The graphic brutality of this film provokes a visceral reaction—viewers are more than likely to feel disgusted by images of filth, bodily abuse, sickness; at the same time, director McQueen arranges these images around a very real ethical dilemma that imposes another kind of burden. Hunger is an unsettling film on almost every level, in part because it recounts real historical events and in part because it offers no simple answers about the value and purpose of human life.
The Maze prison, where almost all of the movie takes place, is the site of a political standoff between the British government and the IRA prisoners. The latter will not concede their demands for political status, and the former respond to the "blanket and no wash" protest with continual violence. This lack of negotiation is mirrored by the film's own refusal to negotiate with us. There is no bargaining with this film—the only alternative to its unflinching detail is to look away, to block it out.
The centerpiece of the film, the ethical argument between Bobby Sands and a priest, is framed on either side by the brutality that results when civil negotiations fail. The placement and length of this scene suggests, perhaps, that McQueen wants to give us a recess from the preceding onslaught of human cruelty, but he also wants to prepare us for the self-inflicted abuse that Bobby Sands is willing to undergo for his beliefs. We are made to concentrate on his motivation, on his mental defiance.
Now here is your prompt: FIRST, why, to Bobby Sands, is a hunger strike the ultimate protest, the ultimate show of defiance, against the British government and their treatment of IRA prisoners? How does the director change the tone of the film to reflect the nature of this protest? SECOND, what is the purpose of the visions and memories of himself as a child that appear to the dying Bobby Sands? How do these images from the past help clarify the message of the film, if any? Be sure to review the rules for commenting and that you meet the length requirement.
I believe the hunger strike was the ultimate strike for Bobby because it was both non-violent and required an enormous amount of endurance and dedication. In my opinion, it is as if the members of the IRA are giving the middle finger to the British government. Despite being prisoners and receiving beatings that make one question how in the world they’ve survived for so long, they turn the situation around. If they’re going to die in a British prison then at least it will be for doing something they believe in and according to their own agenda and not by the beating of some security guards that no one will remember. After the meeting with the priest, the film takes a very calm turn. There is very little dialogue, the scene changes are very subtle, and the director lets Bobby’s condition speak for itself. I feel like the change in pace illustrates that it doesn’t take thousands of people yelling and picketing for a protest to be successful… and sometimes loudest protests are the quietest ones.
ReplyDeleteI saw the images and visions at the end of the film as part of Bobby’s life “flashing before his eyes”. I felt like that took him back to an innocent moment in his life where he didn’t feel or comprehend the pain that had come to surround his life. I also feel like the clips showed that Bobby’s had an enormous amount of willpower since he was a child. I can’t imagine it is a simple task to run up mountains and through nature. I also can’t imagine it is easy to drown a foal even when you know that is probably the best idea for it. The visions of Bobby at the end made me see him as a person who had an ability to do such incredible things but in such a graceful manner, and even in his deteriorating state, he was still an extremely strong person.
Since Bobby Sands and the other members of the IRA aim to be acknowledged as political prisoners as opposed to political criminals, a hunger strike is the ultimate protest due to its powerful effects through a nonviolent path. The whole point of this struggle was to say that the IRA members were not every day criminals who commit violent acts for no reason, so Bobby felt a hunger strike was now the only option left. The IRA had a specific reason for what they were doing and since the previous nonviolent act was not loud enough (blanket and no wash), they would have to commit to something louder. (Louder, of course, meaning to draw more attention to the cause while still complying with IRA standards.) This would gain more publicity than anything else and there was nothing that the British government could do to counteract it because of its nonviolent nature, except to comply. The director changes the tone of the film by altering the intensity through movement, imagery and sound. Before the hunger strike, the scenes contain almost constant action (namely beatings), intricate and expressive images (feces on the wall, snow falling), and noise (voices, banging); after Sands begins the hunger strike, none of these are present. The frames are still, plain and quiet - which was a genius way to capture the gravity and reality of Sands during his withering away.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the visions that the dying Bobby Sands has serve a different purpose than just showing his childhood memories and/or recalling when he first became a political leader. My thought was that the young boy in these visions was Bobby’s son (or Bobby’s dreams of his son). Since we never really have a time frame to go off and there is previous mention of Bobby’s “wee boy”, it could be that when the young boy appears in Bobby’s room it is actually his son visiting him on his death bed. He runs on the trail in the same manner that Bobby ran as a boy and somehow comes to similar realizations as Bobby once did; almost like he is passing the torch and now his son will be at peace with what his father has done. The purpose of this would be to demonstrate Bobby’s devotion to this cause, because he is willing to die for it, regardless of what effects it will have on him personally (leaving behind a broken family). Also, it shows the magnitude of the cause because now we see that even a young boy could understand and grasp why his father would essentially leave him/his family behind for the potential betterment of others.
