and facial expressions. Sarandon gets the most full character in the film and she handles it with her typical professionalism even if she seems to be under the spell of a bad haircut. Still, The Hunger is, more or less, Bowie's film for the first 30 minutes or so and he's the one we identify with the most. He's been both blessed and cursed with eternal life, but a failing body. Bowie captures this terror beautifully and his is the character we think most about when the film comes to an end.
Even if you're not traditionally a big vampire movie fan, The Hunger might just satisfy your thirst for a well made, intriguing horror film.
A movable feast of sensual vampires
jgcorrea24 November 2019
Roger Ebert found The Hunger ¨an agonizingly bad vampire movie, circling around an exquisitely effective sex scene.¨ Certainly, in his first feature film, Tony Scott already set his future standards for style over content. (or did perhaps he only need an excuse for getting Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon in bed together?) Style's OK, but plot coherence might help a little. This is just a polished lesbian fantasy posed aggressively as a horror flick, which resulted weird and hardly satisfactory.
Pretty music, people, blood
rmax30482327 January 2002
Warning: Spoilers
That title about sums it up for me. A gorgeous film filled with handsome people, beautiful decor, rivers of technicolor red number nine, and music by Delibes. But you might as well be crazed with battery acid while watching it if you expect it to make any sense.
The story, what there is of it, has already been outlined. But what about those mad monkeys at the beginning? What does the "manic monkey" have to do with anything? OLD monkeys, yes. Well, maybe. I still don't know how the deteriorating monkey has anything to do with the story, especially when it not only grows old instantaneously but decomposes into dust in a jiffy.
How can Deneuve promise anyone "eternal life" when her previous lover, David Bowie, comes to look pretty dead after a while? And what, exactly, is "eternal life" if Deneuve can fall a couple of flights and not only get old pronto but die and turn skeletal while screaming.
If the vamps need to feed their hunger for blood in order to keep from aging, then why does David Bowie not turn back into his old Etonian self after slaughtering the young violinist and presumably sucking her blood? There are gouts of that cute kid's blood all over the sheet music. What was wrong with her blood. Was it corky?
And what about the skater who is a Tiny Tim lookalike?
The ending I won't bother to go into. Well, okay, I will. Sarandon and Deneuve have become lovers and the shivering, sweating Sarandon must suck her boyfriend's innocent blood to restore her well being. But then why does Sarandon then plunge a tiny blade into Deneuve's carotid artery? Or was it the other way around -- the scene is so clumsily edited that either event fits into the scene.
This may be a cult film, but it's not a cult that I belong to. The plot is a reckless jumble of expediencies. I wouldn't watch it again, although I wouldn't mind saving the soft-core encounter between Deneuve and Sarandon on some other tape. Those softly billowing see-through curtains over their entwined bodies are very exciting, although I missed the jasmine-scented candles.
Go ahead and watch, if you like. De gustibus non disputandum est. It's very stylishly done. Deneuve is languid, flawless in her icy beauty and there is a great seduction scene when she sits in the darkened room playing the Flower Duet from Lakme on the piano and describes it to Sarandon as a song of two Indian women thrilling over the beauty of a lake, marveling over its birds and flowers. Sarandon remarks, "It sounds like a love song to me," and she's right, and she goes on to ask, "Are you making a pass at me?" Without turning away from the piano, Deneuve says, "If I am, I am not aware of it." I say, Ha Ha. By the way, their love making is very tender. Women know how to treat one another. But I'm surprised neither objects when the other bites hard enough to draw a couple of mouthfuls of blood from that oft-used injection site on the inside of the elbow. But, again, there is no disputing taste.
The story, what there is of it, has already been outlined. But what about those mad monkeys at the beginning? What does the "manic monkey" have to do with anything? OLD monkeys, yes. Well, maybe. I still don't know how the deteriorating monkey has anything to do with the story, especially when it not only grows old instantaneously but decomposes into dust in a jiffy.
How can Deneuve promise anyone "eternal life" when her previous lover, David Bowie, comes to look pretty dead after a while? And what, exactly, is "eternal life" if Deneuve can fall a couple of flights and not only get old pronto but die and turn skeletal while screaming.
If the vamps need to feed their hunger for blood in order to keep from aging, then why does David Bowie not turn back into his old Etonian self after slaughtering the young violinist and presumably sucking her blood? There are gouts of that cute kid's blood all over the sheet music. What was wrong with her blood. Was it corky?
