Hunger (1 Viewer)

[classic seanc]

*sings* Quantum of Solace, what the fuck does that mean?

It's interesting how many British directors (eh two) are making films on Irish history/the broader Troubles of late. Is it just budget or are Irish filmmakers not enough removed from events to have a decent filmic perspective on them?

I'd reckon....maybe, that there's an awful lot of British who really don't know fuck all about Northern Ireland, whereas us 26 counties people would have a slightly better idea of what happened and why. Only a slightly better idea mind, but a better idea none the less. So a film like this stirs a lot of controversy in the UK between the pinkiest pinko's at one extreme, and generally ignorant cunts on the other. That sort of controversy puts bums on seats.

I can't wait to see this.


That Cox fella is a bit dumb. He should read a book or something.

 

[Scientician 0.8]

it sorta like a similar vibe to the yanks who sit back and say that terrorist are evil (in a grand sweeping statement) wihtout knowing very much about what might provoke a 'terrorist' to do any act of 'terror'. modern irish folk arent really pro-ra, but then modern irish people are the richest generation of irish ever, i'm sure context would alter the belief system as it always has.

It's a very grey issue. I'm a nationalist I suppose but it wrecks my head thinking about this stuff. Many of the things the IRA did 'in our names' were cruel, evil and indefensible. I'm not sure it would ever have got as bad as it did if it hadn't been for the belligerence, stubborness and pigheadedness of many leading unionists in the late '60s and early '70s. Decent enough people like Captain O'Neill who knew reform was needed were nudged out of power by Paisley and his ilk who although he may never have directly planted a bomb helped ignite the Troubles. British government cackhandedness also helped stir up the shitpot (cf. internment, Bloody Sunday etc.)

The ineffectual governance, sectarianism, militarisation, and violence have left the North in a mess it may take generations to recover from. It doesn't have a real democracy, the economy is subsistent on British tax money, there are still peace walls to keep people from gutting each other. Paramilitaries on both sides have transmogrified into common-or-garden gangsters.

Our glorious boyos in the IRA have not got us more than a milimetre closer to a 32 county Republic than we were before the 30 year killing spree.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I support a voluntary 32 county republic but it's not worth the premature, violent death of a hedgehog, let alone 3000 people to achieve it.

 

[ann post]

i'd agree with most of what you said there, but maybe just sort tack on that although the hunger strikes were quite gruesome, they did bring nationalists into the political forum which was new development. cants say its good or bad... i'm very much in agreement with what Skrankio-X said there though in general terms.

 

[Cormcolash]

I could fucking murder a bit of bacon right now.

 

[Cormcolash]

I went to see it last night. It is a brilliant fim alright, one of the best films all year and probably the best British film of the year by a mile.
The so called "controversy" surrounding it is a disgrace actually, it's an amazing film that neither glorifies nor villifies Bobby Sands. It's just a portrayal of what happened at that time and what the hunger strikers had to go through. The people who see this film as controversial can only be bitter and twisted individuals. The only real political point I see in the film is that people, even convicted terrorists, should never be treated the way those people were, and that Thatcher's government was guilty of gross neglection of human rights towards them.
In saying that, the hunger strikers, while morally justified for the abuses they were suffering in prison, were politically full of shit. United Ireland etc etc. my arse. Why would anyone be in favour of a United Ireland when the Irish government is only marginally less shit than the British government? Load of bollocks if you ask me.
The only person I think who was in any way right in the whole thing was the priest trying to dissuade Bobby Sands, and it's a surprise to me that I'd be agreeing with a priest. Despite the fact that Sands won their argument in the film, the priest showed his ideals up for the nonsense that they were in my opinion.
Anyway great film, and then I had a lovely bag of chips afterwards, yum!

 

[Bag'o'cans]

I'd reckon....maybe, that there's an awful lot of British who really don't know fuck all about Northern Ireland,

There's pretty much nothing about irish/norn irish history and british involvement in the british curriculum. Most haven't a notion why the irish were bombing england.
Paddies!

 

[Cormcolash]

There's pretty much nothing about irish/norn irish history and british involvement in the british curriculum. Most haven't a notion why the irish were bombing england.
Paddies!

Yeah I've been told that a lot of history education in England involves "This is why we're great and haven't done anything bad to anyone" and no "These are the people we fucked over beyond belief and this is why they don't like us"

 

[pissypants]

Saw this last night.
Never heard a cinema full of people eating their popcorn and nachos so quietly in my life.

True story: Some random 30-something audience member who had fallen asleep was woken up by a particularly harrowing scene and screamed for his ma.

 

[cmndr mind fuck]

tis pretty full on alright..!tuff stuff!

 

[Froog]

hunger strikes!

 

[Monkey]

It was not just about a united Ireland. It was about civil rights.

 

[potlatch]

Ah, saw this last week. Feckin jaysus, it's powerful stuff. Can't help thing it's powerful weak in places, but I can't remember why I thought that on leaving the cinema.

What I took from it was how it so beautifully (yes, beautifully) captured the marks that psychological and physical violence leaves on/in our bodies. The film opens with the body and ends with the body and this grounds the film so well for subject matter like this. In all subtle and not so subtle kinds of ways, the film treats the body as a kind of text where you can read how human beings bear the weight of the cruelty of actions and ideas.

Three people walked out of my screening, what's the most people anyone's seen walk out of Hunger?

 

[Pedronimus]

*sings* Quantum of Solace, what the fuck does that mean?

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[Yurn!]

I'd actually go see this again, to my surprise. Amazing film.

In no world should a 5 minute continuous shot of a man cleaning up piss NOT be annoying and pretentious yet it completely worked in this film.

I can't say much for Cineworlds 'Hunger Buster' promotion though. Hotdogs in tri-colour wrappers? abhorent stuff.

 

[Cormcolash]

It was not just about a united Ireland. It was about civil rights.

The Republican movement has always used Civil Rights issues in Northern Ireland as a smokescreen for their attempts to bring about a United Ireland.
That's only how the fucking Troubles started after all.
Civil Rights = Good
Republicans = Fuck Off