I think that Bobby Sands views the hunger strike as the ultimate protest for many different reasons. Bobby and the other IRA prisoners are not actual criminals, but yet they are treated and locked away as ones. They begin rebelling with the no wash and no blanket protest, which does have any results other than cruel beatings and mistreatment. I think they chose the hunger strike because it is a non-violent protest which also tests their ability and commitment. Going through with this hunger strike is not an easy task BY FAR which shows how dedicated and serious these men are, even with multiple of them giving their lives for what they believe is right. Secondly, the director changes the film severely from the mood at the beginning of the film, to where it is at the end. The beginning shows all the struggles, beatings, and mistreatment from the officers. It also shows very vile and disturbing images. At the end, it is more based around Bobby and his commitment to his hunger strike, more of a victorious, although it ends in his death, and brave side of the film.
ReplyDeleteTowards the end of the movie, throughout Bobby’s death, it shows flashbacks from his childhood. I think the purpose of these is to show his freedom and strength. One of the flashbacks shows running through the woods, since he used to be a cross country runner. I think this shows how he is also running away from this prison, and by dying he is regaining his freedom. He is dying for a purpose; and just as he was a strong runner, he is exemplifying true strength and dedication throughout this hunger strike. He is not dying because he is giving up, he is dying for what he believes in and is dying with a purpose. These are ways that these images also relate to the film, it shows not only his strength and dedication, but his love for his people and his will power to hold true to his commitment and fight for what he believes is right.
ReplyDeleteTo Bobby Sands, a hunger strike the ultimate protest because the British Government refuses to hear the pleads of the IRS. The “blanket and no wash” did not intimidate the government nor had any concernment of the prisoner’s wellbeing. The hunger strike is the ultimate show of defiance because many of the IRS prisoners are non-violent people. The hunger strike is to show how gullible the government is being in the most non-violent manner. It also is the most moving act of strike because this particular strike places many of the prisoners at risk of death. This shows the government how the prisoners feel like they are being treated and rather fight for what they believe in, rather than die without a cause. The director changes the tone of the film to reflect the nature of this protest by giving the viewers the fullest experience by going all out and being as visual as he possibly can. The biggest way he does this is by sending Bobby Sands off the set for ten days to change his eating habits tremendously to where it looks as if he is starving himself to death. The director also changes the tone of the film by showing his viewers how poor of conditions the IRS inmates live. The director depicts a sense of bad smell by showing how the inmates place their own stool on the walls of the prison cell. They also dump their own urine underneath the doorway for the prison guards to come by and clean up. I believe the inmates do this with hopes that the prison guards feel guilt for their mistreatment when they get to go home to a family, nice home, and good food to eat as well.
The purpose of the visions and memories of himself as a child that appear to the dying Bobby Sands is a reflection of his own life. Bobby Sands is lying on his death bed, so it makes sense for his to reflect his life all the way to his youth. The little boy is a reflection of his freedom and innocence and how Bobby is not a bad man. As he perishes, he has a smile upon his face showing that he had lived a life full of happiness and died along with a purpose in his life. These images from the past help clarify the message of the film. The message from the little boy running in the woods shows how strong and how much of a warrior Bobby Sands is. The message of the crows appearing on the screen represents a downfall or something possibly negative. When Bobby Sands is lying on his death bed, he becomes ill to his stomach. After being sick, there is an image of crows appearing in his head. I think this represents that the end is near. He also sees the crows while he is out going on his jog from the flashback. The boy stops and looks at the crows with concernment. If I had to guess, being the age he was, he was getting ready to become a member of the IRS. This is also why I think the little boy was out for a jog, training and getting ready to become a part of a political army.
