Review of The Hunger (1983) by Suvi L — 28 Aug 2009
A very original, visually stimulating, and beautifully shot Gothic/New Wave vampire film that begins with a bang with Bauhaus performing their "Bela Legosi's Dead" as Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie (a pair of vampire lovers) pick up another couple and take them home for a little bloodsucking.
Like Kathryne Bigelow's Near Dark, The Hunger is a film that never calls its characters vampires, and they do not have fangs--instead they use ankhs to slash their victims' throats in order to drink their blood.
While The Hunger is a striking, erotic, and dark piece of vampire filmmaking, it is also a harrowing meditation upon love and mortality. Deneuve's vampire is truly immortal--she hails from ancient Egypt--but her lovers are granted only a partial immortality.
They live much longer than normal humans but are ultimately doomed to die. At the film's outset, Bowie's vampire begins to suddenly start aging at a rapid rate, losing his looks and beginning to fear the loss of his life as well as the end of his love.
More heartbreaking than horrifying, The Hunger will not disappoint fans of vampire films that deviate from the norm.
This review of The Hunger (1983) was written by Suvi L on 28 Aug 2009.
The Hunger has generally received positive reviews.
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