Varun Patel
‘Priest’ is a 2011 movie that can be classified under various genres: science fiction, fantasy or vampire fiction. However, superhero fiction might be the most appropriate genre grouping for it. Scott Stewart directs the film and has been praised for its visual style, which gives the feeling of a Western. That is the reason its aesthetic can be roughly compared to ‘Mad Max: Fury Road.’
‘Priest’ is set in an alternate universe where humans and vampires have been warring for centuries. Because of that, humans have resorted to living in walled cities under the control of a theocracy called the Church. The Church has trained several warriors with expert combat skills against vampires known as Priests. These Priests have helped reduce the threat of the vampires almost completely. However, they are now marginalized.
After a girl named Lucy is kidnapped by vampires from an outlying town, her lover and the town’s sheriff seek the help of a Priest, who is Lucy’s uncle. The Priest defies the Church’s orders to rescue Lucy. Many viewers might have wondered which sources the movie takes its inspiration from.
Who is Black Hat?
‘Priest’ is based on a Korean comic or manhwa of the same name. However, the movie has taken radical creative liberties and even changed the source material’s basic premise. The comics are way more fantastical and do not revolve around vampires at all. Instead, they depict fictional mythology revolving around 12 fallen angels who descend to Earth and start to rebel against God. However, the movie completely replaces this religiously inspired mythology for vampire fiction. There are no fallen angels.
Moreover, the character of the antagonist has also been changed. The main antagonist in the manhwa is Temozarela, a fallen angel or archangel. In the movie, the main antagonist is Black Hat, a Priest who gets transformed into a human vampire. The similarity to the source material regarding the antagonist is that Temozarela (in the manhwa) fought on God’s side before God lost faith in the angels. Similarly, since the Church starts to marginalize the Priests, Black Hat embraces his form as a human vampire.
Furthermore, the protagonist’s character is also tweaked slightly. In the manhwa, the protagonist sees his adopted sister murdered in front of his eyes, while in the movie, it is his niece who gets kidnapped.
Lastly, the manhwa is set in the Old West. However, the movie’s action is set in an alternate universe. The manhwa itself was inspired by a video game called Blood. Moreover, the movie takes place on a timeline different from the manhwa’s.
Read More: Best Movies Based on Comic Books
