Oct. 5, 2013
In honor of Steve McQueen's new film, "12 Years a Slave," which screens at the New York Film Festival this week, here are the top three key elements of McQueens first two films, "Hunger" and "Shame," that are likely to resurface in his newest work:
- Long shots - McQueen's use of long takes is among the most powerful in recent cinematic years. His first film, "Hunger," features a much-talked about 17 1/2 minute long shot as its centerpiece. The shot, which covers the penultimate discussion between infamous Irish Republican Army member Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender) and a priest (Liam Cunningham) about whether or not Sands should begin what ultimately proves to be a fatal hunger strike in 1981, covers 28 pages of script and is considered to be the longest single shot on film. It effectively draws attention to the serious moral decision being made and sets emphasis on the next shot immediately following its cut, one that delves into the psychology of deep belief in a cause via an intense Fassbender. All that follows in the film is the direct result of this interchange; without the long shot, the film's ending would prove empty. Watch part of the long take here (the important cut comes at 7:05 and continues here).
The long shot also comes into play in McQueen's second feature, "Shame." This time its use is much less important to the plot of the film, and much more important to the underlying themes of the movie not yet fully understood by the viewer at the time of the shot. After allowing his sister to stay at his apartment, sex addict Brandon (Fassbender) soon finds himself in the awkward position of playing host to a late-night hook-up between his sister and his boss. After sounds of the affair take over the apartment, Brandon goes out for a late night jog to escape. Here starts the shot; a tracking shot the follows Brandon jogging for several minutes (and many blocks of NYC streets) set to an ironic piano score. Brandon is both literally running away from the sex of his sister, and at the same time is figuratively running away from sex itself, as his addiction is a more serious problem than the audience is fully aware. The camera stays perfectly on pace with Brandon; running (which in reality of the movie is simply not acknowledging) will not help him escape from his addiction.
- A direction-matching performance - In both "Hunger" and "Shame" McQueen's brutal direction style is perfectly complimented by the performances of Fassbender. In "Hunger" Fassbender's unflinchingly determined and physical portrayal of Sands matches McQueens show-all style; McQueen's determination lies in his quest to portray the conditions of Irish jails during the protests of the late 70's and early 80's exactly as they were, while Fassbender's is a literal determination to adhere to his character's beliefs. In "Shame," meanwhile, McQueens directorial techniques play the foil to Fassbender's character's weakness, with camera takes panning to and lingering on the triggers of Brandon's addiction. Both films feature a striking physicality that is embodied both in Fassbender's actions and McQueens images.
"12 Years a Slave" is McQueen's first film without Fassbender as the leading man (he is a supporting character instead), but all signs from trailers as well as early reviews are that Chiwetel Ejiofor is a force to be reckoned with as Solomon Northup; it is very conceivable to see his character's determination to make is through the rigors of slavery matching what will surely be McQueen's determination to portray all the ugliness that was slavery. There is also talk of Fassbender as a towering supporting figure, and that he plays a slave owner suggests he could effectively play into McQueen's portait of slavery.
- The truth - There is something about McQueen's films that make you feel as though you are watching the perfect combination of art film and documentary. This is due to many things: his lean scripts, the raw performances he draws from his actors, and his willingness to show vile or disturbing images at the risk of turning off viewers (jail walls of "Hunger" are often painted with feces by the inmates themselves) to name a few. "Hunger" shows the viewer the truth behind protests (and the cruelty they often invoke) and "Shame" shows the viewer the truth behind sex addition.
"12 Years a Slave" automatically has an extra built-in value in truth above and beyond "Shame", as it is based on a true story. That, combined with McQueen's penchant for truth in images, will likely give audiences a wholly authentic experience, because the disturbing images they are being shown actually happened (as was the case with "Hunger").
"12 Years a Slave" has largely received rave reviews thus far in its limited showings, and by all accounts figures to be a major contender come award season. I will be at the New York Film Festival's Oct. 8 showing of the film, so expect a review soon!
The long shot also comes into play in McQueen's second feature, "Shame." This time its use is much less important to the plot of the film, and much more important to the underlying themes of the movie not yet fully understood by the viewer at the time of the shot. After allowing his sister to stay at his apartment, sex addict Brandon (Fassbender) soon finds himself in the awkward position of playing host to a late-night hook-up between his sister and his boss. After sounds of the affair take over the apartment, Brandon goes out for a late night jog to escape. Here starts the shot; a tracking shot the follows Brandon jogging for several minutes (and many blocks of NYC streets) set to an ironic piano score. Brandon is both literally running away from the sex of his sister, and at the same time is figuratively running away from sex itself, as his addiction is a more serious problem than the audience is fully aware. The camera stays perfectly on pace with Brandon; running (which in reality of the movie is simply not acknowledging) will not help him escape from his addiction.
"12 Years a Slave" is McQueen's first film without Fassbender as the leading man (he is a supporting character instead), but all signs from trailers as well as early reviews are that Chiwetel Ejiofor is a force to be reckoned with as Solomon Northup; it is very conceivable to see his character's determination to make is through the rigors of slavery matching what will surely be McQueen's determination to portray all the ugliness that was slavery. There is also talk of Fassbender as a towering supporting figure, and that he plays a slave owner suggests he could effectively play into McQueen's portait of slavery.
"12 Years a Slave" automatically has an extra built-in value in truth above and beyond "Shame", as it is based on a true story. That, combined with McQueen's penchant for truth in images, will likely give audiences a wholly authentic experience, because the disturbing images they are being shown actually happened (as was the case with "Hunger").
