Knowing that Hollywood can have two men with the same name and let them be successful in their respective eras is a lovely thing. the first was an actor in the 1960s eventually known for one of cinema’s greatest action scenes, and the other is one of the most talented directors to emerge during the past decade. There are no links between the Steve McQueens besides the name, and it’s the director who’s now squarely in the industry’s focus.
This week’s release of 12 Years a Slave, the British director’s third feature, marks a return to the themes explored in Hunger and Shame. McQueen films always deal with with hardship and personal torment, presented in their rawest form for emotional impact. His new project marks his first foray into producing in lieu of writing the screenplay. His extreme choices in stories are fascinating, showing humanity’s conflict with politics, intimacy and acceptance.
Hunger and Shame revealed his talents, complimenting excellent direction with understated scripting. The minimal dialogue is excruciatingly noticeable, for when characters speak their words possess more meaning than could be imagined. When Brandon in Shame says “actions count, not words,” it’s a direct reflection of McQueen’s thinking and how he pursues his filmmaking. He shows us nature at its core, and humanity’s most basic emotions.
McQueen also focuses on pain, using motifs like blood to suggest mankind is stained. Pivotal moments in his films exploit this as a way of revealing the darker side of humanity. Hardships come in many different forms; Hunger‘s political and religions undertones accentuate the sacrifices the protagonist believes he has to make for the greater good, and Shame presents the emotional turmoil of addiction stemming from an unknown past. McQueen’s characters are seem void of emotion, but a conflict rages inside.
Michael Fassbender has played an archetypal Steve McQueen role in each film. He takes on the major roles in Hunger and Shame with a fierceness incomparable to other muses of the current day. McQueen gets Fassbender to bare his soul in his performances, and the actor in return gives his director the confidence to continue pushing boundaries. They again team up for 12 Years a Slave, but leave chief player duties to Chiwetel Ejiofor. To see their professional relationship grow is enthralling regardless of the capacity, and while time will tell to show us if it continues, it’s been a joy to watch.
Steve McQueen is a director forging his way into the minds and hearts of millions with his films. His ability to represent unhappiness in such a raw form serves as a reminder to the audiences that self-acceptance is the only way to leave it behind. Few of his fellow filmmakers deal with these themes as well as he does. His stories are journeys that speak to all of us.