I feel that a hunger strike is the perfect way of getting a point across. When a person feels so strongly about something that they are willing to put their lives on the line to make sure the goal is reached, not only is that a selfless act, but the action itself speaks more than words can even describe. It was not like Bobby Sands was committing any crimes. He was in complete compliance with the laws. I am surprised that they underwent the beatings that occurred throughout the film. The fact that they were dedicated enough, and felt so strongly about their cause to put their lives on the line is beyond me. Seeing them put their feces on the wall, and put the food which of course is rotting in the corner must have been tough. The film shows us their lifestyle and the undergoing that they went through. I can’t imagine the smell. I could tell that the film took a turn after the preacher because instead of letting words, or conversations tell the story, the physical condition of Bobby spoke more than words could. We watched him deteriorate and slowly lose his life. Words could not describe what was happening to him, but his physical condition and the atmosphere around him did.
ReplyDeleteI felt that we saw him running on a path, out of breath. Runners run to reach a goal, to have a destination. I feel that we saw Bobby dying, but for a cause. I feel that him being younger running was showing him reaching a goal. When we saw the younger him stop on the path, look ahead and then look back, it was him looking for people behind him, supporting him. Maybe he looked back for someone to continue with him to reach the goal, or maybe he was looking back questioning his motives, questioning his goals. Its is hard to tell, but this child hood moment portrayed what was happening to him in the present time.
I think that the hunger strike was the ultimate fight against the British government because it involved the greatest sacrifice. The visiting priest was right, the hunger strike would be the end of him. He tries to reason with Bobby, reminding him of family and religion, but Bobby sees it as the only way. The blanket and no wash protest was not going to work. The IRA men believe themselves to be political prisoners during a time of war. Bobby realized that in times of war, people are going to die. That their dying for what they believe in is the ultimate sacrifice. The tone of the film changes from the violence and the brutality of the guards to the quiet horror and pity of the doctor. Everything changes from dirty and grimy to white walls and sheets at the end.
ReplyDeleteThe visions of himself as a child take him to a better time, where he was free. Not only is Bobby a literal prisoner, but at the end he is a prisoner in his own destroyed body. As a youth, he was a strong runner who enjoyed the outdoors. He dies starving and miserable in a British prison. As he discussed with the priest, even as a child he had a leadership role when he killed the injured foal in the river. The brutality of that event and surely the events that led to his imprisonment scarred his life, which was probably not brutal the entire way through, but surely was suggested by the story of the foal and where he ended up. There were several images of birds taking flight mixed with young Bobby running, suggesting that he finally is free when he dies.
When Bobby Sands said that he was going to start a Hunger Strike, it was a great sign of courage. In his mind the best way to get your point across was to put your life on the line. The blanket and no wash protest didn’t make much of a statement because all they were doing was not wearing the clothes they gave them and not bathing. It is the ultimate protest because it shows that no matter what is done to the IRA prisoners they are not backing down and they are going to stand up for what they believe in no matter what, and it worked. The director lets you figure out what is going on. He lets the story take you where it wants. Instead of having cool camera movements and letting someone speak throughout the hunger strike scenes it is silent. No one is speaking yet the actions of the protest are screaming at you. He let the film speak for itself and that really changed the tone of the film.
ReplyDeleteIt’s like the old saying “your life flashes before your eyes” right before you die, but instead of his entire life it was that one moment. I think that he goes back to that moment because that is when he felt the most alive, he felt free like nothing was holding him back and it was just him against the world. Bobby spent his whole time in prison acting as a leader for the other men and as a child he seemed to have done the same thing, he was always thinking of others and never of himself. The very last image that bobby has before he dies is of him as a child running through the woods alone. At that moment he was not a leader, he was not protesting anything, he was just doing what he loved in the country he loved. Bobby Sands went back to that place to finally be free.
