Hunger (2008) - McQueen's overrated feel-bad debut

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+ Most Overrated Movie of the Year  

 

Star Michael Fassbender lights a cigarette on this gloomy poster for Steve McQueen's Hunger

The Troubles, Northern Ireland, 1981: Over 2,100 Irishmen are killed in the course of battle. We follow the Irish inmates in one prison holding IRA terrorists. One of them begins a new hunger strike and dies, and they consequently have demands met. 

 

Hunger is written by Enda Walsh (Weightless (2017)) and English master filmmaker, debuting co-writer/director Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave (2013)). It is based on the real-life 1981 Irish hunger strike and 'dirty protest' in the Maze Prison.

This could perhaps have been a good film, but what McQueen has made is a stubby, icy cold cornfield of a picture. The first half is rife with ridiculously disgusting scenes with piss and shit on the walls, food on the floor, maggots and cavemen-like prisoners, who are beaten to a pulp, almost entirely without dialog. This has the effect of leaving the viewer exhausted and totally apathetic as to every one involved, when they actually start talking together, which culminates in a grotesquely long conversation scene told in just two shots. SPOILER After this, Hunger's 'hero', Bobby Sands, the IRA hunger strike prisoner portrayed by Michael Fassbender (300 (2006)), starves himself to death.

Some call this uniquely negative experience film high art. - I call it a feel-bad turkey.

 

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12 Years a Slave (2013) - The inhumanity of slavery portrayed forcefully in awesome film
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]    

Shame (2011) or, That Empty Sex 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: Estimated 1.5 mil. £, approximately 2.04 mil. $

Box office: 3.1 mil. $

= Big flop (returned 1.51 times its cost)

[Hunger premiered 15 May (Cannes Film Festival, out of competition) and runs 96 minutes. The film opened #95 to a 1k $ first weekend in 1 theater in North America, where it peaked at #61 and in 11 theaters, grossing 154k $ (5 % of the total gross). The film's biggest markets were the UK with 1.2 mil. $ (38.7 %), France with 834k $ (26.9 %) and Italy with 397k $ (12.8 %). It won 1/2 BAFTA nominations, 3/7 British Independent Film awards, 2 prizes in Cannes, 1/3 European Film award nominations, was nominated for an Independent Spirit award, among many other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to 4 notches over this one. McQueen returned with 3 shorts prior to his theatrical return with Shame (2011). Fassbender returned in Eden Lake (2008); Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones (2012-19)) in Paris Noir (2008, short), Atlantic (2008, short) and theatrically in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008). Hunger is certified fresh at 90 % with a 7.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Hunger?

Film Excess' 5th birthday movie masterpiece: Hunger/Sult/Svält (1966) - Oscarsson leaves you breathless in Carlsen's impressionist masterpiece

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Per Oscarsson lifts his hat for us on this ominously discolored poster for Henning Carlsen's Hunger

A man by the name of Pontus is an aspiring writer, who is becoming increasingly desperate with hunger in Kristiania [now known as Norway's capital Oslo] in 1890. His Achilles heel, however, is also his own over-developed pride, which makes him give away the few kroner he acquires now and then to others in need.

Hunger is an adaptation of Norwegian master writer Knut Hamsun's (Pan (1894)) semi-autobiographical, same-titled 1890 novel, written by Peter Seeberg (Hjulet (1967), based on his novel) and Danish master co-writer-director Henning Carlsen (A Happy Divorce/Un Divorce Heureux/En Lykkelig Skilsmisse (1975)). It is a complex and serious film that can be seen again and again. It is equally amazing every time.
Pontus is a miserable wretch, and you can't help but feel for him in the guise of Per Oscarsson (Polisen som Vägrade Ta Semester (1984), miniseries): At turns highly sensitive and going mad, he tries to uphold his dignity but the painful starvation drives out his polemical side and hallucinations. Oscarsson's performance here will leave you breathless; it stands tall as one of the all-time greatest actor's performances in cinema. You are not likely to ever see anyone portray the effects of hunger with more potency than he achieves here.
Hunger is shot stunningly in B/W by Carlsen himself, and its atmosphere and beautiful lighting are beyond reproach. Hunger is a striking, deeply affecting impressionist major work of art as well as a high-point in Scandinavian film, a masterpiece of the highest integrity.

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Henning Carlsen: Memories of My Melancholy Whores/Memoria de Mis Putas Tristes (2011) - Carlsen signs out with a dubious adaptation

Previous Film Excess birthday movie masterpieces: Film Excess' 4th birthday movie masterpiece: From Here to Eternity (1953) - Zinnemann, Taradash and Jones' Hawaii-set classic
Film Excess' 3rd birthday movie masterpiece: Anatomy of a Murder (1959) - The courtroom movie to rule them all
Film Excess' 2nd birthday movie masterpiece: The King's Speech (2010) - Hooper's soaring, royal masterpiece about overcoming human frailty

Film Excess' 1st birthday movie masterpiece: Broadway Danny Rose (1984) or, Keep Your Heart

Watch the hypnotic opening scene of the film here

Cost: Unknown
Box office: Unknown
= Uncertain
[Hunger premiered 11 May (Cannes Film Festival, in competition) and runs 111 minutes. It was the first co-production between Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Shooting took place in Oslo, Norway. Oscarsson starved himself and walked a very long distance to the shooting in order to get into character. Many of the streets shown in the film do no longer exist. The film reportedly sold a measly 3,951 tickets in Carlsen's native Denmark. It was released in the three producing countries, Finland, USA and Australia initially, but its box office performances are unlisted. Oscarsson won the Best Actor award in Cannes, and the film was Denmark's bid for the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars, but it was not nominated. The film additionally won a National Board of Review award, a Guldbagge (Sweden's Oscar) for Oscarsson and two Bodil awards (Danish film critics' awards). Carlsen returned with People Meet and Sweet Music Fills the Heart/Människor Möts och Ljuv Musik Uppstår i Hjärtat (1967). Oscarsson returned as a guest in The D.T.'s/Myten (1966) and with real parts in Patrasket (1966, TV movie) and ABC Stage 67 (1966, TV-series) and theatrically in Here Is Your Life/Här Har Du Ditt Liv (1966). 2,359 IMDb users have given Hunger a 7.9/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Hunger?