Charlie Bronson is considered the most violent prisoner in Great Britain. He has spent thirty-four years in prison, thirty of them in solitary confinement. Born Michael Gordon Peterson, he was initially sent to jail for seven years at the age of twenty-two for robbing a post office. He is now serving a life sentence for crimes he committed while incarcerated. Over the years he has spent time in over one hundred twenty different prisons, and three mental hospitals. He is a media hog and a tabloid darling, staging protests, causing riots, taking hostages, and writing books.
The movie Bronson loosely tells the story of Michael Peterson’s time in prison and his infamous antics while there. His name was changed to Charlie Bronson when he was a bare-knuckled fist fighter, and he kept the name because it better suited his tough guy image. Presented in an avante-garde style, the film Bronson takes liberties with the facts while highlighting its subject and his escapades over the last thirty-four years as an inmate.
Bronson has become so notorious and such a financial burden to the prison system, that in 1999 a special program was created just for him and two other violent offenders. The goal was to isolate them and protect the prison staff from their violent outbursts. Part of the program gave them access to artist’s materials and Charles Bronson has since won numerous awards for his art and poetry, and has published eleven books including one on prison fitness.
As a film, Bronson is an imperfect biopic. Though very stylish with a bravado performance by Tom Hardy, it never gets to the bottom oh his behavior and how he came to be so dangerous. It also never explains his obsession with fame. I found the movie intriguing, but I also wanted more depth and answers. Instead we become the prisoners in a Marquis de Sade style farce, completely at the mercy of a man with delusions of grandeur. Many questions are raised, but few are answered. Charlie Bronson is either a mad man or a media genius.
Rating: Rent It A violent depiction of a dangerous yet fascinating man
About Me
- Melanie Wilson
- My Reviewer's Philosophy: I believe that every film has its audience. One man’s Citizen Kane is another man’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre. My purpose is to help you spend your entertainment dollars wisely. A bad review never kept me from going to a film I wanted to see, but a good review will sometimes get me to a film I never considered. As a movie lover I want you to go to the movies. When more people go to the movies, the more movies get made. But, I also believe that if you enjoy the films you see, you naturally will be inclined to go more often. So join me in supporting our film industry by going to a movie today. Hopefully I can steer you towards a good one. See you at the movies. Melanie Wilson
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