The Hunger Strike was the ultimate protest to Bobby Sands because it was his last chance to get his and the other IRA members political status from the British government besides the "blanket no wash protest." Also with Bobby Sands knowing that he may die from the Hunger Strike and other IRA members it shows how they would rather die for what they believe in then be mistreated by the prison guards. McQueen shows the tones in the first half of the movie with prison guards beating on the IRA members to them spreading their on feces on the wall. It gives the audience a sense of disgust and wanting to turn away from the film with the panning shots of feces on the wall to tracking shots of guards dragging the members to being bathed or searched all while being beaten. In the second half of the film McQueen shows the peace of Bobby dealing with his hunger through still shots of Bobby spacing in and out of reality to him passing out and throwing up blood. It also gives the audience a sense of sympathy for him while the doctors at the prison do not show that.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of Bobby seeing younger Bobby is because it shows older Bobby his life even as a child. It also reflects the innocence he had as a young boy. While Bobby is dying on his death bed he sees images of crows flying out of a tree giving the audience and Bobby an sense that the end is near. Another image McQueen gives us is younger Bobby running along the stream and then seeing a flock of crows flying off of a tree, but does not seem to be worried about them. That shows how much a fighter Bobby is never giving up even if he feels as if someone is trying to stop him. These images do provide a purpose to the film by giving the audience a sense of knowing that Bobby will soon become an IRA member.
The “blanket and no wash” protest was a more physical form of protest. I think the hunger strike was a more psychological form of protest that effected the guards, Margaret Thatcher, and most importantly the prisoners themselves. This form of protest was way more brutal and defiant than the “blanket and no wash” protest simply because the prisoners were hurting themselves. In the former protest the guards were willingly hurting the prisoners, but in the latter the guards had no control over the prisoners’ self-destruction, but still felt responsible. I looked at it like the prisoners giving the British government the silent treatment. The prisoners didn’t have riot shields or clubs, but emotional abuse was a game that they could actually play. Scenes during the hunger strike are a lot quieter, gentler, and the color white, the color resembling purity, play a major role. You can tell by the looks on the doctor’s faces that they are distraught and uncomfortable with the situation, maybe even emotionally damaged.
ReplyDeleteI believe the cut to the scenes of Bobby Sands childhood was to show his current state of innocence, vulnerability, and to just flat out make feel bad for him. This memory or flashback scene also puts you at the point right before Bobby who he will be for the rest of his life—the point right before he becomes the political leader that ultimately leads him to his death. Through the death of the foal we see the birth of Bobby’s new life. Bobby stops in the middle of the trail he is running to look behind him to see and continuous trail behind and ahead of him. This trail symbolizes Bobby’s life from the moment he killed the foal until his inevitable death. As Bobby looks behind he sees that he has come a long way, but as he looks ahead of himself he does not see a finish line—he does not see the political status gained. As present day Bobby is lying in bed he realizes that hasn’t achieved his goal before he reached his death and that there was still a long way to go for the rest of the IRA to finish the journey they had started.
In my opinion, a hunger strike is one of the best ways an individual, especially a prisoner, can go about attempting to get a point across. For Bobby and his IRA acquaintances/friends, their aim was to be treated with political status, instead of like an ordinary criminal. With the hunger strike, there was nothing the British government could do about the prisoners starving themselves. The officers could easily beat up the prisoners when they spread their feces on the wall, or poured urine into the hallway, all part of the “No Wash” protest, but the officers cannot beat up an inmate who is in a hospital bed being treated by doctors. This hunger strike shows how much strength they have, mentally and physically, while being nonviolent at the same time. Both of these strengths show in Bobby when the member of the UDF comes into the bathroom while Bobby is taking a bath, and makes Bobby stand up on his own, which he accomplishes, but unfortunately faints once he is at eye level with the man. Bobby’s mental strength is also shown when he dies. Not many people can mentally go 66 days without food, and Bobby accomplished this, as well as his goal of the hunger strike. After Bobby’s death, the prisoners achieved their political status, unfortunately Bobby could was not there to see the changes he and his friends created.
ReplyDeleteThe visions that Bobby has before his death are visions of him as a child, before prison, before the IRA, and before the responsibilities of adulthood. He was also doing something he loved, running, in a peaceful environment, by himself in the woods, next to a lake. By the end of the movie, I think all Bobby wanted was freedom, which is what he had as a child. This also shows the strength and willpower Bobby had as a child. Cross-country running is not an easy thing to do. Of course, it’s nowhere near as difficult as starving oneself for 66 days, but nevertheless, it still takes a large amount of endurance, physical, and even mental strength to be a cross-country runner.
