Review of The Hunger (1983) by Neil K — 29 Jul 2012

A remarkably artistic debut by director Tony Scott, who has since gone on to more commercially successful films - yet none have ever come close to the wonderful balance between avantgarde & traditional filmmaking as this unique vampire story from 1983.

Using backlighting, shadows, filters & fog, the camera weaves a gorgeous gothic style as it flows through modern locations, creating a soft, velvet tone worth studying by photographers looking for a dark, dramatic style in their work.

Solid performances by Catherine Deneuve, Susan Sarandon & David Bowie (in one of his finest roles) bring gravity to a story more reliant upon visuals rather than dialogue - although there is a lack of character development which makes it difficult to create empathy at times - a problem Tony Scott has addressed in his later films.

Unusual, dark, graceful, stylish - a simple story told by a young director reaching out to bring European art styles to a mass audience. Recommended for those who can appreciate a different style of film or looking to study an image-driven way to tell a story.