BRONSON

UK, 2009, 92 minutes, Colour.
Tom Hardy, Matt King, James Lance, Kelly Adams, Amanda Burton.
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn.

No, not that Bronson. Although this Bronson, allegedly Britain's most famous and notorious prisoner, changed his name from Michael Peterson, to Charles Bronson. The reasons why are at the core of this film. The director says that he was interested in the concept of Peterson's use of the name, Charles Bronson, rather than in Michael Peterson.

This film is tough going. It is also an example of excellent filmic communication and cinema art. It is just who will want to submit themselves to this exploration of the criminal mind and behaviour that is the question.

As played by Tom Hardy in what is certainly a dramatic tour-de-force, both in acting and in performance art, Bronson is both a character and a symbol. While we initially see him naked in his cell shadow boxing (and he did become an expert on physical fitness – as well as being a pugnacious brute) and finish with him in solitary, bloodied and defiant, this is a stylised portrait of the man. Throughout the film, there is theatricality where Bronson is on stage in a theatre, framed by the proscenium and then looking out to a darkened auditorium of well-to-do, well-dressed patrons who eventually applaud him. But he is not only playing to them, he is playing them. He can smile and instantly turn grim. He can pretend to weep and reveal that he is laughing. He is made up as a clown at times. At other times, he uses the means of one profile being himself and turning for the other profile as a different character. These devices mean that Bronson both intrigues and repels (but rarely, if at all, elicits sympathy).

He sketches in his ordinary life, especially in the mid-70s, but he is a bully at school, molly-coddled by his mother, flirts, marries, has a child, attempts a robbery and is gaoled for seven years.

Once in gaol, despite his taunting the authorities and using his fists wherever possible, he is at home. The system gives him a framework for life. He wants some acknowledgement. He wants fame. He wants celebrity. He is moved from prison to prison. He is transferred to an institution for the criminally insane, but drugged and helpless, he wants out of there and is declared sane. He has a two months period where he is out of gaol in the 1980s, is taken up by a club owner, re-named Charles Bronson with Death Wish overtones – he had originally wanted Charlton Heston but was told that this was too weak – and fights illegal bare-knuckle bouts. But, robbing a jeweller's shop, he is soon back where he feels he really belongs.

In fact, Peterson-Bronson? has become an artist and has published eleven books. But, most of his time has been in solitary. We see his erratic behaviour in his taking a librarian hostage, doing art classes and then humiliating his teacher by holding him hostage as well and painting him as an art object. The director has made the observation that to understand Bronson, he can be seen as an artist searching for his life's art canvas.

Nicolas Winding Refn has made some tough Danish films about drug criminals, the Pusher series. Here he brings a visual artist's eye to his use of colour, framing scenes, using very long takes so that the audience has time to contemplate Bronson and other characters and try to imagine what they are thinking or feeling. The blend of realism and stylised film-making lead to a striking film.

1.The impact of the film? Its art style? As entertainment? Its intended audience?

2.The work of the director, Danish background, his career, tough and brutal films? His interpretation of Bronson?

3.His quotation: an artist in search of a canvas – for his own life? How true of Bronson and the interpretation in the film?

4.The director’s statement that he was more interested in the concept of Charles Bronson rather than of Michael Peterson? How well illustrated and explored?

5.The blend of the real and the surreal? The flashbacks to Bronson’s early life, Michael Peterson, his mother, school, his brutality, bashing the teacher? Realism? The contrast with prison, the bright and dark colours, grim, the framing of Bronson, the very long takes focusing on the faces of the characters, especially Bronson? Bronson’s face and the tabula rasa? Enabling the audience to ask the questions and try to supply answers? The scenes of the fights, the clubs, colour and darkness? Surreal? His performance in the theatre, the proscenium, the audience, semi-darkness, well dressed, their applause, moving to wolf whistles and acclaim? The appearance of Bronson, as ordinary, as young, as a clown, the two sides of his face, masculine and feminine…? The sound engineering and the constant burr?

6.The importance of the musical score, the Verdi and the operatic excerpts? The beauty contrasting with the images? Songs? The contrast of the visuals and the sound?

7.The narrative: Bronson in himself, shadow boxing in his cell, the reprise of these images at the end? His performance in the theatre, performance art, explanation of himself? The flashbacks, ordinary, 1974 in Britain, the robbery in the post office, the court and his sentence? Continually reverting to his performance, his face, the smile and suddenly serious? As a clown, weeping and laughing, tricking the audience? The details of prison life, his violence, training for fitness, his brutal attacks on the guards, on prisoners? Solitary? Moving from prison to prison? Taking the librarian hostage? Confronting the authorities, interviews, getting out? The encounter with Paul in jail with a cup of tea, going to the club? Irene, falling in love, the brutal bare-knuckle fights, fighting the dog, the crowds watching, stealing the ring, his quick arrest? His time in the asylum? Sane or insane, his reading, taking up art, the meaning of his drawings, the interactions with the teacher, taking the teacher hostage, making the teacher part of his performance art? The end, the final information, seeing him caged?

8.Audience interest in Bronson as a person, criminal, his mentality? Any sympathy for him?

9.The presentation of the prisons, the guards, the governors? The regimes? The physical attacks? The fights? His going to the asylum, forcing the pills? The final governor, discussions, civilised, negotiations, the music?

10.Paul, his sashaying around, getting a cup of tea, managing the club, organising the fights, discussing Bronson’s name, the crowds?

11.The art teacher, camp style, his skills, the training, Bronson’s sketches and his discussing them, with interest? His referring to ‘we’ and getting out? Being taken hostage, being painted, the hat on his head, his tear, the eyes on his eyelid? The playing of the operatic music?

12.The background of Bronson’s parents, his devoted mother, not believing any attack on her, the teacher’s bringing him home, the police arriving for interrogation, his bashing the police? At work, the flirtatious girl, marriage, the child? Their disappearance from his life? The relationship with Irene, declaring love, her talking about Brian, marrying him, the gift of the ring, his stealing it?

13.The concept of Bronson, fame, celebrity, art, vanity and showing off? Fights and the name?

14.Issue’s of Bronson’s sanity, insanity? The episode leading him to the institution, forcing the drugs on him, in the recreation room, the tableau of the insane men and their performance behaviour? The criminal and his discussions, Bronson’s attack? Getting out, declared sane?

15.Bronson’s personal achievement, his art, fitness, his books?

16.The end, in solitary, caged and bloodied, naked?

17.The issues about society and its treatment of prisoners, humanity and inhumanity?