Hunger

I watched this film from my laptop on a train up north, constantly looking over my shoulder, worried that other passengers might think I am some kind of perv or sadist. Hunger is not a pleasant film to watch; there is a lot nudity and violence - both physical and psychological. Not the film you would like to watch on a first date.

Hunger is based on a true story. The film depicts the lives of IRA inmates in the notorious prison named Maze in the early 1980s, more specifically the last few weeks of Bobby Sand's life. The film is very low key and there's no dramatic plot line -- some would undoubtedly say that the film is boring. It is not. Hunger is dealing with a subject matter that still today is rather sensitive, but without turning the film into a political statement. The director, Steve McQueen, is portraying the suffering inside Maze as a tragedy not only for the inmates, but also for the prison guards.

The IRA prisoners and Bobby Sands are in the spotlight, but there are several hints of the silent suffering of the prison guards. Hunger portrays many of the wrongdoers as men trapped in a situation they would never have wanted to be in, and how the overwhelming stress and feeling of guilt feeds the spiral of violence.

Hunger is a very watchable film and a very decent debut film, but it is not your typical gangsta prison flick. Hunger is very low key, slow paced, dark and disturbing - it does not handle its audience with care. The world of Hunger is almost entirely devoid of light and hope.

Hunger is available at Turku public library, make a reservation here.