``The Hunger'' Tony Scott's artistic vampire story in his debut novel

"The Hunger" synopsis

The setting is New York. Miriam (Catherine Deneuve), who has lived as a vampire since ancient times, has been sipping human lifeblood with her lover John (David Bowie) for the past several hundred years. Two people who were supposed to have eternal life and universal youth. However, one day, when John's body begins to age rapidly, his relationship with the doctor Sarah (Susan Sarandon) undergoes a major transformation...

On August 19, 2012, film director Tony Scott passed away.

It's been 10 years since then, and I'm amazed at how quickly time passes, but every time I look back at his work from time to time, I still can't believe he's dead. Because his movies are always full of explosive life force. The camera keeps moving so that it cannot stop for even a moment, and the protagonist also keeps moving forward with all his strength, trying to somehow escape from a desperate situation. When I myself feel down or face a wall, his work injects me with tremendous power.

This year marks a turning point, and the long-awaited `` Top Gun: Maverick '' (22) has finally been released. Many people must have been moved by the words ``Dedicated to Tony Scott'' displayed on the theater screen.

It is no exaggeration to say that with `` Top Gun '' (1986) he broke the boundaries of speed and dynamic visual acuity in the history of action movies. Tony Scott is the fastest. It was truly a revolution in Hollywood. But did you know that in his previous work, he had suffered a major setback that almost forced him to leave the film industry?

Index

• A vampire story with a gorgeous cast
• How does the public react to this narcissistic movie?
• The one commercial that changed my life, being selected for “Top Gun”

A vampire story with a gorgeous cast

The film ``The Hunger'' (1983) was Tony's first attempt at directing a feature film, as he was working on commercials and music videos for his older brother Ridley Scott's production company. However, there are no elements such as the ``gunfights'' or ``car chases'' that would later become synonymous with him, and there is no sign of a state-of-the-art machine gliding through the air at high speed. So what was engraved on it was an unexpected Gothic vampire story.

"The Hunger" preview

The story is set in New York (but due to budget constraints, most of it was filmed in London!). Miriam (Catherine Deneuve), who has lived as a vampire since ancient times, has been sipping human lifeblood with her lover John (David Bowie) for the past several hundred years. Two people who were supposed to have eternal life and universal youth. However, one day, when John's body begins to age rapidly, his relationship with the doctor Sarah (Susan Sarandon) undergoes a major transformation...

At that time, Deneuve had a dignified presence as the ``Queen of French Cinema.'' Bowie, on the other hand, had his album `` Let's Dance '' a huge hit in the year this work was released, and his film `` Merry Christmas '' (1983), in which he starred, was also released, and he was on his way to becoming a superstar. It was inside. Needless to say, the presence of these two, who have an aura that somehow transcends humanity, gave them an exquisite persuasive power in bringing classic vampires to New York in 1983.

Her human counterpart, Susan Sarandon, also gained cult popularity in the 1970s for her role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Atlantic City (1980). It was getting acclaim.

"The Hunger" (c)Photofest / Getty Images

It's surprising that Tony, who doesn't have much experience in the film industry, was able to attract such a star-studded cast for his debut film. At that time, there were many people in the commercial world, including my brother Ridley, Adrian Lyne in ` `Flashdance '' (1983), Hugh Hudson in `` Chariots of Fire '' (1981), and Alan Parker in `` Fame '' (1980). This was the exact time when the filmmakers from his hometown began to breathe new life into the film industry.

MGM's Richard Shepherd (producer), who was quick to notice Tony's visual style in commercials and music videos, consulted Alan Parker, who made Fame a huge hit, and others, and decided to hire talent with no prior experience in this film. I made the bold decision to entrust the project to him. This is indeed the right decision from a long-term perspective, but if it is limited to a very short-term commercial performance, it will be extremely troubling...