Bronson

Bronson

If you've heard of British prisoner Michael Peterson, then you probably know him better as Charlie Bronson, the man the tabloids dubbed "the most violent prisoner in Britain".

Having taken the Bronson moniker as his "fighting name", Peterson became one of the country's most notorious inmates thanks to his own particular brand of record-breaking: not only has he spent 30 of his 34 years in prison in solitary confinement, but when he was released in 1988 he spent only 69 days on the outside before being arrested again.

By now you're probably thinking that Peterson/Bronson sounds like an unlikely subject for a biopic, but Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn's vision is about more than a list of statistics. Bronson is just as renowned for his anarchic, borderline-crazy character, and Bronson (the movie) attempts to get so far under his skin that you can't tell fantasy from fiction.

If you're still not intrigued, then you will be as soon as those opening credits roll. Refn has eschewed traditional chronology and narrative-building in favor of a more impressionistic approach, presenting events from Bronson's life alongside an internal monologue and what appears to be the Stage Show That Never Was.

As the script is keen to point out, Bronson wants nothing more than to be famous, and - at least a far as Refn's movie goes - this is a portrayal of a burgeoning artist.

There will undoubtedly be those who'll argue against this liberal interpretation of Bronson's anti-authoritarian violence, but it's hard to argue with the vibrancy of Refn's vision. He's careful to keep moral and sociological questions out of the frame, spending all his energy trying to get inside Bronson's head instead.

And on these terms, you'd have to say that Bronson is a resounding success. Winding up somewhere between A Clockwork Orange and Aussie true crime movie Chopper (which, incidentally, introduced Eric Bana to the international stage), this is a film that positively throbs with its own manic energy, turning its raw materials into something that's undeniably colourful and intriguing, and surprisingly funny too.

It helps that it features an incredible performance at its core, thanks to Tom Hardy's chameleon-like transformation. Those who saw him in RocknRolla or Star Trek: Nemesis (he was the young Picard clone) will struggle to recognise the swaggering, mustachioed actor in Bronson, and it's not just because he bulked out for the role. He inhabits the bare-knuckle fighter-turned-convict's skin so completely that you'd be forgiven for thinking the real Michael Peterson was up there on the screen.

The only real flaw in Refn's impressionistic angle is that the line between reality and fantasy sometimes becomes irrevocably blurred, but as long as you can surrender to its eccentric carnival ride this is one movie that could truly rival any rollercoaster. Just be sure to strap yourself in - Charlie Bronson's life makes for one bumpy ride.

Bronson

Bronson follows the true story of Britain's most dangerous prisoner, Michael Peterson aka Charles Bronson. He was a man who just wanted to become famous, a man who wanted to make a name for himself, but his idea of fame and notoriety was found by being the baddest dude in the cell block. Well, more like the baddest dude in any cell block to be exact and Peterson had no problem achieving that status as he beat the shit out of anyone that he felt like at anytime he felt like. His biggest targets were often police officers and prison guards, but no one was ever really safe from his spontaneous attacks of violence. While doing some street fighting to earn a little cash during a very short-lived stint spent free and outside of prison, Peterson adopted the moniker Charles Bronson as his fighting name. There was very little time spent out of prison for Peterson, as he was in jail for 34 years, 30 of which was spent in solitary confinement. Oh...and he was originally sentenced to only 7 years! So that tells you something about his behavior right there.

Bronson is told in a breaking the fourth wall capacity, as it is Peterson himself that guides us on this violent journey through his life. Often you will be face to face with the man as he is on stage performing for an auditorium of fans with you - the viewer - being one of them. Sometimes with a narrative such as this, it can be considered lazy story telling, but in the case of Bronson, it is very fitting that he be telling his story in this way. "Bronson" is an egomaniac, and in his mind, there would be an auditorium of people cheering his every word and laughing at all of his jokes. It is also fitting, as Bronson would have you hear everything from his perspective and his point of view. Bronson is sort of presented like a stage play in how it is structured, with many of the set pieces almost set up by Bronson himself. He is the glue that ties up all of the scenes; he fills in the gaps if you will.


