Skin

Skin is a 2018 biographical drama film that tells an intense and compelling story centered on the themes of racial prejudice, redemption, and transformation. Directed by Guy Nattiv, the film stars Jamie Bell, Danielle Macdonald, and Daniel Henshall, who each deliver riveting performances. Treading through the stretched cracks of white-supremacist ideologies and the efforts to deconstruct them, this movie pulls no punches as it unpacks a real-life journey from hatred to empathy.

Jamie Bell stars in the lead role as Bryon "Babs" Widner, a man submerged in an underworld of savage racism and brutal violence. Wearing a tapestry of horrifying tattoos across his face and body, each marking a hate crime or kill, Babs is a fully committed soldier of the Vinlanders Social Club, a white supremacist gang. Unflinchingly shedding his handsome persona as Billy Elliot, Bell completely disappears within the character, exuding a primal, yet disturbingly human, aura.

Standing on the other side of the spectrum is Danielle Macdonald, in the shoes of Julie, a single mother of three girls, slowly distancing herself from the hateful ideologies she once knew. She presents a portrayal of grace and strength, turning in a beautifully nuanced performance. Like two cosmic bodies stubbornly drawn towards each other, Babs and Julie's paths cross, setting forth a chain of events that challenge both their worldviews.

Amidst the cacophony of disturbing violence and brewing revolution, Daniel Henshall manifests a chilling performance as Fred "Hammer' Krager, the tattooed menace who is the leader of the Vinlanders. Henshall anchors the character's brutality and philosopher-like charisma, presenting a man who can captivate the weak and manipulate them to his own toxic narrative.

The narrative style of Skin is part crime-thriller and part transformation tale. It dares to take on a journey into the heart of darkness and bring back a man to the world of empathy. This is no straightforward path of redemption, but a battle-scarred trek to cleanse oneself, both physically and mentally. Thematic components like repulsive racism, parental manipulation, and societal repression play an essential part in the storytelling. However, it is the story’s exploration of one man’s desperate yearnings to cleanse his 'skin' of hate and be reborn into a world of acceptance that truly sets it apart.

One of the most striking technical aspects of Skin is its noteworthy cinematography, executed impeccably by Arnaud Potier. The grey urban landscape and the claustrophobic interiors echo the struggle that the protagonist experiences daily. While the gritty, uncomfortably close camera angles induce intensity, the occasional wide shots of twinkling night skies promise hope.

Moreover, the make-up and prosthetics design deserves special mention here as it forms an integral part of the storytelling. Bryon’s tattoos, each with their own ghastly history, aren't just designs on his body, but also the stark reminders of the man he used to be. They're an external embodiment of his internal chaos. The process of tattoo removal and the ensuing pain draw a vivid picture of the gruesome struggle for redemption.

Delving into the world of extreme hatred, Skin is not an easy watch. The fierce performances by the cast, coupled with Nattiv's unwavering direction, bring forth a hard hitting movie that throws its audience into the deep end of a disturbing and daunting world. However, underneath the harsh exterior, the film subtly nurtures a bruised and battered, but ever-present hope, of transformative redemption.

To sum it all up, Skin encapsulates a moving narrative of a former neo-Nazi's struggle to rejoin society as a reformed individual, shedding the poison that once ran through his veins. It is a powerful and poignant exploration of the human capacity for change and progress despite a haunting past, delivered through compelling performances and effective story-telling. It is a movie that will leave you contemplating the grand capacity of human beings to alter the course of their narrative, even after standing at the edge of the darkest abyss.