I went into this film not knowing anything about it and found something profound and indelible about loyalty, cowardice, friendship and consequences. I can't really talk about this Flemish film any further than that without spoiling certain parts of it so all I'll say is that you should stop reading now if you don't want to know any more and just try to check it out. Otherwise read on.
Jacky Vanmarsenille (Matthias Schoenaerts) is a cattle farmer who gets involved with a dodgy black market beef trader. This trader has been implicated in the murder of a policeman and Jacky's former friend, Diederik (Jeroen Perceval), is working as an undercover informer. Things get a bit complicated and the police start to get interested in Jacky as a major suspect in their investigation. But none of this is really what the film is about. Jacky is a 30 year old man who takes bucketloads of steroids and hormones to reinforce his masculinity due to a disturbing and horrific act of childhood bullying that has left him without testicles. It sounds like a sick joke when you put it on paper, but this is actually a serious film abut a man with no balls, and it pushes the envelope in the way it explores the resulting psyche of such an adult - he's a wounded animal, a danger to others and himself, and the film takes a cautious delight in playing with our ability to empathise with such a protagonist.
When the film gets to that illuminating point where we flash back to Jacky's childhood, the unfairness of these events won't be for the faint of heart. It's a horrible situation because the perpetrator has mental/developmental issues so the blame and responsibility should fall on the shoulders of the parents who let him terrorise Jacky. The film isn't much interested in exploring this idea too much, the parents are criminally connected so there's no justice for Jacky, and nothing is going to bring his balls back either. The farreaching consequences of this include Jacky's inability to form meaningful relationships and some insurmountable problems with aggression (no doubt exacerbated by the crazy amount of steroids he takes). The situation with the beef dealers and the police eventually spirals off in unexpected ways, and Jacky is forced into a relationship with his former childhood friend Diederik.
The more brutal aspects of the film aren't gratuitous but they are confronting. I didn't see the dramatic ending coming either, it's a real punch, but I was glued to the screen from start to finish as this unexpected gem unfolded in a variety of surprising ways. It's raw but restrained, an intriguingly subtle examination of a wounded psyche that will push more than a few buttons. A real class act.Jacky Vanmarsenille (Matthias Schoenaerts) is a cattle farmer who gets involved with a dodgy black market beef trader. This trader has been implicated in the murder of a policeman and Jacky's former friend, Diederik (Jeroen Perceval), is working as an undercover informer. Things get a bit complicated and the police start to get interested in Jacky as a major suspect in their investigation. But none of this is really what the film is about. Jacky is a 30 year old man who takes bucketloads of steroids and hormones to reinforce his masculinity due to a disturbing and horrific act of childhood bullying that has left him without testicles. It sounds like a sick joke when you put it on paper, but this is actually a serious film abut a man with no balls, and it pushes the envelope in the way it explores the resulting psyche of such an adult - he's a wounded animal, a danger to others and himself, and the film takes a cautious delight in playing with our ability to empathise with such a protagonist.
When the film gets to that illuminating point where we flash back to Jacky's childhood, the unfairness of these events won't be for the faint of heart. It's a horrible situation because the perpetrator has mental/developmental issues so the blame and responsibility should fall on the shoulders of the parents who let him terrorise Jacky. The film isn't much interested in exploring this idea too much, the parents are criminally connected so there's no justice for Jacky, and nothing is going to bring his balls back either. The farreaching consequences of this include Jacky's inability to form meaningful relationships and some insurmountable problems with aggression (no doubt exacerbated by the crazy amount of steroids he takes). The situation with the beef dealers and the police eventually spirals off in unexpected ways, and Jacky is forced into a relationship with his former childhood friend Diederik.
DIRECTOR: Michael R. Roskam
WRITER/SOURCE: Michael R. Roskam
KEY ACTORS: Matthais Schoenaerts, Jereon Perceval, Jeanne Dandoy, Barbara Sarafian, Frank Lammers
RELATED TEXTS:
- Roskam's only previous film works were the short films One Thing to Do and Carlo.
- Bullhead has drawn comparisons with Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, in the way it combines crime with personal turmoil relating to aggression.
AWARDS
Academy Awards - nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.
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