Bronson (2008) Directed by: Nicolas Winding Refn
Charlie Bronson is a force not to be taken lightly. "You don't want to be trapped inside with me, sunshine. Inside I'm someone no one to fuck with. Do you understand? I'm Charlie Bronson. I'm Britain's most violent prisoner."
He earned his notoriety and relished in it for years. He makes it clear that no one is truly meant to understand him in the film. I think that's the appeal for me. The uncensored reality of life in the asylums is unnerving but one that really goes hand in hand with the score that is a memorable scene in the film for me. It's the scene of a dance party and he's completely sedated yet this sense of freedom is proven unbreakable and he realizes he must escape.
It's this scene and the ones that follow that challenge your level of empathy and open for interpretation. It feels you really begin to understand the perspective of the film at this point. I truly felt for his character when he exposes this raw persona to a woman he's been with. He tells her he loves her. Her acceptance, shall we say of the words really was offsetting. To be truly vulnerable not once but twice and have it shot down is hard. As he says "Onwards and Upwards."
Bronson is an excellent film and it's the film that made me truly like the style of direction Nicholas Winding Refn has. His bright visuals with rightly placed score set’s the mood for each scene. I feel every scene is thoroughly thought through and its final product was carefully calculated. This is an underrated film. Intense and artistic account on the infamous and notorious prisoner (Michael Peterson) Charles Bronson. In your face plot and immersive screenplay.
I absolutely love this film! It's one of my favorite films. Some compare this to a modern day 'A Clockwork Orange'. This even got the subject's stamp of approval for accuracy. The only difference was how his relationship was portrayed with his parents. Great cast! Great plot! Not to mention the ingenious transition of the score to add to the mood. Two thumbs way up on this one.
10/10
Photo Credit: Magnolia Pictures, FilmFlex, Vertigo Films, and Aerofilms
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