And what about the skater who is a Tiny Tim lookalike?
The ending I won't bother to go into. Well, okay, I will. Sarandon and Deneuve have become lovers and the shivering, sweating Sarandon must suck her boyfriend's innocent blood to restore her well being. But then why does Sarandon then plunge a tiny blade into Deneuve's carotid artery? Or was it the other way around -- the scene is so clumsily edited that either event fits into the scene.
This may be a cult film, but it's not a cult that I belong to. The plot is a reckless jumble of expediencies. I wouldn't watch it again, although I wouldn't mind saving the soft-core encounter between Deneuve and Sarandon on some other tape. Those softly billowing see-through curtains over their entwined bodies are very exciting, although I missed the jasmine-scented candles.
Go ahead and watch, if you like. De gustibus non disputandum est. It's very stylishly done. Deneuve is languid, flawless in her icy beauty and there is a great seduction scene when she sits in the darkened room playing the Flower Duet from Lakme on the piano and describes it to Sarandon as a song of two Indian women thrilling over the beauty of a lake, marveling over its birds and flowers. Sarandon remarks, "It sounds like a love song to me," and she's right, and she goes on to ask, "Are you making a pass at me?" Without turning away from the piano, Deneuve says, "If I am, I am not aware of it." I say, Ha Ha. By the way, their love making is very tender. Women know how to treat one another. But I'm surprised neither objects when the other bites hard enough to draw a couple of mouthfuls of blood from that oft-used injection site on the inside of the elbow. But, again, there is no disputing taste.
Excellent and very underrated
dworldeater21 October 2020
The Hunger is the debut film for director Tony Scott. This film is nothing like the slick action movies the director is known for and is a unique entry to the vampire genre. The Hunger starts off with Bauhaus performing "Bela Legosi is dead". The Hunger is an arty, erotic psychological horror film that is very sensual with strong visuals. Catherine Deneuve is the lead and is absolutely irresistable and commanding beauty. Susan Sarandon and David Bowie are the supporting players and her lovers. The tone of the film is dark and dissonant and is very stylish and operatic. There is lots of sexual content with both hetro and lesbian sex. The film is an interesting look at immortality and love gone wrong and is presented in a very strong and classy fashion. The Hunger is a great Gothic horror film that is really unique and done very well.
A Question of Hemoglobin.
tintin-2326 February 2008
Warning: Spoilers
"The Hunger" is adapted from Whitley Strieber's novel of the same title (Strieber is also the author of "Wolfen") by Ivan Davis and Michael Thomas, who wrote the scenario. Following the deconstruction and alteration of the vampire legend with Anne Rice's book, "Interview with the Vampire" (1979), and Frank Langella's film, "Dracula" (1979), Tony Scott made a definitely "modern" film by doing away with all the old clichés and myths attached to the commonly accepted vampire lore. Scott's vampires move about in full daylight, there is no mention of garlic or crucifixes, the vampires have no fangs, and the word "vampire" is not even pronounced once in the entire film. Scott proceeds by opposition: the rhythm is at times dry and nervous, and at other times tender and lascivious; the protagonists inhabit an elegant, airy townhouse located in a large metropolis instead of a traditional dark, gloomy castle. Scott prefers the beauty and sophistication of the trio whose elegant garments are in stark contrast to the inherent hideousness and monstrosity of the traditional characters and their tattered, grimy attire. He substitutes a delicate daylight chiaroscuro for the night, and he replaces the traditional funereal music with one of J.S. Bach's graceful Suites, an aria from DeLibe's opera, "Lakmé," trios by Lalo and Schubert, and the unsettling Ravel's "Le Gibet."
The cinematography by Stephen Goldblatt gives to the image a combination of the gloss of a deluxe art magazine and the sensation of a Gothic novel. The subdued, vaporous blues and greens colors of the interior scenes are awe-inspiring, and Tony's editing is MTV-like. The original music by Michel Rubini and Denny Jaeger comes and reinforces the morbid, Gothic atmosphere of the film.
