The film Cronos is from director Guillermo del Toro, who directed Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, Pacific Rim, and (my guilty pleasure) Blade 2. Given that Blade 2 was a clever superhero-vampire movie, that Del Toro is known for his beautiful and creative creature work, and that this film also had Ron Perlman in it, I had high hopes. Del Toro is at his best, it seems, when he's let off of his leash. Surely a project where he had complete creative control would be stunningly odd.
The idea of a vampire-creating device is a fascinating one, and Argentinian actor Federico Luppi is incredibly likable in the protagonist's role. Ron Perlman also is at his near-hammiest, chewing the scenery with glee. No, the problem with this film isn't the acting; it is the pacing. By the time anything truly vampiric occurs, the film is nearly over and ultimately anti-climactic. This is a shame, because the idea is unique and has such promise. And perhaps that's the problem: at the end of the day, Cronos seems to try too hard to be unique and never embraces the fun that a vampire movie can have. It also doesn't fully explore the serious route, though, juxtaposing heart-breaking scenes of Luppi's antique dealer and his daughter with scenes of Perlman obsessing over a nose-job and wise-cracking. The film also just feels subdued, like Del Toro was afraid to have fun with the subject and was trying to prove himself as a director and an "adult." I think Del Toro let his creative and playful inner-child run more wild later in his career, and we are all greatful for it. However, when he made Cronos, it seems he was trying just a bit too hard to be dramatic and serious and forgot to make a truly good vampire movie.
Well... no. This was actually Del Toro's first feature film, and while it is well done and certainly is a complete film, anyone expecting the glory of his later work will be sorely disappointed. Cronos tells the story of a bug-like device created by an ancient alchemist to give the user eternal life. The problem? "Eternal life" means living as a corpse-like vampire. When it falls into the hands of a lovable antique dealer, things take a turn for the dark and addictive quickly.
The idea of a vampire-creating device is a fascinating one, and Argentinian actor Federico Luppi is incredibly likable in the protagonist's role. Ron Perlman also is at his near-hammiest, chewing the scenery with glee. No, the problem with this film isn't the acting; it is the pacing. By the time anything truly vampiric occurs, the film is nearly over and ultimately anti-climactic. This is a shame, because the idea is unique and has such promise. And perhaps that's the problem: at the end of the day, Cronos seems to try too hard to be unique and never embraces the fun that a vampire movie can have. It also doesn't fully explore the serious route, though, juxtaposing heart-breaking scenes of Luppi's antique dealer and his daughter with scenes of Perlman obsessing over a nose-job and wise-cracking. The film also just feels subdued, like Del Toro was afraid to have fun with the subject and was trying to prove himself as a director and an "adult." I think Del Toro let his creative and playful inner-child run more wild later in his career, and we are all greatful for it. However, when he made Cronos, it seems he was trying just a bit too hard to be dramatic and serious and forgot to make a truly good vampire movie.
8. Thirst (2009)
If Cronos is too unique and "serious" to be truly vampiric, the odd little film Thirst by Korean director Chan-wook Park (director of Oldboy and Lady Vengance) embraces its insanity and vampiric plot and turns it into something truly bizarre. Perhaps the best way to describe this film is that it is very, very Korean.
The film centers around a priest named Sang-hyeon, who contracts a rare skin condition during a medical experiment. This grants him powers, causing many to see him as a miracle and a saint... when, in reality, the audience soon realizes that he is a vampire. As he learns how to function in his vampiric state, he feeds off of his mentor and comatose patients in the hospital, all while trying to appear "normal" in his priestly duties.
Things change when he meets an unhappy housewife, Tae-ju. The two become attracted to one another, and descend into a twisted affair with masochistic themes and sex of questionable consent. At this stage in the movie, the fact that Sang-hyeon is a vampire is almost second in importance to his affair with Tae-ju. He is plagued by his lust and love for her, even more it seems than he is plagued by bloodlust. His obsession leads him to be pulled into Tae-ju's manipulations as she convinces him to help her kill her husband and turn her into a vampire.
From there, the film becomes both more cliche and more bizarre. The vampire plot-line becomes almost textbook and predictable: Tae-ju is a bloodthirsty vampire and cannot be controlled. She does not follow Sang-hyeon's rules and clearly must be stopped. However, there is also the residual guilt from killing Tae-ju's husband and his ghost haunts them in a series scenes which are truly bizarre and beautiful.
If Cronos suffered from a lack of fun, Thirst has it in spades. This dark comedy ultimately isn't the most memorable of Chan-Wook's films, but is a strange and mostly enjoyable romp nonetheless.
If I had to recommend only one of these films, I would probably choose Thirst, but Cronos might appeal to people interested in "serious" film more, as Thirst ends with a sense of emptiness and flippancy. Both movies have positives and negatives to them, but they are both ultimately worthy and interesting additions to the vampire genre.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 bites for both
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