Hunger

Steve McQueen is an artist. As the director of the film Hunger he's managed to create scenes of beautiful visual poetry out of some of the most horrific events I've seen put up on the screen. Hunger is primarily the story of Bobby Sands, an IRA protestor and poet who started a Hunger strike while serving time in prison. The film has political intensions but not in the sense that it really takes sides. Yes, Sands is painted as a kind of saint but scenes of horrific violence are shown from both sides of the prison walls. The film opens with the daily routine of a British prison guard who seems constantly on edge. That routine includes among other things checking beneath his car for explosives before leaving the house to work. Once at work you don't exactly get the feeling that he's happy about what he's doing either.
Of course life for the prisoners is much much worse. Inside there small cells they sleep on cold floors stained from urine surrounded by walls painted with feces all the while refusing to bathe and wear prison attire in an attempt to gain some political leverage over the government who put them there. Practically the entire film takes place within the confines of the prison walls which creates a claustrophobic atmosphere that is unsettling to say the least. Most intriguing about Hunger though is the manner in which McQueen choses to tell the story. With sparse dialogue the film gives off an almost silent feeling that gives every image more added weight. The shots feel artsy and meditative but at times can feel a bit tiresome and exhaustive. All and all though this is far and away one of the most gorgeously photographed films of 2008.
The only strong criticism that I have is the way the narratives are split up between three characters. While the first two are arguably important, its the life of Sands that the movie is ultimately about and we don't see him until about thirty minutes inn and then before you know it he's on hunger strike. While all the scenes in the film do work, I just kept wishing for more character development for Sands so as to give to give his last remaining scenes all the more emotional importance and relevance. That being said the cast was superb and with this feature debut from McQueen, he has already established himself as an important filmmaker and artist to look out for in the coming years.

B+

2008