In the Heart of the Machine - Martin Makariev

se esistesse una graduatoria dei film da galera, In the Heart of the Machine sarebbe nella parte alta della classifica.

tensione, violenza, prepotenza, speranza (poca) e dignità (tanta), nella storia ci sono tutti gli ingredienti giusti per un film da non dimenticare.

ottimi attori diretti da un regista che merita, ca va sans dire.

buona (volatile) visione.

 

 

 

Calore, ferro, polvere e odore di petrolio: quella che sembra un'altra tipica giornata lavorativa da detenuti nel carcere di massima sicurezza, si rivelerà in realtà fatale per tutti loro. I carcerati scovano qualcosa di straordinario all'interno di una delle macchine e un'inaspettata ondata di compassione spinge i prigionieri a prendere degli ostaggi e a bloccare l'ingresso dell'officina, rischiando la vita, perché a volte il desiderio di essere umani è più forte dell'istinto di sopravvivenza.

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In the Heart of the Machine is a prison drama with plenty of violence. It takes place in 1978, when Bulgaria was controlled by a repressive and brutal Communist regime. The protagonist, Boris Radulov, known as Bohemy (Alexander Sano) seems a bit different from the other murderers and rapists who surround him. Indeed, he has apparently been framed for murder because of his political beliefs. The warden (Hristo Shopov) calls him in and offers him early parole if Bohemy can put together a team that can double production at the local Kremikovtsy Steel Plant. Bohemy agrees, but only on the condition that he can add to his team a much-feared murderer who is on death row for having, in a drunken rage, hacked to death his father and his brother during the brother’s wedding. Bohemy  explains that this man, known as The Hatchet (Igor Angelov), understands lathes and is unusually strong.

The other members of the team are The Needle (Hristo Petkov), who stabbed to death a grandmother and her granddaughter; The Gypsy (Stoyan Doychev), also known by his real name, Krasni, who raped a 14-year-old girl; and The Teacher (Ivaylo Hristov), who serves as a sort of spiritual guide for the others…

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…Remarkably, it’s based on a true story – the film is dedicated to the real Bohemy. Well, almost true: the bird was a sparrow, not a pigeon, and less violence was involved in the resolution. While it certainly does not skimp on that when necessary, it has a lot to say about what it means to be human. The trapped bird is clearly a metaphor for the prisoners (the title could apply to both), and that’s perhaps why The Hatchet feels so strongly about its release, at the risk of his own life. Not everyone agrees with him; among the group of prisoners, some would like to seize the unexpected chance to escape, while others want to surrender at the first opportunity, and Bohemy is just trying  to get through the day. Some will not get what they want.

I loved the character work here in particular. No-one is portrayed as entirely evil; even Vekilsky has reasons for his behaviour, mostly rooted in an understandable fear of the prisoners. We gradually learn about the convicts’ backgrounds, as well as their aspirations – that a child-rapist can be made to seem almost likeable, says a lot about the excellent work put in by Makariev and his cast. By the end, you feel genuinely invested in the outcome for everyone, and it’s very much a bitter-sweet resolution. Albeit one which may leave you with a little bit more faith in humanity, than you had upon entry.

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