David Bowie appearance is relatively brief, and it is his charismatic presence rather than his acting which is memorable, although the scene of his rapid aging as he waits for Sarandon's return is unforgettable (and so is his withering, thanks to Dick Smith's make-up wizardry). A seductive, frightening, and thoroughly elegant Catherine Deneuve, "La Belle Catherine," is sublime in one of her most sophisticated roles. Her enigmatic presence dominates the film from its very beginning to its end. Susan Sarandon is remarkable undergoing her incongruous evolution from a dedicated, successful doctor to a somewhat willing participant in her transformation into a blood-lusting vampire.
Of course, "The Hunger" became notorious for its Sapphic erotic scene between these two famous actresses. The scene is tactfully rendered, although still rather shocking to American audiences at the time. The seduction of Sarah proceeds with Miriam injecting her with some of her genetic material through a tender bite in the hollow of Sarah's arm, to the music of the (too) well-known women's duet from Léo Delibes' "Lakmé." While this beautiful music may seem appropriate, I find it a bit too obvious, and somewhat too "cliché." But, contrary to the usual seduction of the damsel found in the more classic vampire films, we clearly get the feeling that her seduction is not necessarily against her nature, and that she surrenders willingly to this forbidden love. In "The Celluloid Closet" (1995), a documentary film on the homosexuality in the cinema, Susan Sarandon comments on this particular scene, which made Catherine Deneuve somewhat of an lesbian and gay icône (which, it is said, the actress enjoys immensely).
The film's ending is a great disappointment. It parts totally from the Strieber novel's ending, which most likely was what Tony Scott intended. The studio, thinking that Strieber's original conclusion would be immoral, imposed instead on the Director an ending where Miriam is actually being "punished," violating in the process all the themes and rules on which the film was based.
Although one would not expect in most cases a worthwhile theme(s) to be associated with a vampire film, except with Bram Stocker's original "Dracula" (1897), there are several themes in "The Hunger." The first theme is that of addiction, in this particular situation, an addiction to blood in exchange not for a high, but for immortality. The second theme is that of the fear of aging and death. This theme is explicitly present in the first half of the film, when John realizes that time is catching up with him at an alarming speed, and he mounts a desperate and vain effort to stop its ravages. It is also implicit in the second half of the film, as Miriam had found "the solution." However, this "solution" has become the "raison d'être" of her apparently endless life, to the exclusion of everything else.
"The Hunger" is a very experimental film and more than twenty years following its first screening, it remains a unique cinematographic experience. I would have given it at least a four-star rating, but for its ending, I give it three stars.
The cinematography by Stephen Goldblatt gives to the image a combination of the gloss of a deluxe art magazine and the sensation of a Gothic novel. The subdued, vaporous blues and greens colors of the interior scenes are awe-inspiring, and Tony's editing is MTV-like. The original music by Michel Rubini and Denny Jaeger comes and reinforces the morbid, Gothic atmosphere of the film.
David Bowie appearance is relatively brief, and it is his charismatic presence rather than his acting which is memorable, although the scene of his rapid aging as he waits for Sarandon's return is unforgettable (and so is his withering, thanks to Dick Smith's make-up wizardry). A seductive, frightening, and thoroughly elegant Catherine Deneuve, "La Belle Catherine," is sublime in one of her most sophisticated roles. Her enigmatic presence dominates the film from its very beginning to its end. Susan Sarandon is remarkable undergoing her incongruous evolution from a dedicated, successful doctor to a somewhat willing participant in her transformation into a blood-lusting vampire.
Of course, "The Hunger" became notorious for its Sapphic erotic scene between these two famous actresses. The scene is tactfully rendered, although still rather shocking to American audiences at the time. The seduction of Sarah proceeds with Miriam injecting her with some of her genetic material through a tender bite in the hollow of Sarah's arm, to the music of the (too) well-known women's duet from Léo Delibes' "Lakmé." While this beautiful music may seem appropriate, I find it a bit too obvious, and somewhat too "cliché." But, contrary to the usual seduction of the damsel found in the more classic vampire films, we clearly get the feeling that her seduction is not necessarily against her nature, and that she surrenders willingly to this forbidden love. In "The Celluloid Closet" (1995), a documentary film on the homosexuality in the cinema, Susan Sarandon comments on this particular scene, which made Catherine Deneuve somewhat of an lesbian and gay icône (which, it is said, the actress enjoys immensely).
