areatw 'Hunger' is a brutal film, at times even difficult to watch. For a relatively unknown film with a modest budget, I was impressed at just how well it was put together. It gives a very raw account of the horrific 1981 hunger strikes, with minimal dialogue and extended scenes of suffering.The atmosphere throughout the whole film is very unnerving and makes for uncomfortable, but also compelling viewing. It's very slow-moving and some of the scenes are deliberately long, but this is effective in adding to the mood of the film. My only criticism would be the lack of background given to the events in the film, but other than that, 'Hunger' is well worth watching.

Eric Calvo Hunger, Steve McQueen's full-length directorial debut, is an astounding and unflinching film. I'd been meaning to watch it for quite some time, but I finally got the chance a few days ago. I was not disappointed. What truly impresses me is how much McQueen can accomplish with so little dialogue. The opening shots show police officer Raymond in the midst of his daily routine. His brief check under his car for explosives perfectly brings us into the ghastly, yet clockwork reality of 1981 Northern Ireland without a word. We see real emotions -- tiredness, apathy, sadness -- on his face as he enters the prison. McQueen gives us a longshot of Raymond, standing outside in the cold, taking a drag from a cigarette as his bloodied knuckles soak in the falling snow. Already, we have so many questions, among them how he damaged his hand. Moreover, we're led to view Raymond in a sympathetic light -- perhaps as an altruistic police officer in the midst of an epidemic in human rights and incarceration. When we next see him bludgeoning main character and IRA leader Bobby Sands to the point of near death, the feeling of irony are almost palpable. We are robbed of the biased, pre-packaged perspective we crave. Every aspect of the events leading to the 1981 hunger strike is shown without censorship. My father remarked that he could almost taste the feces and bile in every cell shown. All of this is accomplished without a single word. When characters do speak in the film, it is complex and absolutely necessary. I'm sure many would agree that Hunger's focal point is the lengthiest bit of dialogue: a conversation between Sands and Father Dominic Moran on the upcoming hunger strike. It's a masterful scene, and one that requires the audience to hang on every single word. Actors Fassbender and Cunningham trade verbal blows for an astounding uninterrupted 17 minute shot. From that point on, the film is almost entirely Fassbender. One can only imagine the great care he took to become prepared for the character of Sands. The actual events are objective, yet he brings his own emotional and philosophical interpretation. The role is very physical in nature and Fassbender delivers unequivocally. When we look at Fassbender's emaciated face, we see a man who is ready to die, through and through. McQueen paces the plot unconventionally, yet every iota of time that passes feels perfectly placed. Nearly every scene is memorable and deserves an analytic essay. Music is used sparingly, and this is certainly a good thing. I find that certain moments create their own sort of soundtrack -- the "inspection" scene, complete with its percussive riot police, stands out in this regard. Any sort of score wouldn't fit this restrained film. However, when light strings appeared for the first time, I was taken aback by their effectiveness. Overall, Hunger is at once a minimalist piece and an uncompromising masterwork. It spares no gruesome detail from audience members, yet demands and ultimately holds their undivided attention. From nearly every stand point, Hunger is masterful.

davidandrewenglish 'Hunger' was the first of Steve McQueen's feature films, preceding 'Shame' and then the Oscar-winning '12 Years a Slave'. Each of the films are visually an absolute delight (cinematography and direction), tackling bold and relevant themes and showing off actors who can feed us powerful, raw, distressing emotion - most strikingly Michael Fassbender, star of all three.'Hunger' takes us to Long Mesh Maze prison during the 'blanket' and 'no-wash' protests of the late 1970s. The first of three sections has very little dialogue. McQueen said the intention was that the viewer be floating down a river on their back, taking in their surroundings, then suddenly they become caught in fracturing rapids which eventually drag them into a waterfall. It's a very visual, touchy-feely introduction - storytelling through pictures and through subtle suggestions to the as yet unmentioned bigger picture. We see both sides conform to their orders ritualistically, as if smearing feces on the wall or beating an inmate were just ordinary tasks in anyone's day-to-day. Sequences of anticipation are followed by bursts of anger and aggression and then succeeded by a slow lulling shot which allows for audience reflection. The introduction leave you with hairs standing on end - indeed the presentation of brutality is so real that McQueen admits on one occasion he had to leave the set and shed a tear.In contrast, one extended shot and conversation, between an IRA commander (Fassbender) and a priest (Liam Cunningham), make up the entire middle section. The filmmaker knows that learning is best when you first observe before trying to understand. The context is built around what we have just witnessed and we start to digest the complex situation and the lives involved. A short monologue from Fassbender ends that scene and leads gently into the final section - a more intimate focus on his character, Bobby Sands, as he is pushed to the absolute limits in the pursuit of his beliefs.After the face-slamming roller-coaster of part one and the intensity of the dialogue section, in part three the film's grip on the shoulders does weaken slightly as we watch the deterioration of Sand's/Fassbender's body and not a great deal else. The overlay of a flock of birds flying over Fassbender's face and the pictorial retelling of what we have already learnt about his childhood feel unnecessary - but these are only minor criticisms in a production which is by and large breathtaking.

bcd1296 Amazing film. Michael Fassbender and Liam Cunningham is one of the best scenes I seen lately. Steve McQueen is something like no other. In my personal opinion, I was studying the trouble in Northern Ireland when I watch it and I believe it having that little bit of information and understand on how bad thing were during the time help me really get the full experience of the film. I had seen Shame and 12 Years a Slave so I already knew how amazing Steve McQueen is, but after watching these film I was able to enjoy his amazing directions which were highlighted in Hunger. Knowing that this was on of Fassbender's first major films is outstanding, you can really see his talent in his film. Again amazing film!