Each "set piece" is a balls out, visual tour de force of well-crafted shots. An array of camera movements, angles, and a multitude of colors are used to compliment the mood in each scene. These narrative and style choices are a major departure from Bronson'sdirector, Nicolas Winding Refn's previous work, namely the Pusher trilogy. The Pusher trilogy is more akin to documentary film with an intimate and close up look at Denmark's underground crime world, where you feel like you are right there along with the characters in those movies. Though, as with Bronson, you are pretty much only following one singular character throughout the film...it is one person's story. I love how the fight scenes are handled, and they aren't over the top as they are more realistic in how they are handled in a visual sense, but still very well done. There are a few times where some sass is tossed in to make the fighting scenes stand out over the average movie brawl, like one fight in particular, the hitting sounds are replaced by the sounds of lasers. Punches that sound like lasers must really hurt...

Bronson is a film that rarely comes around - not to say that there aren't plenty of amazing independent or foreign films floating the waters of the cult cinema wasteland, it's just Bronson has a bit more...pizzazz than your average cult film. Maybe the perfect way to describe Bronson would be...art house cult film?! I think so, not sure if that would be the general consciences or not though. There is a film that is magnificent in Bronson, but there is also a part of the film that lay in a vat of off beat confusion and over doneness...too much artistic flair maybe? I have heard the word pretentious used to describe Bronson, and it is to a certain extent, however, the movie would probably not reach the highs it does with out a little bit of pretentiousness.


One thing that makes me think Bronson will be in my long-term movie rotation, is one great scene in particular that for some reason stuck with me. It happens when Peterson/Bronson is trapped in an insane asylum that was meant to keep him from feeding his hunger for prison notoriety through the use of violence. The scene itself is set to the awesome Pet Shop Boys song, It's A Sin (which is the tune found in the trailer) and there is a sort of dance party (like those Freddy ones?!) going on. With all of the mental patients grooving and moving, a drugged up Bronson is trying to figure out a way out of the asylum, but it isn’t gonna happen. I love the way it's shot, and I find it so telling of the character that even while being subdued by medications, he still has the thought in his mind to try get out of the asylum. He stumbles around almost like an infant, trying to get what he wants, and even his reactions to the orderlies are that of an infantile mind. The song itself just adds to what is an oddly haunting and entertaining scene, with some of the best dance moves by mental patients I have ever witnessed.

If one thing about Bronson is true, it's that I was completely captivated and gripped by the character of Michael Peterson/Charlie Bronson, with a performance by Tom Hardy that is simply mesmerizing, and proving the lack of credibility the Academy has. Hardy is perfect as Peterson/Bronson, and that is what makesBronson fantastic. It's a make or break role and Hardy makes that shit all the way. I am most recently familiar with Hardy as Handsome Bob in the wonderful Guy Ritchie film, RocknRolla. Hardy was pretty good in that film too, but his role in Bronson could not be any more different, and he is almost unrecognizable as the films titular character. One of his more stand out moments is when he reenacts a conversation between himself and a nurse while on stage in front of the before mentioned audience...I won't go into detail, but he is phenomenal in what is a strange, yet interesting way to handle a portion of the film's story.


This character transforms from Peterson to Bronson, where by the end of the film there is almost no sign of the slightly more sensible Peterson left to be seen. This is all pulled off with Hardy's stellar performance, this transformation is also captured in a visual way with an array of stylistic, and artistic choices with the look of the character via things like nudity and paint used to cover his face and body. It really works well at the end of the film, where all of this comes together with the obvious choice Peterson makes in how he shall live the rest of his life...as Michael Peterson, or Charles Bronson.

Of course there have been the comparisons to the Stanley Kubrick masterpiece, A Clockwork Orange, in which Bronson is referred to as that film for the 21st century. I'm sure many would argue thatBronson is nowhere near Kubrick's milestone film, but there are very few films that could be quite as comparable. I have sat with the images and characters of A Clockwork Orange for over 16 years and seen the film at least a couple dozen times, so we'll see where Bronsonstands in another 10 or so years, before I can discredit it as not being a masterpiece along the lines of Clockwork. It's just way to soon. As I said, it is comparable in the intense stylistic imagery and the way the story is told right down to the great musical choices that are found throughout Bronson. Personally, I would call it A Clockwork Orange meets Hard Times, which incidentally stared Charles Bronson...the filmmakers of Bronson may use that blurb if necessary!


