Bronson (2008)

A young man who was sentenced to seven years in prison for robbing a post office ends up spending three decades in solitary confinement. During this time, his own personality is supplanted by his alter-ego, Charles Bronson.

Director:

Nicolas Winding Refn

Writers:

Brock Norman Brock (screenplay), Nicolas Winding Refn (screenplay)

Stars:

Tom Hardy, Kelly Adams, Luing Andrews

3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Hardy	...	Charles Bronson / Michael Peterson
Kelly Adams	...	Irene
Luing Andrews	...	Hysterical Screw
Katy Barker	...	Julie
Gordon Brown	...	Screw
Amanda Burton	...	Charlie's Mum
Mark Devenport	...	Nurse 1 (as Mark Davenport)
Paul Donnelly	...	Screw
Andrew Forbes	...	Charlie's Dad
Jon House	...	Webber
Matt King	...	Paul Daniels
James Lance	...	Phil
Holly Lucas	...	Young Man
Juliet Oldfield	...	Alison
Jonny Phillips	...	Prison Governor

Storyline

In 1974, a hot-headed 19 year old named Michael Peterson decided he wanted to make a name for himself and so, with a homemade sawn-off shotgun and a head full of dreams he attempted to rob a post office. Swiftly apprehended and originally sentenced to seven years in jail, Peterson has subsequently been behind bars for 34 years, 30 of which have been spent in solitary confinement. During that time, Michael Petersen, the boy, faded away and 'Charles Bronson,' his superstar alter ego, took center stage. Inside the mind of Bronson - a scathing indictment of celebrity culture.

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Plot Keywords:

prison | sadism | art teacher | mustache | brutality | 

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Taglines:

The Man. The Myth. The Celebrity.

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Genres:

Action | Biography | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violent and disturbing content, graphic nudity, sexuality and language

Details

Country:

UK Cayman Islands

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 March 2009 (UK)

Also Known As:

Бронсон

Filming Locations:

Great Central Railway, Leicestershire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$230,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,940, 11 October 2009

Gross USA:

$104,979

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,260,712

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vertigo Films, Aramid Entertainment Fund, Str8jacket Creations

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (uncredited)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The British Prison Officers' Association complained when the film's London premiere was prefaced with a recording by Charles Bronson himself, recorded at HMP Wakefield, where he stated: "I'm proud of this film, because if I drop dead tonight, then I live on. I make no bones about it, I really was... a horrible, violent, nasty man. I'm not proud of it, but I'm not ashamed of it either... See you at the Oscars." It is illegal in the UK to make unauthorized recordings of prison inmates. This recording appears on some DVD-editions.

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Goofs

When Peterson goes through intake at Hull Prison (?), the prison governor states "Well, well, well, Charles Bronson is it now? ...an American-Mongolian pop star" and the guard corrects him to say "film star".

However, the actor "Charles Bronson" (real name Charles Dennis Buchinsky) was an American from Pennsylvania with Lithuanian parents; not Mongolian.

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Quotes

Charles Bronson: [Desperately trying to escape from an insane asylum, Bronson meets a patient named John White who reveals that he is a child rapist. Disgusted by pedophiles and wanting to go back to prison, he unsuccessfully tries to kill White by strangulation before carried off by guards]
[Scene change, Bronson walks onto a theater stage set in his sub-conscious mind]
Charles Bronson: I would now like to reenact what I call, "When Murder Goes Wrong".
[Bronson as himself, right side facing audience]
Charles Bronson: When do I go back?
Charles Bronson (as nurse): [...]

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Connections

Referenced in Hit and Run (2012)

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Soundtracks

Digital Versicolor
Written by Ida No & Johnny Jewel
Performed by Glass Candy
Published by No Jewel Musick 2007
Courtesy of Italians Do It Better Records Limited © 2008

User Reviews

Journey into aggression

Bronson is the dramatized story of Charlie Bronson. Not the actor from Death Wish, The Great Escape, and The Dirty Dozen. This is the story of England's most violent prisoner. Born Michael Peterson, he quickly realized that he wanted to make a name for himself. It is unclear why he chose the path he did. He had a normal upbringing, a nice home, good parents, yet he just liked to fight. And he was good at it.

After robbing a post office for what can be only described as "chump change," he was given a seven year sentence. Since that sentencing in 1974, Bronson has seen a little over a few months as a free man. He is still in prison to this day.

What Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn gives us is a stylized version of one of the most bizarre and intoxicating stories I've seen in a long time. Bronson, played wonderfully by Tom Hardy, loves what he does. At least that what he wants us to believe. I was never really convinced that Bronson truly enjoyed what he did. Then again, I can't see the pleasure in pummeling prison guards, bare knuckle fighting, fighting dogs, and bringing others close to death. That said, it was something else to watch.

Hardy gives a rock solid performance. He fits the part both physically and mentally. He has the right edge to let us know how intelligent and hostile Charlie Bronson can be. It's hard to imagine playing someone as energized and mentally perturbed as Bronson, who gets his jollies from beating up innocent prison guards and inmates, but Hardy does just that in style. He never falters and gives 100 percent in every scene.

I can see a lot of similarities to A Clockwork Orange. It has similar accents, violent images, an insight into the criminal mind. Things very much associated with Kubrick's masterpiece. Still, Bronson offers something different. It's more theatrical, blending both the real world with a more dramatic and exaggerated story, showing Bronson as a prisoner, a performer, and storyteller.

Bronson is filled with stunning, startling images and a gives us a very original story, the likes of with we have seldom seen or will see. Charlie Bronson is a unique case of a man that nobody will ever truly understand. Whether you like the glorification of criminals or not, it's hard to deny that this film and the people involved doesn't offer great entertainment. I expect more from Hardy and Refn.