The Hunger (1983 film)
| The Hunger | |
|---|---|
 Film poster for The Hunger. | |
| Directed by | Tony Scott |
Release date | 1983 |
| Language | English |
The Hunger is a 1983 (R) rated horror film. It is the story of a bizarre triangle between a doctor experimenting with aging and a stylish vampire couple, starring Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Susan Sarandon and Cliff DeYoung. The screenplay by Ivan Davis and Michael Thomas was adapted from the 1981 novel by Whitley Strieber. It was directed by Tony Scott (younger brother of director Ridley Scott) with cinematography by Stephen Goldblatt.
The film was not particularly well received when it came out and was attacked by many critics for being heavy on atmosphere and visuals but slow on pace and plot. Its visually impeccable attention to detail and cinematography creates the stylish atmosphere of a photo shoot. The long Bauhaus song Bela Lugosi's Dead plays over the introductory credits and beginning.
The traditional sinister vampire film had become a camp cliché by the 1970s, until it was deconstructed by Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire (1979) and in film, Frank Langella's recreation of Dracula (1979). In The Hunger there are no fangs, the creatures thrive in the sunlight, and the word "vampire" is not spoken [1].
In this film, genetic material (similar to a virus or prion) is passed from true vampires (a different species) to create temporary vampires (a few centuries or so) from humans. The human vampires act as companions until they eventually wither. Unfortunately for the human vampires, they never die (unless burned) and remain in a conscious, desiccated state (a form of living hell). The lineage of the true vampires begins in ancient times, passes through the Egyptian dynasties, and into the present.
Susan Sarandon talks candidly about the lesbian seduction scene in the documentary The Celluloid Closet.
External links
- The Hunger at IMDb
- The Hunger: analyzed by Richard Scheib, 1990