When watching the film a few days ago, I felt slightly disappointed in it at times, but really only during the second act of the movie where things get a bit confused and feel over thought. However, after havingBronson sit in my cranium for a few days, and even writing about it now, I know this film is more than worthy of multiple looks. There is so much intelligence and talent that is laid out before the viewer, and there will be a lot to appreciate and take out of this film over multiple viewings throughout my movie watching lifetime. In addition, I should add that my "copy" of Bronson kicked the bucket, and much to my anger, I could not watch the last 5 minutes of the film. I get the gist of what was going to happen, and I understand the point of the ending, but it is a finale that I am not happy to have missed as the film and character of Bronson are truly completed by this eruption of an ending. Therefore, I am reviewing this movie incomplete, but it does give me another excuse to watch it again.

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Recommendations: High Plains Drifter , Dalkomhan insaeng , Dial M for Murder

Last updated: 2010-03-23 22:09:45 by Mattsuzaka

Super Marcey's Bronson Review

Rating: 3.5/5

I had seen the trailer to this and I was blown away (check it out below), I thought it looked pretty awesome and it stars Tom Hardy (Star Trek: Nemesis).

It is about a real man named Michael Peterson aka Bronson, who is Britians most notorious prisoner. I knew pretty much nothing about the man, and after the film he still seems like a mystery. The film starts off with Bronson narrating to an audience, both with humour and horror. We then see his life un fold and it goes back and forth between the narration to the audience. I quite liked how they did this, it made for a more interesting film actually. It follows Bronson through his time in prison, getting moved to a mental institution, going free and then spending over 25 years in solitary.

This really is a one man show and worth seeing for Tom Hardys amazing performance. If you ever doubted this man as an actor, this will set you straight. He brings everything to this role, he looks the part (just look up the real Bronson) and he loses himself in the role. It takes a brave person to tackle a role like this and a strong one to pull it off. Tom does this all, and then some. I believe he did meet the real Bronson which probably helped him with his portrayal. I hope to see more from Hardy, what a fantastic actor.

The visuals in this film were nicely done, it had such a raw feel to it. It worked, and for each scene specific colours were used and highlighted, very much appreciated here. The direction by Nicolas Winding Refn was very solid, he got top performances. I think what brings this film down is there is a bit too much style and not enough substance. It is a unique film, I haven’t seen anything like it. If you want an idea of what to expect, I might say it is a cross between A Clockwork Orange and Chopper. I think I wanted a bit more from the film, more of a point. But overal I enjoyed the film, and I was blown away with Tom Hardy.

(Written July 13 2009, first published at SuperMarcey.com)

Recommendations: Moon (Duncan Jones, 2009), Milk, Hurt Locker, The (Kathryn Bigelow, 2009)

Last updated: 2010-02-22 04:00:18 by SuperMarcey

An exceptional film

Bronson is one of the more interesting films I've had the pleasure of sitting through as of late. In the trailer (and movie poster), a quote can be seen where a reviewer called the film, "A Clockwork Orange for the 21st century." That quote is really spot-on. There is a big Clockwork Orange influence in this film. While Michael Peterson narrates the entire film, the film jumps between what actually happened and Peterson performing in front of an audience in a rather large theater. The make-up, the setting, and Hardy's performance are all very Clockwork Orange-esquire. Another film that came to mind was Snatch. The action sequences and a lot of the humor gave off the same kind of vibe Guy Ritchie's film did. Bronson is very much its own film, but shares the same beloved qualities of the films mentioned.

Bronson is what it is because of Tom Hardy's performance. He's guiding you through his life, his dreams, and his goals while you're with him the duration of the film, so it's only logical that he steals the show since he gets the most screen time. The fact that he doesn't waste any of it is something to be proud of though. He makes what would be a rather dismal story entertaining, exciting, and worth sitting through. Hardy's performance is the highlight of the film. There's really no questioning that.

Bronson was really a sleeper hit for me since its premise didn't interest me at all, but it wound up luring me in with its trailer. It's a very unorthodox type of film that isn't like many other films out there. Films like Bronson think outside the box of normal cinema and is the type of gem you'd hope to find whenever you journey out to your favorite theater. If you're looking for a film that is a knock-down-drag-out, eccentric, thrill-ride with a strong lead actor performance, then look no further. Bronson is exactly what you're looking for.

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Vincent Snavely