Faim is, of course, French for hunger, so the titles themselves link the two in this pairing. Faim was one of the first, if not the first, computer-generated animated films in history. Created in 1971, it details the grotesqueries of capitalism and greed depicted in a man and his insatiable appetite that causes him to eat and eat, and grow in size to a point where his fever dream, toward the end, finishes with skinny international kids devour his fatty body in a feeding frenzy. This French-Canadian short echoes the sentiment produced by the incomparable Jacques Tati. Greed, waste, technology, and machinery are things to be feared, but ultimately, help us get fat off the benefits in the west, where the east and other lower GDP countries. The film chronicles the dangers of technologies, capitalism, and greed in such a way that it's utterly repulsive. The churning, the inside out and contortion of the main character, the transformations of the main character into machinery to get him to his next food fix. The film pre-dates the animation of Mike Judge, but deals with similar "hard-to-watch, but can't peel your eyes away from the action" style. The implications of this short film can be thought about and analyzed for years, and the images and and feelings elicited through viewing can last a lifetime. Faim left me hungry for more.
**
Hunger (2008) was the first full-length feature of lauded artist, and short-film director (at the time) Steve McQueen. His framing and eye for stark, appealing, and even sexual visual imagery is one to be envied. If more filmmakers had his eye, and his penchant for aesthetics, film would be a much more compelling and complex medium. Having said that, I'm still pretty pleased with the progress and mark that film is currently having on society at large. As Eisenstein proved in the 1920s, film can be a way to express political opinions. Hunger depicts the early 1980s hunger strikes in Ireland during a rough period in the in-fighting between Ireland and the U.K. Front and center is the incomparable Michael Fassbender, who underwent a Balesque transformation, dropping a significant amount of weight to appear gaunt and emaciated enough to convincingly portray the real-life Bobby Sands, who died while incarcerated after a 66 day long hunger strike. The film viscerally portrays conditions experienced while in the prison system: the forced beating, rape, baths, hair cuts, the way prisoners received contraband by family members and loved ones, the use of feces and urine as signs of protest, the cohorting among the prisoners. It also reflects the sense of heightened fear among those officers who worked at the jail and their families during a period of unrest and fear of bombings that occurred on a weekly basis.
A striking scene, perhaps the most riveting in the whole movie, involves a minimally cut scene between Bobby and a Catholic priest who is trying to convince Bobby not to do a hunger strike. Although there is very, very little blocking, the dialogue between the two, giving their evidence and rebuttals, really sucks the viewer in. Both offering poignant and important points and counterpoints. It is a verbal chess match, in which Bobby, ultimately, comes out as the victor. Yet, it was just a battle in a series of battles that made up the "war". That scene, although hard to understand with the Irish brogue, is simplistically and beautifully framed. It is perhaps trying to understand what is being said, that causes the viewer to hone in more deeply. McQueen is a master at knowing when to scale back, knowing when to linger. Another generously long scene involves an inmate poking at a fly buzzing in and out of the cell window. The urine pouring out of the cells, although disgusting, is beautiful. The juxtaposition that is laid out time and time again in the film is awe-inspiring to me. The guard in charge of beating the inmates, this sense of hatred is juxtaposed against a wall outside, smoking in the snow. There are little bits of humor that cut through the denseness and seriousness of the subject matter presented in the film. There is sufficient silence that warrants introspection. Perhaps many people might consider the film to be a series of vignettes, but each scene reacts from the last one. Each scene contributes to the great whole. And this film requires contemplation, and re-viewings. It is a movie that I couldn't stop thinking about after I first watched it. I desired to understand more. I wondered if I had the discipline portrayed in the film. I contemplated my own view of the world. I thought about film, and what it could be used for. I thought of the framing, the scenes, the acting. I relished in Fassbender's astounding and dedicated performance. This is not a perfect movie, but it is certainly up there. And for being the freshman film of McQueen, it is remarkable. I would venture to say that not since Citizen Kane has there been a more riveting and impressive first full-length film from a first time director. I recommend this film to anyone, because I feel it's not only enjoyable to watch (even if it isn't enjoyable to watch in parts), but it's also important to view. I love this film!
*****
A striking scene, perhaps the most riveting in the whole movie, involves a minimally cut scene between Bobby and a Catholic priest who is trying to convince Bobby not to do a hunger strike. Although there is very, very little blocking, the dialogue between the two, giving their evidence and rebuttals, really sucks the viewer in. Both offering poignant and important points and counterpoints. It is a verbal chess match, in which Bobby, ultimately, comes out as the victor. Yet, it was just a battle in a series of battles that made up the "war". That scene, although hard to understand with the Irish brogue, is simplistically and beautifully framed. It is perhaps trying to understand what is being said, that causes the viewer to hone in more deeply. McQueen is a master at knowing when to scale back, knowing when to linger. Another generously long scene involves an inmate poking at a fly buzzing in and out of the cell window. The urine pouring out of the cells, although disgusting, is beautiful. The juxtaposition that is laid out time and time again in the film is awe-inspiring to me. The guard in charge of beating the inmates, this sense of hatred is juxtaposed against a wall outside, smoking in the snow. There are little bits of humor that cut through the denseness and seriousness of the subject matter presented in the film. There is sufficient silence that warrants introspection. Perhaps many people might consider the film to be a series of vignettes, but each scene reacts from the last one. Each scene contributes to the great whole. And this film requires contemplation, and re-viewings. It is a movie that I couldn't stop thinking about after I first watched it. I desired to understand more. I wondered if I had the discipline portrayed in the film. I contemplated my own view of the world. I thought about film, and what it could be used for. I thought of the framing, the scenes, the acting. I relished in Fassbender's astounding and dedicated performance. This is not a perfect movie, but it is certainly up there. And for being the freshman film of McQueen, it is remarkable. I would venture to say that not since Citizen Kane has there been a more riveting and impressive first full-length film from a first time director. I recommend this film to anyone, because I feel it's not only enjoyable to watch (even if it isn't enjoyable to watch in parts), but it's also important to view. I love this film!
*****
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