After working as a drug courier and getting into a brutal shootout with police, a former boxer finds himself at the mercy of his enemies as they force him to instigate violent acts that turn the pr...
Brawl in Cell Block 99 smashes through the doors of grindhouse brutality with minimal emotional prowess. It's clear after experiencing my second Zahler feature, that the man is infatuated with the depiction of violence. 'Bone Tomahawk' had a human be savaged by troglodytes. Brawl features a face being crushed and dragged across the floor, to the extent that the shredded skin remains are scattered on the dirty prison flooring. Whilst immediately forcing me to turn my squeamish head in disgust, and exerting a high-pitched noise that only vermin could acknowledge, it solidified Zahler's utilisation of violence for an omnipresent theme that exists in both features. Determination. A former boxer, after being laid off from his job, resorts to working as a drug mule. Trapped by the police, he must then serve seven years in prison with a grave dilemma that puts both him and his family in danger.
A man powered by desperation and driven by resolution. A man with nothing to lose. A man who can snap another person's leg in an instance whilst dragging them across the floor and smashing their head into an excavated toilet (honestly, did you see that? God damn!). Yet beneath the beastly colossal exterior of Vince "The Giant" Vaughn, is a father willing to risk everything for the safety of his family. After all, the most tentative vehemence a human can experience, is the protectiveness of their loved ones. Zahler depicts this through classic prison grindhouse tropes by releasing Vaughn's physical transformation into snapping arms and breaking legs.
However, therein lies my biggest complaint with Brawl. An actor drastically transforming his physical appearance should not be mistaken for boundless acting capabilities. Vaughn lacks the emotional conviction beneath the eyes. At no point was the sensation of foresighted self-condemnation experienced. Aside from the conclusive phone call, at no point was there any passion being exhumed. At no point did I witness danger for the protagonist. And it's because of this emotional disconnect and absent endangerment, that I occasionally struggled to invest myself into the prison warfare at hand. Vaughn's character, supposedly a former boxer, showed minimal indication of boxing talent. Cumbersomely punching guards and prisoners who clearly have had more adept training, especially in self-defence, which again solidified this central disconnect with the characters in question. He brawls with some guards, resets his emotions and then repeats with escalated circumstances.
Fortunately, particularly in the second half, Zahler intently focused the film's perspective into a grindhouse barrage of pure visceral entertainment. The excess bone-crunching and blood-spewing managed to depict society's trapped inner aggression through practicality that just has to be marvelled at. Allowing a raucous to commence without you even noticing, as you briskly look away and exclaim "Ohhh no! Na-uh! Flipping heck that's got to hurt!". His use of practical violence is second to none, and incredibly refreshing to watch (and yes, I know how sadistic that sounds...). A few noteworthy technical aspects, such as the exquisite use of static camera shots in the corner of rooms and Bakshi's filtered blue tint to enhance the cold brutality of the outside world, which further illustrates Zahler's progression as a director. Oh, and good to see Carpenter in a meaty role.
Brawl may struggle to convey anything aside from the grindhouse shenanigans, which might be too harsh for those that are particularly squeamish. However do not mistake this as a misfire, as the onscreen brutality and Vaughn's committed yet nullified performance make for rousing entertainment.
