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HUNGER Send This Review to a Friend
One of the most striking films shown at the 2008 Toronto International Film festival was “Hunger,” which is now getting a commercial release. Dealing with the Irish-British conflict, Steve McQueen’s “Hunger” is a drama about the fatal hunger strike by rebellious Bobby Sands in a British prison, with Sands played with utter reality by Michael Fassbender.
The tough, brutal conditions at the Maze prison that lead to the hunger strike are detailed with great effectiveness in scenes that make one shudder at the inhumanity. While the rebels against British rule believe they are political prisoners, the authorities consider them as terrorists and treat them sadistically.
The main thrust of the film is to look inside the mind and heart of Sands to see what motivates him, politically and personally. His views are made clear in a lengthy dialogue with his friend, a priest (Liam Cunningham), who tries to dissuade him from his suicidal course.
However, Sands will not be deterred, and the film candidly shows the painful process of his dying of starvation to make his point about the need to end British rule. He becomes a hero and inspiration for the cause and a martyr who is a tragic victim of historical circumstances combined with his personal choice of how he believes he should respond.
McQueen’s direction relentlessly explores the conditions and the principles, never letting us forget that the fight comes down to human battling and suffering. Although hard to take, “Hunger” is an inspirational film for all who believe in causes worth fighting for. An IFC Films release.
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