Fome de Viver

Dream-like horror

Whitley Streiber's highly suspenseful and thematically rich novel is transformed into something entirely different by Tony Scott.

The film is a dream-like arthouse horror pic with diamond-studded production values.

Catherine Deneuve is very, very good as eternal blood drinker Miriam Blaylock. Although it has never been acknowledged (as far as I know), the look and behavior of her screen character is a "re-imagining" of Delphine Seyrig's peerless vampire Countess Bathory from Harry Kummel's 1971 classic DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS.

David Bowie is superb as Deneve's not-so-immortal beloved and convinces us to emphasize with his condition (he is aging rapidly)

This was Tony Scott's first feature and it is a beautiful piece of work that is rich in texture and design and demonstrates adroit control of cinematic craft.

The sound design and rich catalog of music cues are pitch perfect.

Certainly bearing little resemblance to Streiber's novel (just as Michael Wadleigh's WOLFEN also moved away from same author's source), THE HUNGER is, nevertheless, gorgeous art.