In a nutshell Shame could be American Psycho’s close cousin. But one that should be attended and analyzed with a contemporary critical eye. And also the reason why adult audiences need to see this technological-driven libido tale in modern day New York.
Disguised as a fiction film lives one of society’s latest issues caused by the avalanche of technology and pornography. Brandon, a young successful man, played by Michael Fassbender, is somewhat an antihero, whose life revolves around his obsession for quick uncompromised sex and pornographic material. This practice has tangible repercussions on Brandon and young successful males whom he represents, who live in the darkness of a computerized world where anonymity is necessary to fulfill one’s desires.
Brandon’s obscure life gets more complex when he finds pleasure with prostitutes, not in the morbid way Patrick Bateman does in American Psycho, but with the obsession of making his virtual reality “tangible” and readily accesible. In Shame, Brandon goes out with friends, and finds pleasure in quick hookups with girls, much like the Internet porno videos he constantly watches which is the reason why his laptop computer is constantly serviced because of computer viruses. Brandon is told the IT department found very disgusting stuff in his laptop, some of which his boss does not even know what it actually means. Brandon blames an intern for this material and viruses and resumes his life as usual.
To put Brandon in perspective, he is addicted to sex in a way never shown in film. His laptop computer becomes the enabler and the streets his playground. At the beginning of the film Brandon is confronted with a young sexy wife, who flirts at him inside a subway train. Brandon does not mind the fact that this woman is wearing a wedding ring, he is only interested in a random sex encounter with her which leads him to follow her inside the subway station maze. This scene opens the film and it sets the tone for what Brandon expectations are and how little respect he has for women, even if they are married.
Director Steve McQueen brings an independent tale of taboo subjects barely exposed by mainstream media, Hollywood included. McQueen chooses an eclectic mix of long shots that have become an act of heresy in modern Hollywood cinema. One example is Brandon’s sister Sissy, played by Carey Mulligan, singing New York New York, the classical Sinatra New York tribute, in a rather unusual slow pace. Her performance almost turns this song into a complete new one devoid of passion, but instead into one full of anxiety and hopelessness. Except for the couple of inserts of Brandon crying to his sister’s rendition of the song, the full closeup of Sissy’s singing lasts for over 4 minutes. McQueen also treats viewers to a date Brendan has with a coworker of his. In this date the camera remains locked to the perspective and intimacy of their moment, where they get to know each other. Somehow McQueen tricks audiences to believe Brendan is making a positive turn in his life and that is why the long duration of the shot serves this duality. To document this change and for audiences to remain active witnesses of his new destiny.
With the pacing of the story within the screen, McQueen treats viewers into great simple story telling in which all scenes have main and secondary meanings. This is evident in the way Brendan and his sister fight over control of territory, but this pattern creates more complexities than audiences expect, especially after she struggles to keep a romantic relationship and is forced to move in with Brendan, who prefers a lonely existence than her sister’s company.
McQueen also addresses marital happiness as a side effect of anonymity in virtual spaces. Brendan’s boss is much like Brendan himself, except that in practice he does not get much play, unlike Brendan. But Shame is not about comparisons, it is about happiness and how to find it or avoid it.
In another scene Brendan is so frustrated, sexually that is, that he resorts to actions he would not normally approve of. After touching a girls intimate parts in a bar, Brendan confronts the girl’s boyfriend, and instead of simply lying, like the girl does, he humiliates the boyfriend by reaching his fingers to the boyfriend’s nose. Brendan is then beaten up by the upset boyfriend. Frustrated by his inability to find action, or perhaps by his new found repulsiveness for clean and good women, Brendan brings himself to new lows, which is what Shame is all about, the possibility of being lost with double lives in a technological saturated world, or perhaps, of a man’s quest to deal with his own past.
