Lots of times you hear movies described as “raw,” “unflinching” or “harsh,” but Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn seems to have redefined what those words mean with Bronson – his dramatization of the life of Michael Gordon Peterson, aka Charles Bronson, Britain’s “most violent prisoner.” Seriously, this movie kicked my ass. Not to be confused with the actor Charles “Deathwish” Bronson, the Anglo-Welsh Bronson has been in prison for about 90 percent of his life, with most of that being in solitary confinement. Why? He loves fighting dudes until his knuckles are raw, especially the “screws” who enter his cell. He’s also taken a few hostages in his day. I don’t want to spoil all the juicy bits though. The film details Bronson’s life from clocking a teacher, knocking over a post office, to bare-knuckle boxing, to prison cell brawling, and more! I’m not sure how accurate the film is, but as Bronson says, “you don’t wanna be trapped inside with me, sunshine. Inside I’m somebody nobody wants to fuck with, you understand?”

Like most traditional prison movies, the question is raised whether Bronson is a fuck-up by nature or if it’s prison/the system that’s made him this way; that made him more of a bastard than he would have been walking the streets. Watching the film, I never really felt like Bronson was an evil person. Violent, yes. Delusional, sure. Short fuse, hell yes. But his only actual crimes were a naive robbery and prison brawls – albeit, a lot of prison brawls. Whether Bronson actually deserved his punishments is one of the major arguments of the film. You can’t help but love the goon though.

British actor Tom Hardy (RocknRolla, Black Hawk Down) plays Bronson (actual Bronson pictured above on the right) and…holy shit. To be frank, I haven’t been in complete awe of a performance like this since Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood. Hardy makes Bronson downright fascinating in all his violent, sympathetic glory. I know I’m going to be comparing every performance I see for the rest of this year to Hardy in Bronson. Direcor Refn (the Pusher trilogy – which is available to watch on Netflix) does some really amazing things here visually within the confines of a prison – which you can sort of imagine the actual Bronson doing in his head as well, to keep sane. Several parts in the film involve Bronson on stage in a theater, addressing an audience; trying to explain why he’s done what he’s done. Really interesting stuff.

Bronson is now on DVD in the UK and I have no idea if it’s going to be released in the States. I found it on TV Links, but if you have the chance to buy it/see it in a theater, DO SO! Also, the real Bronson released a fitness book called “Solitary Fitness” and I think all of us at Mishka should pick up a copy and after six months, wrestle.

- Oh Mars