The film's ending is a great disappointment. It parts totally from the Strieber novel's ending, which most likely was what Tony Scott intended. The studio, thinking that Strieber's original conclusion would be immoral, imposed instead on the Director an ending where Miriam is actually being "punished," violating in the process all the themes and rules on which the film was based.
Although one would not expect in most cases a worthwhile theme(s) to be associated with a vampire film, except with Bram Stocker's original "Dracula" (1897), there are several themes in "The Hunger." The first theme is that of addiction, in this particular situation, an addiction to blood in exchange not for a high, but for immortality. The second theme is that of the fear of aging and death. This theme is explicitly present in the first half of the film, when John realizes that time is catching up with him at an alarming speed, and he mounts a desperate and vain effort to stop its ravages. It is also implicit in the second half of the film, as Miriam had found "the solution." However, this "solution" has become the "raison d'être" of her apparently endless life, to the exclusion of everything else.
"The Hunger" is a very experimental film and more than twenty years following its first screening, it remains a unique cinematographic experience. I would have given it at least a four-star rating, but for its ending, I give it three stars.
Yo, Derry, Make Mine a Bloody Mary!
strong-122-47888513 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Hey! Like, what in the name of Count Chocula is going on here!?...... Why is it that modern-day movie-vampires are such messy buggers?? They are. When it comes to their favourite drink, Blood-Thick Slurpees, they splatter and spill the stuff around, all over the place, like it was going out of style.
Take The Blaylocks (that's the oh-so-refined Bowie/Deneuve vampire team), for example, they get more blood on the walls and on the floor than they ever do in their mouths. I'm not kidding. And half the time they can't even get it into their own mouths at all. Most of it ends up dribbling down their chins and onto the fronts of their very fashionable frocks. (tsk. tsk) I'm tellin' ya - Vogue magazine would never approve of this. Never.
The Blaylocks are total mess-cats when it comes to cadaver snacks and full-meal-deals. And not only that, but they are unbelievably reckless and, yes, stupid, too. When these ultra-chic bloodsuckers are finished with their feed for the night they actually haul the torn and chewed up scraps of their dinner down to their cellar and (get this) burn it up in their very own incinerator.
I don't know about you, but I'd say that this is none too bright. After all their trendy townhouse is situated right in the centre of a New York City neighbourhood. And unless the locals there have all lost their ability to smell, the stench and smoke caused by the burning of flesh, surely must have 1 or 2 folks around the hood wondering about The Blaylocks' barbecue specials. But the strange thing is, no one ever complains, or anything. I don't get it.
In the good, ol' days of movie-vampires (pre-1950's) The Count, Nosferatu and all their assorted cronies always seemed to be so careful whenever they drained a victim of their life-blood. It's true. You rarely ever saw even a trickle of blood run down a vampire's chin or drip from their victim's neck wound. It seemed back in Hollywood's hey-day that these movie-vampires meant business and sucked the body dry. Yeah,'Good To The Last Drop' was their motto, I'm sure. Everything was so clean and easy back then.
But these hip-cat movie-vampires of today let the blood fly everywhere, making big, bloody messes from one end of their fashionable condo to the other. What in the world are vampires coming to? And not only that, but Miriam (Mrs. Blaylock) has a neurotic habit of not letting go of her previous lovers. So, whenever she moves from place to place she, literally, lugs around a dozen god-damn coffins that contain the remains of these dried-up deceived ones who she had promised 'forever' to. If a pile of coffins isn't the sort of thing that will draw attention and suspicion to this particular vampire's undead activities, I don't know what will.
But Miriam is also big on betrayal and even before her present lover has actually set foot inside his own box she's out shopping for a replacement. She likes to pretend that this isn't so, but she's no fool and, besides, she is utterly repulsed by the touch of old, wrinkled flesh. Who isn't, baby?
I have to give Miriam credit for her latest choice for a lover. Sarah (Sarandon) is actually kind of hot, (as opposed to the scrawny Bowie) but on top of that she really seems to have a brain in her head. At present Sarah's working at a clinic and researching the connection between sleep and ageing. This could well prove to be worthwhile research. And I suspect this is one of the reasons why Miriam chose Sarah. Miriam, I'm sure, has very strong desires to slow down her own ageing even more. And maybe Sarah's knowledge is the key to an answer.
