THE HUNGER (1983)
Tony Scott’s 1983 horror film THE HUNGER is a loose adaptation of the 1981 novel of the same name by Whitley Strieber. The film and the novel both feature a queer female vampire who is seeking an immortal companion. Interestingly, the film breaks away from some of the usual tropes associated with the lesbian vampire we’ve seen in the past.
THE HUNGER
1983. USA.
Director: Tony Scott
Screenplay: Ivan Davis & Michael Thomas
Based on: “The Hunger” (1981) by Whitley Strieber
Starring: Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Susan Sarandon, Cliff De Young, Dan Hedaya, Beth Ehlers & Rufus Collins
In the story, vampirism is depicted as a virus that is transmitted through blood. Many have since noted that the film reflects (possibly unintentionally) the plight of many living with HIV/AIDS in the early years of the pandemic. In THE HUNGER, the vampire Miriam’s (Catherine Deneuve) initial lover, John (David Bowie), is under the impression he will be ageless and beautiful for all eternity like his maker. Naturally, he begins to panic when he starts to rapidly grow older and seeks out Sarah (Susan Sarandon), a doctor specializing in the process of aging, for help. Unfortunately Sarah doesn’t initially believe John and Miriam hides him away as he becomes weaker. When Sarah attempts to find out what happened to him she meets Miriam, who then begins to pursue her romantically.
Initially, Miriam was supposed to be depicted as purely predatory – much like we’ve seen in films of the past that have utilized the lesbian vampire trope. But here she isn’t explicitly evil; she has motivation. Miriam doesn’t want to spend eternity alone, so she keeps trying to find an eternal companion. Additionally, Susan Sarandon thought it would be much more interesting if both women wanted each other equally, so she helped create a deeper connection between the characters which she elaborated on in a 2014 interview with Vulture:
“Originally, the descriptions of the scene were of us kind of posing and not necessarily connecting. We figured out the choreography so there was a first kiss, and how that happened, so it didn’t just jump into nakedness and corsets and a lot of other things.”
While it’s true that the male gaze is very much a part of these intimate moments, Sarandon’s input seems to have helped solidify the chemistry between characters and turn the film into the queer horror classic it is today.
THE HUNGER is available for rent/purchase on AppleTV & Amazon, it’s also available on DVD/Blu-ray.
