I beat therefore I am

Bronson (2008)

By: Roger Bergeron

Posted: 10/8/09

Violence is a word that brings up a lot of emotions. It is the most blunt and visceral exercise of will that a human has. In many ways the buck stops there, at the frontier edge of human civilization. Whether used for the noblest of ends or the vilest, it comes from an ancient and primal source within; an instinct formed in the torrents of survival. If violence is human expression in its most disturbing form, Bronson (2008) is a film about a life long art project gone horribly right.

For Michael Peterson, the highest calling in life is the physical domination of others, not exactly in the form of a bully, but as a one man rebellion against the laws and constraints of society. His childhood and adolescence in Britain is conveyed in a series of violent reactions aimed at authority figures. After marriage and the birth of his own child, the 22-year-old Michael commits armed robbery and is sent to prison for seven years. While most view prison as a cage in which their freedom has become all but completely stripped, Michael, a bulky ox of a man, has a much more optimistic take, seeing an opportunity to explore the craft of his violence. On a short lived parole during which he works as an amateur boxer, Peterson adopts the name of tough guy actor Charles Bronson to create a more intimidating image. Of course, eventually he goes back to prison, continuing to commit a series of forceful hostage situations intended to stick it to the man.

Smiling in dour clown make up, Bronson narrates the course of his life in the form of a stand up act reminiscent of vaudeville. These segments are interjected in and around the chronological relation of his incarcerations. He is moved from institution to institution, spending most of the time in complete isolation due to the violent outbursts. As the British prison system struggles to deal with his antics, Bronson ecstatically relates his thoughts and motivations to the audience.

Inhabiting the role of Bronson is British actor Tom Hardy. Previously working in films such as Black Hawk Down (2001), Layer Cake (2004), and most prominently as the lean villain in Star Trek Nemesis (2002), he was not known for his muscle bound physique that is representative of the Bronson character. Showing impressive dedication, Hardy reportedly put on 42 pounds for the role, along with a big bushy mustache to complete a physical embodiment. His performance reveals a man with complete confidence in his bear like persona, with a voice comparable to a roar. A commanding figure, Bronson is in constant tension with his environment, a state of mind he seems to enjoy. To broadcast this, Hardy appears to be channeling a similar energy employed by Daniel Day Lewis in Gangs Of New York (2002) and There Will Be Blood (2007), albeit much more insolent than downright malevolent.

Director Nicolas Winding Refn creates a claustrophic and rigid atmosphere in the film that encapsulates Bronson's boxed in world. He is an imposing figure in this environment, seeming too large to fit in a "civilized" world. His theme is a throbbing 80's throwback that is constantly repeated throughout; a cold driving heartbeat of Bronson's ambition. This is a man caught up not in a noble cause of self righteousness or a deep searing sense of revenge, but simply in the purest form of personal honesty. He was born to beat and maim like others are born to play guitar or paint a masterpiece. He seems to understand that, so why should he settle for anything less?

3 out of 5