Hunger (film)



Hunger is a 2008 British movie, the first to be directed by artist Steve McQueen (no relation to the 60's action star) and starring Michael Fassbender. It involves Irish prisoners of The Troubles, and the various ways they protest, starting with "no-wash" protests and ending in hunger strikes.


 * Fan Disservice: Continually naked men would be appealing to some, except they're unwashed, unnaturally thin, and often abused by prison officers.
 * Foregone Conclusion: The American DVD box tells you that it involves "[Bobby] Sands' last days." Needless to say, he dies in the end.
 * Imagine Spot:
 * Invulnerable Knuckles: Averted, prison officer Raymond hurts his hand pretty badly after punching the wall by accident.
 * Leave the Camera Running: Long shots of walls, corridors, hands, etc. being washed.
 * Mercy Kill: Bobby tells the story of an injured foal that he and his friends found at a young age. And that he took the initiative to end it's suffering, knowing that it was the right thing to do.
 * No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Some of the prisoners get brutally beaten by a collection of riot officers.
 * The Oner: Several count as Leave the Camera Running. Particularly notable is a scene where Bobby Sands and his priest discuss the upcoming hunger strike; it goes for 17 and a half minutes, a record length.
 * Shoot the Shaggy Dog: Almost. Bobby Sands dies, 9 more men die after him, and their goal (the status of political prisoner) is never completely accomplished. They do, however, get equivalent rights granted to the prisoners.
 * Silence Is Golden: Much of the film goes by with little to no dialogue.
 * Squick: Just how unsanitary and dirty the prisoners cells are, particularly the large spiral shape on a cell wall drawn with feces.
 * The Troubles
 * Viewers Are Geniuses: The movie never stops to explain why the prisoners refuse to wash, wear blankets, etc.
 * As the film is British, most of its viewers would be aware of Northern Ireland's political history and the wash protests and hunger strikes.