Shame

This film was not what I expected it to be. That’s not a bad thing however; I found it very powerful and atmospheric (which you know is my thing).

From the director of Hunger, Steve Mqueen’s Shame deals with the challenging topic of sexual addiction, and the imagery doesn’t shy away from this. It is not a glamorous portrayal of addiction but a cold, chilling story of one man, Brandon’s (Michael Fassbender) spiralling obsession.

McQueen’s choice of clean lines seen throughout means that the film has a cold feeling to it, a kind of emptiness which is mirrored in Brandon's lifestyle. This combined with the voyeuristic camera creates an uneasy, disturbing atmosphere.

There is a lack of colour and contant use of clean lines in the film.

McQueen plays with cinematic techniques in the film, which gives it a distinctive look. One thing that stuck out to me was the contrast in sound. This contrast was always centred on Brandon. The sense that we saw the story through Brandon’s eyes was therefore heightened.

On the topic of music, the soundtrack is beautiful. You may not notice it whilst watching it, but I looked it up on Spotify afterwards and was just blown away by how heart breaking it is. Especially the score entitled ‘Brandon,’ which is breath-taking.

I also have to say that Fassbender’s performance was flawless. He always plays the charismatic, sinister character very well.

Shame hasn’t made its way onto my top film list (it’s a very elite club). But it raises some interesting questions about society’s relationship with sex and the porn industry and I would definitely say it's worth a watch.

Shame is available on DVD and Blu Ray now.