I have been wanting to see Steve McQueen's Shame for a long time. It never popped up in the Redbox, and probably never will, so I finally got to see it tonight and it has inspired me to write some thoughts on it.
I found the film compelling, moving, vague and flawed at points but overall was impressed by the film.
Very few modern film makers dive into the shadows of trauma and how it may play out in our adult lives and particularly in our sexuality.
It is clear Brandon is a troubled soul or a better description may be he is a severely emotionally detached and narcissistic person. We observe his routine of excessive masturbation, prostitutes, ignoring phone messages from an unidentified women, porn, and a job he seems to skates through while earning buckets of money.There is very little dialog about the past life or trauma but from my own experiences it clearly involves childhood sexual abuse from the above described behaviors.
One of the most dramatic and telling scenes in the film is when Brandon comes home to find his apartment occupied by a possible intruder. He reaches for a baseball bat as some funk music plays loudly on his vintage turntable. The shower is running and he burst into the bathroom with full force, not knowing who or what to expect. What he finds is a petrified naked woman who jumps out of the bath while standing fully naked to him they get into a emotional charged argument of blame. The twist on this scene is that the confrontation goes on for over a minute, the woman never reaches for a towel or tries to cover herself up and Brandon does not seem embarrassed or even throws her a towel. You are to assume that it is an ex-girlfriend, as it is very ambiguous, and as we find out later it was his sister Sissy.
With this knowledge the scene becomes something very inappropriate and twisted for a interaction between siblings. It leads you to believe that their relationship has been quite inappropriate for a long time.
One of the possible suggestions of incest or childhood sexual abuse, the other more obvious being the cut marks on Sissy's wrists and arms.
One of my favorite scenes in the film, and again so revealing, is Sissy's torchlight reading of the classic New York New York. It is spell binding and personal take of this "uplifting" song. Sissy's interpretation reveals the dark under belly of living in the city that never sleeps. The pianist Liz Kaplan is remarkable and her playing is like being thrown down the rabbit hole of despair, with glimpses of madness interlaced with loneliness. It brings Brandon to tears.
The tormented relationship that exist between Brandon and Sissy propels the film. There is a deep connection between the two, but it seems it more based on the bonds brought on by trauma then from actual love and friendship.
Where I feel the film is seriously flawed is how easily women participate in Brandon's sexual addiction, unless they are being paid for it. Granted with his chiseled looks,piercing eyes, toned body he is eye candy, but he clearly has no personality or redeeming qualities so it is a big stretch. Wait! he is rich so that explains the attractions.
Brandon's social awkwardness is very apparent on his first date with a co-worker that is possibly one of the worst on film.When he leaves her at the subway station for the night and a failed attempt at a kiss good night Brandon ask her sincerely if they can go out again she replies "maybe we can."
It then reverts the next day to male escapist fantasy as he confronts her in the office and begins making out with her behind frosted glass in an empty office then whisks her away for the afternoon to his "other" apartment to fully seduce her. Brandon unsuccessfully can not seal the deal by a sudden attack of impedance.
The only words of insight Brandon can offer with his face buried into his hands is " I can walk you down." She declines.
This fuels a self retaliatory sexual farce with a older prostitute less than an hour later. The two perform against a open window in broad day light, OK actually foggy daylight, as his mounts her from the rear as they are both standing up and get his rocks off. For her its just another day at the office with no emotional investment or hint of pleasure.
As the film goes on Brandon resentments begin to surface more and more and he focuses his rage on his sister Sissy.
Another revealing scene begins with Brandon disassociating in front of the TV as vintage cartoons play in the background. Sissy comes to the couch and sits down close to him and asks for a hung. Brandon places his arm reluctantly around her as Sissy buries her head in his chest, yet another example of inappropriate boundaries between the two. In this scene Brandon, after some deep prodding from Sissy, explodes into a rage and vocalizes his contempt toward her and her presence in his life.
For Brandon it is hatred he feels toward his sister and he holds nothing back as he become emotionally abusive.
I feel the film could have benefited more from a scene of two more in which Brandon actually tries to vocalize his rage, disconnection, or even sadness even if he has no idea what he was trying to express, which is the case for the entire film, the subject matter deserves more intellectual and emotional expansion for the two main character.
The ending of the film is brilliant and not to give anything away I will only say this. As with any serious trauma experienced as a child, or as a adult, it is like dropping a stone in a still pond. As the ripples ring out and the effect of the stone continues on each ripple takes on a life of its own.
Both Brandon and Sissy may not even remember what that past shared trauma, or the current state of their existance has dulled the pain, was but the effects continue to ripple on through their adult lives with devastating and perpetual consequences.
Here is the trailer
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