Begierde

This artsy horror insanity was made by Tony Scott, who has since spent most of his career on dumb action flicks? That was quite a shock, but in a good way (The Hunger is a very good film) and in a bad way, too (given the films Tony would make later). In any case, it’s worth watching, not only for that closing sequence with the “zombie” vampires, which I consider one of the most beautiful and most atmospheric horror scenes ever. (31.01.2012)

In the hands of Tony Scott, making his directorial debut, the screenplay for a banal vampire one-act becomes a captivating audio-visual ode to eternal beauty. Scott was given a feature-length project for the first time and he turned the opportunity into an absolute exhibition of his style, shaped not only by his work on commercials, but also during the early days of his career with his brother Ridley in the youthful British indie-experimental scene. The Hunger is an impressionistic collage of fetishistically formalistic vignettes. It jumps from one moment to parallel and retrospective scenes, but it mainly enchants with wide-angle close-ups of the seductive faces and necks of not only the central trio of the dream ensemble of actors. Most of the film fittingly takes place in ostentatiously lit interiors that intentionally give the impression of artificially constructed mausoleums, enveloping the characters in the coldness of the ages as they yearn in vain to overcome the ephemeral nature of life, time and desire. Scott’s formalistic signature distils the essence of every individual moment and imprints it into the film, whether it’s a ravenous vampire attack, passionate lovemaking or merely dialogue laden with the tension of mutual attraction (the passage at the piano with Lakmé by Delibes holds a place of honour in the audio-visual erotica hall of fame). In the end, the main vampire is thus not so much the character portrayed by Catherine Deneuve, but the medium of film itself, which, through Tony Scott’s signature style, preserves the fleeting beauty of these moments in seductively undead perfection. ____ PS: Watching this on the big screen at Bio Oko was ecstasy for a cinephile. (17.09.2022)

Mein elftägiges Fasten im Horror wurde erst durch den Hunger unterbrochen (imho wohl meine längste Pause von ihm). Es hat zwar nicht gesättigt, aber verdammt gut geschmeckt. Vampirismus ist stark elektrisierend, manchmal sogar gotisch. Sehr unterschiedlich von den Blutsbrüdern und -schwestern. Keine schnellen Schnitte von Herrn Scott, sondern lange Aufnahmen von weißen, im Wind wehenden Vorhängen, oft von ernster Musik begleitet, langsames Tempo, alles verpackt in eine künstlerische Hülle. Dazu konzentrierte schauspielerische Leistungen, von denen vor allem die von Bowie hervorsticht. Außerdem ist der finale Walzer mit den ausgetrockneten Vampiren eine ziemlich intensive Angelegenheit. Also sind Susan Sarandons Brüste und das Cameo von Willem Dafoe nur noch Details. Zwar angenehme, aber Details. (11.06.2014)

The Hunger is exactly the kind of film I like. It is a film that attempts to approach the topic in an innovative way within its genre, and it is creative, interestingly directed, and well-acted. This debut by Tony Scott was heavily criticized at the time, mainly because of the lesbian themes between Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon. Deneuve even distanced herself from the film under media pressure. For me, the film remains between four and five stars, as the overall rating is brought down by the overly simplistic screenplay. On the other hand, I lean toward five stars because of the unique perspective that is rarely seen in the horror genre. For David Bowie, it was the best acting role of his life, alongside his titular role in the film The Man Who Fell to Earth. Every time I see a cheap B-movie vampire film, I mentally add a certain percentage to The Hunger. Overall impression: 90%. It's not an action vampire film, but a psychological vampire drama with a unique atmosphere, which foreshadowed the creation of the more successful Interview with the Vampire. (09.12.2007)