In my opinion, the hunger strike is the ultimate form of protest for the IRA, because it is something they can do which the British cannot squelch: they may smear the walls of their cells with their own filth, but the guards can bring in Hazmat suits and pressure washers; they may refuse to bathe, the guards can forcibly scrub them clean. What they cannot do though, short of sedating and putting everybody on an IV drip, is force them to eat. The guards may abuse the prisoners physically, and they may try to crush their spirits, but a hunger strike is one way in which the prisoners can not only defy the authorities, but also assert control over their bodies and their situation. When Bobby begins his hunger strike, the film shifts from being driven by dialogue and by actions, to being driven by emotion: the final third of the movie contains almost no dialogue, and we rely only on Michael Fassbender's facial expressions to show us how he is reacting.
ReplyDeleteWhen Bobby has visions of himself as a child, I think that first and foremost, it calls back to the story he told the priest, about the fawn: in a crowd of other boys presented with the same situation, Bobby was the only one who had the temerity to "get his hands dirty", so to speak, and do what he felt needed to be done (whether that be to drown a dying animal to end its suffering, or suffer himself in the name of a greater cause). Also, more to the point of the final flashback, I believe that young Bobby's run is an allegory for his life and for his journey: he runs ahead, leading the way for everybody else; he stops, looking as if he thinks he is being pursued, then shrugs it off and keeps running. He continues running, even as adult Bobby slips away, signifying that even if Bobby is gone, his cause lives on through his memory and the journey he has begun.
The Hunger Strike is the ultimate protest and ultimate show of defiance because Bobby Sands knows that nobody can stop his decision that he has made. The prison guards and the British Government cannot force him to eat and they rather not cause any more conflicts between the two because there are already conflicts going on. Bobby also did this hunger strike in order to show that he has the will power and strive to do what things he believes in. He chose to do a hunger strike because it was the only option he could do without doing violent acts. McQueen changes the tone of the film to reflect Sands protest by movement. In the first half of the film there is a lot of movement and visuals such as the beatings, feces on the walls, and the IRA prisoners screaming and shouting. During the decline of Bobby Sands there really isn’t much dialogue at all, just Bobby suffering. McQueen makes this tone because he feels as if the audience need to connect with Sands because they have been following Bobby’s journey and to see him not speaking and only using body movements to show how much he is struggling tells the audience that their journey is coming to an end.
ReplyDeleteThe images of Bobby Sands as a child that McQueen uses shows the innocence that Sands has. It also shows the audience that he is an innocent man and also a great man and that he hasn’t done anything really wrong. When the older Bobby has the visions of himself being younger expresses his emotions that he is feeling before he dies. He sees himself young, healthy, and running. At this age he is free of any burdens that he has done. As Bobby is on his death bed he knows that he has made a statement that nobody will ever forget and that he will finally be set free once he dies because he doesn’t have to put up with abuse he is suffering from. These images also clarify the message of this film which is freedom. The birds flying and the young Bobby Sands running shows that being free is a possibility in anybody’s life regardless of the struggles that they are suffering through at a difficult time in their life.
With the “blanket and no wash” protest it was easy for people to have feelings of disgust. Guards could plug their nose and watch their step and in a way be removed from the protest. A hunger strike however, is yes nonviolent, but it is a protest that evolves and gets stronger and louder the weaker the protester becomes. The hunger strike for Bobby Sands illustrated that. The fact that he could say it all without actually saying anything made it the ultimate difiance. The effect of a hunger strike goes beyond the hunger. Visually it impacts those around it; it forces the government to watch a slow deterioration of man. These men were starved of political status and now they are putting that into something everyone can bear witness to. The director changes the tone in the film by using very little dialogue the last half of the movie. The audience went through the beatings, the yelling, the name calling; now even though noise is minimal we hear loud and clear the effects of the hunger strike. The audience receives a much stronger message.
