shame

No movie in recent memory ripped out my insides and handed it to me on a platter, as did Shame. I will not say more about its visceral impact; there are enough reviews that gush, and enough reviews that dismiss it both. I was struck only by one thing; it received a great critical reception outside of America, but within America it received decidedly mixed reviews; with most film critics out of New York remarking on its failed ambition.

How does the gaze of an outsider inform 'insider' views? Sometimes when a mirror is held too close by an outsider, the 'insiders' cannot see their reality; cannot see their face; can only see a blurred indistinctness. I think this is what happened to Shame. The consumeristic, hyper-sexualized world which is more distinct in America than anywhere else I have ever been, at least to me, is unrecognizable to Americans.

I am sorry that the movie has not sparked the debate about sexualized mores that the director has stated he would have liked it to. I think it was way ahead of its time. Certainly there were a plethora of great movies last year; but this movie felt like it was bloodsport and utterly remarkable.