“I pressured the palms of my hands together until they trembled, murmuring, O love!  O love!  many times” — Joyce, The Dubliners

Not known for being particularly political as an artist, Steve McQueen remains true to form with his debut film Hunger by seeking to express a balanced view about the no wash protests and Bobby Sands’ hunger strike.  Every time we see a police beating, we see a policeman crying.  Every time we see a no wash protester smearing his own shit up the walls, we see a warden having to clean it up.  Every time we see Sands being helped by a sympathetic trusty, we are shown that the system can also be sadistic by replacing said trusty with a member of the UDA.  However, despite McQueen’s desire to be balanced and realistic in his portrayal of the no wash and hunger strikes, he cannot help but allow his film to be dominated by the same sentimental narratives that dominate all films about Irish independence.

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