Hunger (2008)

- A stomach-turning experience, but an experience nontheless

The most peculiar thing about "Hunger" is that it finds beauty in a film that depicts people being tortured and treated like animals, caged in cold, dark cells and living in their own excrement. It will certainly leave a bitter taste in your mouth. But at the same time writer/director Steve McQueen constructs his film so carefully that you can neither take your eyes off the screen nor stop to admire what you see.

The political and biographical backdrop for the story is provided by real events that occured in a prison in 1981 Northern Ireland. There, a leading member of the IRA, Bobby Sands, started a hunger strike on the first of March that lasted 66 days and followed several other forms of protest before. At first Sands and his fellow prisoners had refused to wear the common prisoner's clothes then they began the "Dirty Protest" where the prisoners would essentially dispose their excrements all over the walls of their cells. The inmates wanted to gain the status of polical prisoners. But the government didn't give in.

The last days of Bobby Sands' life were dirty, brutal and silent. The film tries to recreate what it felt like to be part of the protest. It's not so much about the political issues surrounding it. It does not try to find explanations or reclaim the background situation. Rather it's a portrait of pointless agony and suffering, a tragedy that took place behind thick walls while people outside were marching through the streets and politicians debated without any will to compromise. Meanwhile people are starving in isolation deeply believing in their case and convinced that their resistance has impact. Considering the hopeless situation inside the prison the prisoner's faith makes the whole thing even more despairing.

At the beginning it isn't even quite sure who the protagonist is. I guess, it isn't that important. Bobby Sands is just the symbol figure for all the mayhem and disgrace - on both sides. The camera observes the men quietly in their cells. Little insects that enter through the small barred window fill the room with a little glimpse of life. McQueen repeatedly catches moments like this and lets them ring in almost poetic manner. The story plays out with very little dialog and MC Queen composes every shot with patience and thoughtfulness. In often very long takes he creates an almost surreal atmosphere in this place where time seems to stand still. His approach shows a director with great confidence, who knows exactly what he is doing and is deeply convinced of it. It surely doesn't feel like a first time job.

When the prisoners have to leave their cells though, the tone of the picture suddenly changes. The audience becomes one of the victims in the sudden bursts of violence. Now the editing is fast, the camera disorienting. It's masterful work as prisoners are being dragged through the hallways, in and out of rooms, endlessly beaten by wardens. We witness it first hand through POVs while other people around are brutally mistreated too.

Where does this end? Well, I kind of indicated it already, but it isn't really a film that relies on a surprising outcome anyway, so there is no real spoilers to worry about. A key scene in the film is a conversation between Sands and a priest done in a single shot that lasts 15 minutes. The static camera implies that things won't change. It's not an exchange, no back and forth, no arguement. Bobby Sands has long made a decision. He and his fellow prisoners believe in what they do. He will not change his mind for anything until their demands are accepted. This radical attitude becomes a theme itself and is really frightening if you think about it.

Its themes may be disturbing but its presentation is truly elegant. An artful and intelligent film. Watch it and make sure to enjoy your next meal.

TRAILER:
Watch the Trailer for 'Hunger' on Youtube