Review: Shame

By Sean Knight
4 out of 4 Stars ****

Director Steven McQueen’s Shame is a deeply unsettling work.  Its tale of sexual addiction has shades of Requiem for a Dream, but it is far less manic.  There is an overriding sense of ambiguity to the picture that will be maddening for some and provocative for others.  It features a fearless raw lead performance from Michael Fassbender, as Brandon, and a fraught emotionally naked supporting turn from Carey Mulligan as his sister, Sissy.  Shame exposes a sickness that many would like to ignore with a frank, methodical, and bleak sensibility.  McQueen dazzles technically while using his techniques to draw the audience into a sexual character study rarely depicted on film.  As such, Shame wears it’s rating of NC-17 as a badge of honor and does not shy away from its provocative subject matter.  It is one of the best films of the year.

Shame doesn’t have much in the way of a typical plot.  Instead, it is a slow burn of two desperate and damaged souls slipping into utter despair.  The film starts by following Brandon through his daily routine of masturbation, picking up women on subways, sleeping with prostitutes, and loads of Internet porn.  This is Brandon’s world, which is turned upside down when his lounge singer sister shows up on his doorstep asking for a place to stay.  It seems she is on her way out of some kind of relationship, which is not explained.  Her relationship with her brother borders on incestuous and it is implied that there was some sort of abuse during their childhood.  Sissy loves Brandon and is looking for a soul to take care of so she can heal her own.  Brandon doesn’t have time to save Sissy and this struggle between them is at the heart of Shame. 

The New York backdrop becomes integral into the thematic structure of the film, as both Brandon and Sissy are not native New Yorkers.  They have come to New York to escape their past.  Many people come to New York chasing their dreams and with the thought of changing their lives.  Shame makes the argument that location cannot help damaged people.  In the case of Brandon, it actually makes his addiction worse, as New York is filled with opportunities for casual and, sometimes, dangerous sex.  There is a striking scene early in the film where Brandon and his boss go to see Sissie sing at a club.  The camera lingers in close-ups of both Sissy and Brandon as she sings “New York, New York” and has a semi inner breakdown. .  If you can make it there, than you can make it anywhere, so the song says. It becomes a poignant statement of lost souls desperately clinging to their last ounce of humanity in a city that has consumed them.

Though Shame is uncompromising in it’s vision of human sexuality and addiction, it is never gratuitous.  Yes, there is plenty of nudity to be found throughout the film, but the camera often keeps its distance offering the viewpoint of an outside observer.  It is not until late in the picture that camera gets in close to the sex and offers a graphic depiction of the torment Brandon is feeling during it.  This sex montage is essential into understanding Brandon and sympathizing with a character that is distant and border-line unlikable for much of the film’s running time.  The full frame close-up of Brandon’s face during orgasm is filled with hate, pain and despair.  It’s an astonishing feat of acting and one of the most difficult scenes in the film.

         Shame does not spell out its intentions for its audience and it offers far many more questions than answers.  You may never get to know Brandon and Sissie fully as human beings, but you do come to understand their torment.  Shame is a difficult sit and it will be a polarizing film for many.  For me, its ambiguity was an asset and its relentless bleakness was as disturbing as it was compelling.  Fassbender and Mulligan should be commended for giving such brave and dedicated performances.  And, with Shame, director Steve McQueen should be elevated into the category of filmmaker whose future projects should be awaited with great anticipation.  I applaud Fox Searchlight for sticking by McQueen and releasing Shame with the NC-17 rating.  It is time that we stop ghettoizing and compromising films and artists that push boundaries and challenge their audience.  Perhaps the release of the brilliant and haunting Shame will be a major step forward in accomplishing this.


Shame
Directed By Steven McQueen
Release Date: December 2, 2011
Runtime: 101 Mins