ReplyDeleteI think the visions of Bobby as a child was tool used by the director to leave us with a healthy and young image of Bobby Sands. We also see a lot of expression in younger Bobby. This allows us to gather how contemplative Bobby was even as a child. We see how aware he has always been of his surroundings. As young Bobby is running we that it must be very cold due to the fact that you can see his breath, yet despite how cold it appears Bobby is wearing a tank top and short, for me that proves that at an early age he had endurance beyond a cross country runner, he could withstand, just as he does through his hunger strike. It clarifies how Bobby and other men apart of the cause had long lives ahead of them, they could had other goals they wanted to accomplish and yet they were more than willing to give that up to die for what they believe is right and just.
I believe Bobby Sands used the hunger strike as the ultimate protest because this form of protest can cause the most harm. By putting his life on the line, Bobby Sands showed the British government that he was willing to die for his beliefs. He also believed the protest would outlast other forms of protest. The intensity of the film shifts after Bobby decides to conduct a hunger strike. I feel that previously the prisoners were loud, unified, and defiant. However, when the hunger strike begins, there is much less dialogue between prisoners, and the film begins to solemnly center on Bobby Sands’s deteriorating condition. The director is able to accomplish this shift using several different techniques. McQueen shows close ups of Bobby’s malnourished body. He also focuses on Bobby’s labored breathing and flittering eyes. There is very little sound, and the other prisoners are not seen. All together, these methods are used to show the sadness that resulted from the hunger strike.
ReplyDeleteThe visions Bobby experienced towards the end of his life were intriguing. Until this moment in the film, the only scenes shown were scenes that appeared to be in the present. Because of the shift in time, the flashbacks of Bobby as a young man were particularly noticeable and thought provoking. I believe that the visions are reassuring to Bobby as he begins to die. His younger self is running a race, probably the race where he discovered his core beliefs. As he runs he turns around to see if anyone is behind him. To me, this seems like he is paving the way for others. He is leading in his race and is about to finish, just as his friends will do eventually. I think this is symbolic of his protest. He will die (or finish the race), but others will follow behind him, which will eventually lead to the accomplishment of their goals.
In my opinion, Bobby Sands’ belief that a hunger strike is an ultimate act of protest is because the government can’t do anything to stop the strike. Unlike the “blanket and no wash” protest, where the prison guards (which represented the government in the film, and in real life) could force Bobby Sands and the other IRA prisoners to clean, the guards or other personnel couldn’t force feed him. The hunger strike put out the message that the British government was willing and allowing men to die. It showed that the government was ruthless and unforgiving and didn’t care for the lives of its citizens. As Bobby Sands put it, the government is killing him and and men on strike. Bobby Sands’ belief that a hunger strike is an ultimate act of protest because it showed the true colors of the government and it made people understand where he was coming from.
ReplyDeleteI believe that images that Bobby Sands gets as he is dying shows exactly that, him dying. When he starts to puke blood and convulse in his sick bed, the shot starts to sway around him and half dissolve a picture of birds flying off trees. He then sees the same birds fly off the trees just as he takes his last breath. I believe that the birds off the trees represent his soul leaving his body. So when he is convulsing in his bed and the image of the birds is shown, it is saying that Bobby is about to die. The Meadow and the small boy running by himself into the deep dark woods, is a flashback of some sort. It is like Bobby’s life is “flashing before his eyes” except when Bobby’s younger self looks back and then runs into the woods. It represents that Bobby is letting himself die.
The hunger strike in Bobby’s eyes is the ultimate protest to the British government; not only his sake but the other IRA members as well. Bobby Sands knew that the “blanket and no wash” protest was only going to bring more violence and less corporation from the government. Bobby knew that beatings could be hidden from the public and therefore the intentions of the IRA’s “blanket and no wash” protest would never be heard. The hunger strike was the ultimate way in Bobby’s mind to make a statement in the quietest but at the same time in the “loudest” way. This use of the body as a political statement could not be overlooked or hidden from the public so the government had to hear. The tone of the movie took a turn during the scene of Bobby and the priest when Bobby tells priest his plans. From the beginning of the scene of Booby and the priest to the end of the movie there was very little dialogue. I was no longer viewing the film but know observing it. This was a way for the director to show that one doesn't have to be hostile and violent to make a statement.
