Hunger Details

Stunning

McQueen is an artist, and this film is a work of art. With little dialogue, Hunger is comprised of striking images. Harrowing at points, it offers beauty in the most alienating and unexpected places. Hunger is not I believe didactical, prison guards and prisoners alike suffer. It could however, be argued that the strategic use of Thatcher's terse uncompromising voice over emotive scenes undermines the higher political processes. Which is bound to aggravate Thatcherites!

All-in-all it must be seen by anyone seriously interested in cinema as an art form. It is demanding, and slow-paced, if you are a hardened fan of blockbusters this will not tick your boxes.

[Highly rated reviewer]

5 Stars

This will certainly not be to everyone's taste,but if you have ever thought that cinema should occasionally be about more than selling toys-you really ought to give this ninety minutes of your time.Based on the last six weeks of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands lfe,this is a bleak re- telling of a very dark period of recent British history.Using vitually no dialogue in the slow burning first half,director Steve McQueen(making his feature debut) sets the scene within the stark walls of the prison using his camera to show how both prisoner and warder alike decend into barbarism.The second half begins with a brilliant extended confessional between Sand's and a priest,which is as near as the film ever gets to presenting the arguements of both sides which have led to Sand's decision to force the governments hand by refusing all food.The film makers to their credit,never preach or ask that you take sides which only enhances the feeling of hopelessness which underpins the whole film.As thought provoking a film as I have ever seen. 5*