Shame (Blu-ray/ DVD + Digital Copy)

This dvd is offered with some sort of "R" or Region2 (??) warning (it has been updated) and will not play in the USA: frustrating. I was sent two in a row that wouldn't play before I was informed about the "Region 2" debacle ... THIS OFFERING, the (Blu-ray/DVD) >> DOES/YES play in the US; in fact there are TWO discs in the case: one DVD, one Blu-ray.Now there is a warning that says such re the Region 2 DVDs. I was told to just keep the first two rather than send them back to the UK. Aside from the delay, Amazon ran block on everything and I now have the US viable copy.

first, this is a very difficult film to watch, in the same way mcqueen's subsequent "12 years a slave" is difficult to watch. in both films we see human beings struggling against oppression and torture. here the scars of self cutting replace the welts of a whipping, but the oppressive atmosphere of exploitation and amorality is the same.for the brother and sister in "shame" this oppression arises somewhere in their shared past -- hinted at in their inappropriate mutual nudity and the story brandon (fassbender) tells of being knocked unconscious by his brother. mother and father are never mentioned, brandon's apartment is bare of any mementos, and his sister's arms are tracked with self mutilation, subtle details that convey the cavernous hole of denial and pain that binds them both. the result is that both fail at intimacy, the sister with her boyfriends and brother, and the brother with his sister and a lovely and eager coworker.in the same way that the proud and free man in "12 years" becomes very adept at being a slave simply in order to survive, the siblings here turn their emotional bondage into artful song or enthusiastic pursuit of conquest: they have learned how to be good slaves. the most remarkable aspect of this film is that it shows humans can adapt to and manipulate their self imposed bondage in the same way that plantation slaves become clever at avoiding a whipping. the fact that brandon's callow and pathetic boss is a casual adulterer and uses his workplace power over brandon for personal ends, including the seduction of brandon's sister in brandon's apartment while brandon is in the next room, or that married women are willing to flirt with brandon in public, illustrates that self imposed enslavement will elect its own masters and whip hands to keep an inner bondage firmly in place.why sex, pornography, nudity as the specific expression of emotional bondage? why not alcoholism, or gambling, or violence? i'd guess, partly because we've had already a long line of profane and corrupt cops, criminals, loners and losers, so that modern cinema has inured us to these deviances and made their vices seem almost picaresque. i suspect mcqueen chose sexual addiction and emotional dependency because these are inherently ugly and demeaning, difficult to watch and clearly brutalizing and dehumanizing to the protagonists. it's a fine directorial touch that the soundtrack includes some of the more bizarre misinterpretations of j.s. bach's keyboard music recorded by glenn gould, the master of oppressively sterile bach pianism.the film culminates in an episode where brandon's hostility toward his sister dissolves in the panicked realization that he cares for her, and his sobbing collapse on a lonely wharf releases, in me at least, a surge of empathy and compassion for his predicament. and the film closes as it opened, with a married woman blatantly offering herself to brandon on a subway train -- but this time brandon does not eye her with the amused hunger of a predator, but with the wary stare of a man resolved to be free.

If you watch the interviews with Michael Fassbender and Steve McQueen about this film, you would think that the hour and forty minutes are basically a parade of Michael naked across the screen--physically naked. And if you watched all of the clips available, it's nearly the same. That's what is focussed on to sell interviews and garner YouTube views.But there's so much more to this film, as I suspected. You can't listen to a director/write talk about working on a script for two years and not wonder what else is in this film? There has to be more to it. And there is. A lot more.Brandon is tortured. He's trapped by his own affliction. His own addiction. It runs his life; it consumes his life. Sure, he's able to hold down a job and an apartment, but he had nothing else in his life except his addiction. It's no better than a drug addict or an alcoholic or even someone who overeats. It becomes the sole focus in this poor, tattered life. For him, sex without any joy has become a life with no joy.It makes you think about your own dirty little vices--a chocolate bar here, a harsh word there. Not necessarily addictions, these are, but they still give you the momentary surge, the feeling of relief that is essentially what Brandon is looking for. The relief from the pressure; the release of the build-up. But the moment of release is just that--a moment. And then the pressure begins again.Sissy disrupts his patterns, as McQueen says she was meant to do as a character, but there's more to it than that. Her failings and dysfunctions are just as raw and destructive as Brandon's. And he doesn't need to deal with hers as well as his. There's simply not enough room in Brandon's tiny apartment for the two of them and all of their baggage.As for the look of the film, I adore the long, loving shots of the actors. It feels like authentic actiing in ways that cut-and-run films that are constantly moving from camera to camera breaking up the actors' performances to the point you wonder if they could even sustain a character without the safety net of a cut scene can never achieve. The way this film is shot forces the audience to face the problem head-on without flinching. There is no looking away or cutting away. It complements the subject matter completely.Fassbender is such a strong actor that he falls apart on the screen with complete authenticity. His looks fall apart as the movie progresses. His clothing becomes less impeccable. Even before he is 'beat up' int he film, he is beat up from the inside. Kudos to him for his portrayal.An important film that transcends sex and nudity.

Great film with strong performances. Serious subject matter that doesn’t need to tie everything together - just like life. Picture quality is great as is audio with clear dialogue.

Excellent picture quality. Decent transfer.As for this film itself, I love it, but it won't be for everyone. The SADDEST version of the song "New York New York" I have ever heard.

La compra fue muy rápida y sencilla, el tiempo en que llego fue increíble, lo pedí el martes en la noche y el jueves en la tarde ya estaba. Tenía miedo de que los subtitulos fueran en castellano, pero gracias a Dios no. El único inconveniente es que no llego muy protegido (pero no llego roto, ni nada) y eso es algo que deberían tener en cuenta a la hora de mandar algo, pero de ahí en fuera todo excelente. Anímense a comprar.

Una película impresionante, Michael insuperable se merecía el Oscar, te llega hasta el fondo y hace que te plantees muchas cosas. Las escenas de sexo inplicitas son totalmente necesarias para el buen desarrollo de la película y se comprenda bien lo que quiere transmitir el director

Avendo già visto "12 anni schiavo" e "Hunger" avevo un'opinione e quindi un'aspettativa positiva sulla regia (Steve McQueen), ma non ero affatto certa se mi sarebbe piaciuto il film o meno, considerando il tema innegabilmente forte, se non addirittura ostico. Con mia grande sorpresa e gioia, invece, devo affermare senza riserve che è una pellicola davvero eccellente, un piccolo capolavoro, profondo e commovente, mai squallido o imbarazzante, ma ,anzi, a tratti anche tenero. Fassbender, per il quale non avevo una grande predilezione, è bravissimo, assolutamente convincente in un ruolo nient'affatto facile da affrontare, digerire e far accettare, mentre lui lo rende perfino piacevole! Lo stesso si può dire per Carey Mulligan. Come già ho lasciato intendere sopra, la regia è magistrale, assolutamente all'altezza delle migliori aspettative. Non lasciatevi intimidire della trama, ne vale la pena!