ReplyDeleteThe visions that Bobby had as a little boy showed me that he had a strong heart and dedication as a boy but even stronger now in his dying days. Bobby’s vision was like he was clearing his mind as if he would do while running and feeling what peace and accomplishment felt like again. It was as if he was coming to terms with death and himself as a human being. He could die for a cause that he believed in some much that he was willing to die for. These images of him showed that even though someone is labeled a criminal and is imprisoned, you can still contain your innocence and have happiness. No matter how much or little you believe in something never stop believing in yourself.
The reason I believe Bobby Sands chose to do a hunger strike is because to me it is the ultimate form of getting a message across. If we look throughout history to see where this has been put into practice one hunger strike stands out above them all. That one would be of Ghandi during the Indian independence movement. And that strike moved a nation. Food is something that every single human being can relate with. We all know how essential it is to our survival and we all feel the pains of its absence. Bobby Sands knew this as well. He intelligently chose this. Sands had purpose to his “suicide” as the priest put it. Like Ghandi he too was against the British government. History is not something that can be ignored. It would put the Brits in a tight spot morally. It’s tough to see a man die before your eyes and know that you are the cause of his suffering. It really puts an image on the IRA’s cause and shows how badly they want their political recognition. We get less hectic moments in this part of the film. There is more silence as well. To me this is the director showing respect to Sands. He doesn’t want to dramatize the events by making them seem fake and unnecessarily over the top. It’s just there right in front of you for you to make of it whatever you please. I thought it was handled amazingly.
ReplyDeleteThe visions of a child to me serve to show a contrast between two separate points in life. Sands when he was open and innocent to the world. Sands when he’s on his death bed committed to a cause. He has these visions because he’s thinking over his life trying to cope over his current situation and pains. He’s going to review his life and come to a point where he wasn’t so troubled. We of course know the story of he and his friends at the river though. (helps us gain some insight as to how he was at this age) Sands is as innocent now as he was then though. To me that’s essential to the message of the film. That this isn’t a man we judge. We don’t judge Bobby for what he did because only he knows how it truly feels. Another point I like was how the editor chose to include the clips of the birds in the trees to fade in and out between them and Sands’ face. It was a really interesting metaphor. The visions of the child in Sands’ room with a blank expression on his face to me really drove home its point.
To Bobby Sands his final hunger strike is the ultimate sacrifice. For years the I.R.A. prisoners were trying to get political recognition. Britain would not recognize it. The prisoners in the H-Blocks, commonly known as the Maze, were treated like terrorist. Since Bobby had already spent time as political prisoner he knew how they were treated. An earlier hunger strike was attempted and failed. This time Bobby chose to sacrifice himself. I found a quote of his, “I shall not settle until I achieve liberation of my country, until Ireland becomes a sovereign, independent socialist republic.” Bobby had already let it be known that he would do whatever it takes, even sacrifice himself, to win political status. The director, Steve McQueen, gives us an intense experience in his recounting of Bobby Sands sacrifice. Lack of a back-track lets us focus visually and hear what is happening. There is nothing to distract you from the reality of what is happening on screen and it makes the viewer uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteAfter Bobby Sands dies, Steve McQueen takes us to another time in Bobby’s life. When Bobby was speaking with the priest and letting him know about the time he knew he had to take charge, there was not a flash back to let us see the event. We are given a visual of this at the end. To me it is the time before Bobby’s internal change. Bobby was a good marathon runner and gave to me the impression that his life was a race. When he stops running and looks back the forest behind is lighter. It is like he is reflecting over his life. He sees that he has done what he could for Ireland and is giving himself permission to move on. The forest is darker in front of him. This signals the end of a good race and he presses on.