But as vampire-lovers these two high-fashion females are doomed. Domination is their downfall. One must rule. One must die. Who that is to be all comes down to the one with the more cunning mind. Who that turns out to be will certainly be of no surprise to anyone, I'm sure.
Anyways - From a visual point of view 'The Hunger' is a very impressive film to look at and admire. Lots of moody lighting and stylish sets give it an above average look for a mere vampire flick. Director, Tony Scott (Ridley's brother), does a fine job of setting a even pace in the film's story line. And the gore will satisfy any fan of horror movies, in particular the final confrontation between Miriam and all her long-dead and dehydrated lovers. This girl certainly wasn't idle for a minute. And now the mummified lovers are all coming back to 'thank' her for her loyalty. (Tee-Hee)
Take The Blaylocks (that's the oh-so-refined Bowie/Deneuve vampire team), for example, they get more blood on the walls and on the floor than they ever do in their mouths. I'm not kidding. And half the time they can't even get it into their own mouths at all. Most of it ends up dribbling down their chins and onto the fronts of their very fashionable frocks. (tsk. tsk) I'm tellin' ya - Vogue magazine would never approve of this. Never.
The Blaylocks are total mess-cats when it comes to cadaver snacks and full-meal-deals. And not only that, but they are unbelievably reckless and, yes, stupid, too. When these ultra-chic bloodsuckers are finished with their feed for the night they actually haul the torn and chewed up scraps of their dinner down to their cellar and (get this) burn it up in their very own incinerator.
I don't know about you, but I'd say that this is none too bright. After all their trendy townhouse is situated right in the centre of a New York City neighbourhood. And unless the locals there have all lost their ability to smell, the stench and smoke caused by the burning of flesh, surely must have 1 or 2 folks around the hood wondering about The Blaylocks' barbecue specials. But the strange thing is, no one ever complains, or anything. I don't get it.
In the good, ol' days of movie-vampires (pre-1950's) The Count, Nosferatu and all their assorted cronies always seemed to be so careful whenever they drained a victim of their life-blood. It's true. You rarely ever saw even a trickle of blood run down a vampire's chin or drip from their victim's neck wound. It seemed back in Hollywood's hey-day that these movie-vampires meant business and sucked the body dry. Yeah,'Good To The Last Drop' was their motto, I'm sure. Everything was so clean and easy back then.
But these hip-cat movie-vampires of today let the blood fly everywhere, making big, bloody messes from one end of their fashionable condo to the other. What in the world are vampires coming to? And not only that, but Miriam (Mrs. Blaylock) has a neurotic habit of not letting go of her previous lovers. So, whenever she moves from place to place she, literally, lugs around a dozen god-damn coffins that contain the remains of these dried-up deceived ones who she had promised 'forever' to. If a pile of coffins isn't the sort of thing that will draw attention and suspicion to this particular vampire's undead activities, I don't know what will.
But Miriam is also big on betrayal and even before her present lover has actually set foot inside his own box she's out shopping for a replacement. She likes to pretend that this isn't so, but she's no fool and, besides, she is utterly repulsed by the touch of old, wrinkled flesh. Who isn't, baby?
I have to give Miriam credit for her latest choice for a lover. Sarah (Sarandon) is actually kind of hot, (as opposed to the scrawny Bowie) but on top of that she really seems to have a brain in her head. At present Sarah's working at a clinic and researching the connection between sleep and ageing. This could well prove to be worthwhile research. And I suspect this is one of the reasons why Miriam chose Sarah. Miriam, I'm sure, has very strong desires to slow down her own ageing even more. And maybe Sarah's knowledge is the key to an answer.
But as vampire-lovers these two high-fashion females are doomed. Domination is their downfall. One must rule. One must die. Who that is to be all comes down to the one with the more cunning mind. Who that turns out to be will certainly be of no surprise to anyone, I'm sure.
Anyways - From a visual point of view 'The Hunger' is a very impressive film to look at and admire. Lots of moody lighting and stylish sets give it an above average look for a mere vampire flick. Director, Tony Scott (Ridley's brother), does a fine job of setting a even pace in the film's story line. And the gore will satisfy any fan of horror movies, in particular the final confrontation between Miriam and all her long-dead and dehydrated lovers. This girl certainly wasn't idle for a minute. And now the mummified lovers are all coming back to 'thank' her for her loyalty. (Tee-Hee)
See also
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