Hunger (Steve McQueen, 2008): UK / Ireland

Reviewed by Simona Rozhko. Viewed at the ArcLight theater, AFI Film Festival.

At the AFI Film Festival, watching Hunger may rub someone the wrong way, but in a sense that is moving and instills a message to be worth standing up for. The film is a devastating yet, stunning story of the will to stand up for oneself and is worth watching every second of the work. Even more touching, is the way in which they react to authoritative figures and how they decide to overcome a battle between literally life and death.

Steve McQueen does a fantastic job in encapsulating all the emotions that were felt in prison while being mocked, beaten, humiliated and mentally tortured. It is based on a true story of a man, Bobby Sands, a portrayal of man with strength and activism that opens up the eyes of viewers to see a struggle no one imagines to hear about in today’s time. His approach sparks as he decides to begin a hunger strike in the prison to change the brutality that prisoners go through in Ireland. Their imprisonment is beyond astonishing and cannot be justified by the way they are treated like dirty animals.

The acting in the film, especially by the man portraying Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender), is perfectly done. One scene when a priest comes in for a visit, Sands and him have an eye-to-eye conversation with it’s basis on the moral questions of life outside and inside the prison. Sands and the priest sit their and dialogue for over five minutes straight, no cuts, no camera movement. The performance is magical and a viewer really establishes a seriousness to the problems involved in the prison. Also, the scenes where the prisoners are brutally treated makes emotions arise and feel sympathy for these so-called criminals living in a far worse setting then being involved in a war at times.

This film could easily be compared to a real-life recording like a documentary where people are taken for granted and their lives are put at risk continually. Hunger uses exquisite acting, and scenes to send a message of rights and civility.

If you are looking for a film that stand out with performance, message, and shocking events, which are based on actuality in Irish history, take a peak at the film and I guarantee you won’t take your eyes off the screen until the ending credits run through. Masterpiece of a film… Go see it!

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Published:
11.05.08 / 10am
Category:
AFI Filmfest 2008, Films