David Bowie died recently, so I've
been listening to his stuff a lot lately, and then the idea of
watching “The Hunger” came up. All I knew about this movie is
that Bowie plays a vampire, and that there's a lesbian sex scene
between Susan Sarandon and Catherine Deneuve. What more do you need
to know, really? If those two things aren't enough to make you want
to watch it, then it probably isn't for you.
“The Hunger” dispenses with some
of the tropes of vampire movies, including the stupid teeth.
Deneuve's Miriam and Bowie's John just carry a little knife around
their neck for when they want to open up someone's throat. They also
have no problem with the sun. They do thrive at night, however, and
the film starts with an artsy sequence of the two picking up a couple
of victims at a nightclub where the band Bauhaus is playing “Bela
Lugosi's Dead.” When they aren't drinking blood, Miriam and John
spend their time playing music, being stylish, and taking hot showers
together. John is looking forward to an eternity of this, so he is
shocked to find himself starting to age. Miriam is not so shocked.
She, it turns out, is the senior vampire, and for some reason, the
junior vampires she creates only last a few hundred years. She has
seen this happen to several lovers, but rather than supporting John
through his painful dissolution, she distances herself from him.
When John seeks help from Sarah, a doctor who does research into
aging, Miriam starts to fall for Sarah. Without giving away any
spoilers, I will just say that John's fate ends up being a powerful
metaphor for how it feels to be dropped by your lover.
“The Hunger” is an art film,
slow-paced at times, and not for everyone. It's a wonderful and
intense movie, however, beautifully filmed in that gauzy, '80's
style. The confusing ending was tacked on, presumably to suit a
broader audience and to set up a possible sequel. Otherwise, though,
the film is worth checking out, and that Sarandon/Deneuve lesbian
scene alone is worth the price of admission.
3 stars out of 5
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