believe that the hunger strike, to Bobby Sands, is the ultimate protest because it ends in loss of life. Bobby and his fellow IRA prisoners see themselves as soldiers in an army. They are fighting a war. And everyone knows that in a war, people die; and everyone knows that when you’ve used up all your bullets on the frontline and haven’t achieved victory, you start dropping atomic bombs. The hunger strike is his proverbial atomic bomb. It shows how serious and determined these men are about their cause, it proves to the world that they aren’t just some criminals or terrorists on a mission to kill innocent people and destroy buildings, that they are fighting FOR something, not just AGAINST something. What greater act can a man do to prove how much he believes in something, than to die for it? The scene with Dom shows a humanity that has not previously been seen in the movie. Sure, we see the guard at home and with his mother, but we get no real sense of who he is as a person or what he believes in. Likewise, we barely know anything about the prisoners themselves, about who they are as people. For the first time in the film, we see a real person on screen, with a family and memories and hopes for the future. We are finally able to connect with Bobby, to identify with him, to invest ourselves in what he believes in. McQueen does an excellent job with this film in that sense—at first he bombards us with all this horrific violence and mundane prison existence, leaves us searching for a shred of humanity to hold onto, for hope to get us through, or a reason it all happened. And then we get this beautiful scene where we get to see an outpouring of humanity, and we latch onto Bobby as if he were our own personal life preserver in the rough, overwhelming waters we had been cast into at the beginning of the film. So when the edges have been softened in the second part of the film, after we have been made raw from all the violence, we are emotionally invested in Bobby’s slow and painful death; we no longer need to be shocked, now we need to be soothed, and we get that comfort from Bobby’s determination. We believe because he does; it is real to us because it is real to him, and although we may not agree with his choices, we stand behind him.
ReplyDeleteWhat I think is interesting about the memory sequence at the end of the film, and about Bobby himself, are the parallels drawn with the Bible. We know that Bobby is Catholic, and although we have no idea how religious he personally is, it is safe to say that his upbringing was probably influenced by Catholicism. We know he kills the foal as a child because it is suffering and he can’t bear to see it, but we also know he is willing to be the martyr for the death because he knows what he is doing is right, is just. In this sense, we see Bobby as a sort of Jesus character, one who knows he may be punished or outcast for doing what is right, but is willing and able to bear that cross. Following that line, we see Bobby again willing to die for what he believes is right with the hunger strike. It doesn’t matter what his personal feelings are, he is a leader and will lay down his life for his people. It is his cross to bear, and he knows that others—ironically, a priest—will not, and do not have to, understand. I also find it interesting that Bobby is a cross country runner, because there is a Bible verse that pertains to running a race: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).” I believe that for Bobby, his hunger strike is a spiritual journey, one that he is not running aimlessly. As far as the last scene is concerned, I think it again ties in to the conversation Bobby has with Dom. He says that when he born again, he will be born in countryside, that the countryside is his version of “paradise”, an illusion to the “paradise” that the thief next to Jesus is promised. In the last scene we see a young Bobby running in the countryside, steady at first, but coming to a stop without reason. Panting and out of breath, we see him slow down and finally finish his race, finally able to look around him at the glorious nature surrounding him. So perhaps the last scene is shows Bobby in the paradise he wanted, it shows us that his race is finally finished and he can rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteThe hunger strike is the ultimate protest to Bobby Sands for many reasons. The first being because by refusing to eat we know that he is more than willing to die for this cause. By going on a hunger strike the prisoners are saying I would rather waste away to nothing and die of my own accord than for my life to end at the hands of the British Government. Another reason this is the ultimate protest is because unlike the blanket/wash protest this took extreme effort and commitment. Hunger strikes are often fatal and are not for the faint of heart. Another reason I feel the hunger strike was so important to Bobby Sands is because it is a no violence response to violent action. Bobby Sands realizes that a cycle of violence will not progress to better treatment or release for the IRA prisoners.
ReplyDeleteIt is a common belief that when you die your life flashes before your eyes. I think this is Bobby’s life coming to life in his own mind as he dies. These images allow Bobby to die in peace. In his mind he travels to a happier and free time in his life. In his dying moments he is finally able to achieve the freedom he has been trying to reach. In a way I think this means that the hunger strike was successful. Technically Bobby was unable to gain his freedom in life. But through the hunger strike he was able to achieve freedom in his dying moments and also in his death. Bobby is able to die peacefully because he truly believes in the cause he is dying for. That is why the protest is ultimately successful in a sense and why Bobby is able to achieve ultimate peace in death. In his final moments Bobby escaped to a place and a time when he loved life and was free to live it.