hunger is an indescribable and terrifying experience. The film's over-repression is extremely uncomfortable, but it is also full of poetry.
-"The Times"
from the Cannes Film Festival: "Hunger" is a primitive and powerful film work that always reminds the world that there is such an ugly and tragic past in the history of Britain and Ireland.
—— "Guardian"
This is a very wonderful film debut, fearless and tough, braver than any other film, and will be the long-term hope of British films in the future.
—— "Daily Telegraph"
For Steve McQueen, who has transformed from a visual artist to a film director, this is a powerful, pertinent but not perfect debut.
——"Variety Magazine"
"Hunger" focuses on the individual while also talking about politics. The real breakthrough of the film lies in the director McQueen's handling of "vertigo" and "challenges" in the right way.
—— "Empire Magazine"
behind the scenes of the
British 2008 masterpiece.
For most film lovers, his name is still very unfamiliar. Fortunately, it is unlikely that he will be treated with another Hollywood star of the same name and surname. McQueen is confused. After all, the 39-year-old McQueen has been well-known in the British art circle early on. As early as many years ago, he was a well-known visual artist. In 1999, he won the Turner Prize, the most watched art award in the UK, for imitating Buster Keaton's film installation art. There is no doubt that his "Hunger" can be regarded as a rare masterpiece in the UK this year. The film has already shined in many well-known film festivals before. The 61st Cannes Film Festival "Golden Camera Award" and the 33rd Toronto Film Festival "Discovery Award" have been acquired by it, and it has recently been received by the London Independent Film Festival. Seven nominations became the hottest prize winners.
Steve McQueen is notoriously difficult to get along with, on the grounds that he is too tense, although it is not certain whether this is the case. This Londoner, who is used to wandering around, was born in West London, studied at Chelsea School of Art and Design, then at Goldsmiths College, and now lives in Amsterdam. As his first feature film, "Hunger" can be said to be a thorough trial and experiment. It was only the first show that won the Golden Photography Award at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
Steve McQueen said that after making this movie, he understood better why fasting is a very important part of religious rituals in many religions. "People can re-examine themselves without eating or drinking," Steve McQueen said. Regardless of whether the audience will regard this film as a mirror of history, as a clear guide to the present, there is no doubt that "Hunger" is a rare masterpiece this year. People may also be curious as to whether McQueen will sit in the director's chair again, especially after the film has received rave reviews and awards since its release. After all, he also claimed that "Hunger" is the easiest one he has ever created. One of the works.
A happy artist, in
fact, he is just an outsider in the movie world. Although he does not seem to be fully devoted to the film industry, he has yet to find his own foothold in the film field. More often, he hopes that he is an artist who creates films: "This is the first time I have completed a film independently in the true sense. Besides, I don’t care how others make films. What I am more interested in is Appreciate their work, maybe that's all."
"Hunger" won the Cannes Film Festival Golden Photography Award and other awards. Despite this, McQueen is not eager to devote himself to the film industry, and even to some extent feel very proud of his lack of film technology knowledge. In his own words: "To make a movie is to watch those images." At the moment when he directed the tube, he never thought that he would become like Scorsese, Fellini, and Tarkovs. A movie master like Kee or Eisenstein. "I just consider the images in front of my eyes and in front of the camera. For movies, I am more interested in life," McQueen answered without hesitation, "It's much more interesting."
When asked how he mastered the skills to portray the infamous Metz Prison in Northern Ireland and the gradual death of Bobby Sands, the leader of the Irish Republican hunger strike in front of the camera, he was not good at words. Answered cautiously: "I am a happy amateur artist. This is about innocence and innocence, and also about fearlessness. Fear never even happened because the brave is fearless." It
seems that it has nothing to do
with politics and McQueen's. Contrary to confidence, the Irish actor Michael Fassbender, who played the male number one, was worried about the possible consequences of the film when he first started. "The situation in the northern region has improved, and Belfast It’s also a beautiful city. I don’t want anything that might provoke anger.” Now "Hunger" has been officially released, but fortunately his worry is unnecessary. In Fassbender’s opinion, the reason I like this movie is that the movie itself seems to have nothing to do with politics, but it’s just about how people behave and treat others cruelly, which ultimately affects and changes themselves. .
In March 1981, when Sands launched his second protest, Michael Fassbender was only 11 years old. He only saw his face on TV, so he first met Sands. Since then, the image of Sands has taken root in his heart. His goal is to let the audience walk into the deepest part of the H zone. Feel everything immersively, "I am very interested in details and things that have not been recorded in history, and I am also very interested in the information between words. For example, what is the weather, what is the smell, how do they solve internal urgent problems, etc." I feel that history and politics tend to ignore these trivial matters."
Michael’s appearance in the film is unconventional. There is almost no dialogue and lines in the first half of the film. We can only observe this gruesome prison with our eyes. However, we can still feel the protagonist’s emotional power and Physical movements, this situation even surpasses other prisoners and the warden. In the middle part, there was a conversation between Bobby Sands and the priest. For 17 minutes, the camera was still and faithfully recorded the long discussion, which led to Sands's decision to initiate a hunger strike. When asked what the meaning of the 22-minute movie was, Michael resolutely replied that he didn’t know, “This is why I make a movie like this. I don’t agree with it, nor do I oppose it. This is a Very difficult time. I agree with those protesters on hunger strike. On the other hand, I agree with the prison sergeant.”
Please don’t care about my weight.
Although makeup plays an important role in it, Fassbender is in order to achieve the most realistic results. A huge sacrifice was also made. Fassbinder, who was 6 feet (about 1.83 meters) tall, lost 11 kilograms after a diet that strictly controlled calorie intake, and weighed only 59 kilograms. But he is still not very satisfied, the original goal is 58 kg. For men who are about 175 cm tall, they need at least 2100 calories a day. In order to film "Hunger", Michael Fassbender consumed no more than 900 calories a day. In addition, he also does yoga and running. "The hardest thing is at night, with my stomach gurgling constantly, I can't sleep at all." Michael was bitter afterwards. But when the last shot was taken, Michael, who finally had a good meal, said that he suddenly discovered that what he thought he should have in the past is actually precious. It turns out that we are all surrounded by happiness, but we can't see where it is.
Losing weight too quickly also brought negative effects, resulting in very weak body and drowsiness all day long. "Even my sexual desire was thrown out of the sky. There was no entertainment at all," he said mockingly. "In fact, it feels pretty good." But then again, McQueen didn't want anything. People focus on his weight loss, which is not good for the movie itself. "Hunger" will resonate in the hearts of many viewers, just like Abu Gleb and Guantanamo, these people are still using their bodies as weapons in battle.
Tidbits
·During the filming period, the mental condition of the male protagonist Michael Fassbender, who was on a diet to lose weight quickly, was worrying. Every time he walked into the supermarket, he would habitually read the calorie meter on the food package, and calculate whether the calories he received from the food today exceeded the rules of the crew. In Michael's own words, he is always entangled with a string of numbers representing calories.
·The first day of filming in Northern Ireland was a conversation between Sands and a Catholic priest about the decision to implement a hunger strike. The scene lasts ten minutes. Two actors Michael Fassbender and Liam Cunningham took a total of four shots before passing.
·At the New York Film Festival, Steve McQueen publicly stated: ""Hunger" is a film about reflection, about choice, and about history. As a country, how should we view ourselves and what have we done? I hope that the debate that unfolds with this movie is who we are. I hope this big screen is like a huge mirror. When the audience is watching a movie on the screen, they are also looking at themselves."
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