Hunger (2008) directed by Steve McQueen
Hunger tells the story of the 1981 hunger strikes that took place in the Maze prison in Belfast by IRA members. It is a brutal yet captivating look at harsh prison conditions and the sheer willpower of the human spirit. It is also a testament to what actors must go through in order to play certain roles. Michael Fassbender, who plays Bobby Sands, went from 170 to 132 pounds and looks deathly unhealthy in the last act when the hunger strike takes place. You always hear about actors and actresses gaining or losing weight for roles and it shows the dedication that they have for their craft and their desire for authenticity.
The film begins not with Bobby Sands or other IRA prisoners but with a prison guard going through his daily routines. We see him standing outside in the snow taking things in and the shot rests upon a tiny snowflake landing on his bloody knuckles. It is a beautiful yet painful image that sets the tone for the rest of the film. The first portions of the film deal with the "blanket" and "no wash" strike where prisoners refused to wear prison clothes or wash themselves. We get a close look at one cell where human feces is smeared across the walls, the centerpiece being a perfectly formed vortex of shit. It is a powerful image that is kind of beautiful yet so obviously repulsive. In this first act we see the scenes of unflinching prison brutality. In a well shot scene guards arrive in riot gear and forcibly remove prisoners from their cells to beat them, most of it done in one long continuos shot highlighted by a moment where we see one guard crying off to the side while his compadres exert their force. One thing I've noticed from Steve McQueen, who directed Shame, is that he has a great visual style, which shouldn't be too surprising since he was an artist before going into movies.
Even with the scenes of violence in the first act and the slow agonizing death of Bobby in the last act and all the visual imagery throughout, the highlight of the film to me was the middle which is basically a twenty minute conversation between Bobby and a priest. It is shot in a single take with no camera movements at all, simply two guys sitting down and talking. In a film with virtually no dialogue, it is one of the longest scenes of dialogue I can remember seeing. Here Bobby and the priest exchange ideas, arguing over the merits and morality of a hunger strike. One thing is clear, Bobby is willing to die for his beliefs and details exactly why he must do what he's about to do. It is such a simple yet effective scene that explains everything you need to know.
The last act where Bobby goes through the hunger strike is almost an afterthought. He made his decision to martyr himself in that conversation with the priest, his slow agonizing death is just a formality. These last scenes are painful and depressing. We can see Bobby's life slowly drain out of him, yet his point is made stronger and stronger as he gets weaker and weaker until he finally dies. It is hard to say if his death was worth it, the prisoners did wind up getting some things, but in the grand scheme of things perhaps not nearly enough. One thing is for certain though, the minor victory that Bobby Sands won by his death was worth it to him and no one can take that away from him.
Grade: B
Hunger tells the story of the 1981 hunger strikes that took place in the Maze prison in Belfast by IRA members. It is a brutal yet captivating look at harsh prison conditions and the sheer willpower of the human spirit. It is also a testament to what actors must go through in order to play certain roles. Michael Fassbender, who plays Bobby Sands, went from 170 to 132 pounds and looks deathly unhealthy in the last act when the hunger strike takes place. You always hear about actors and actresses gaining or losing weight for roles and it shows the dedication that they have for their craft and their desire for authenticity.
The film begins not with Bobby Sands or other IRA prisoners but with a prison guard going through his daily routines. We see him standing outside in the snow taking things in and the shot rests upon a tiny snowflake landing on his bloody knuckles. It is a beautiful yet painful image that sets the tone for the rest of the film. The first portions of the film deal with the "blanket" and "no wash" strike where prisoners refused to wear prison clothes or wash themselves. We get a close look at one cell where human feces is smeared across the walls, the centerpiece being a perfectly formed vortex of shit. It is a powerful image that is kind of beautiful yet so obviously repulsive. In this first act we see the scenes of unflinching prison brutality. In a well shot scene guards arrive in riot gear and forcibly remove prisoners from their cells to beat them, most of it done in one long continuos shot highlighted by a moment where we see one guard crying off to the side while his compadres exert their force. One thing I've noticed from Steve McQueen, who directed Shame, is that he has a great visual style, which shouldn't be too surprising since he was an artist before going into movies.
Even with the scenes of violence in the first act and the slow agonizing death of Bobby in the last act and all the visual imagery throughout, the highlight of the film to me was the middle which is basically a twenty minute conversation between Bobby and a priest. It is shot in a single take with no camera movements at all, simply two guys sitting down and talking. In a film with virtually no dialogue, it is one of the longest scenes of dialogue I can remember seeing. Here Bobby and the priest exchange ideas, arguing over the merits and morality of a hunger strike. One thing is clear, Bobby is willing to die for his beliefs and details exactly why he must do what he's about to do. It is such a simple yet effective scene that explains everything you need to know.
The last act where Bobby goes through the hunger strike is almost an afterthought. He made his decision to martyr himself in that conversation with the priest, his slow agonizing death is just a formality. These last scenes are painful and depressing. We can see Bobby's life slowly drain out of him, yet his point is made stronger and stronger as he gets weaker and weaker until he finally dies. It is hard to say if his death was worth it, the prisoners did wind up getting some things, but in the grand scheme of things perhaps not nearly enough. One thing is for certain though, the minor victory that Bobby Sands won by his death was worth it to him and no one can take that away from him.
Grade: B
No comments:
Post a Comment