'In Bruges' by Martin McDonagh Review: A beautiful film on our ability to change and deal with regret

I can't recall the first time I saw In Bruges. With a release date in 2008, I would've been about thirteen years of age. Though I do have fond memories of seeing it not too long after it was released. I remember watching it a few additional times throughout the years as well, but it's a film that I couldn't actually remember much about. I could remember its cast, as well as the general narrative in which it follows two hitmen in Bruges, Belgium.

I don't think I ever did see In Bruges once I noticed I had a passion for filmmaking. I couldn't really remember the performances, or the directing talent that went into it. Going into it now, all of these years later, it feels like a completely different film. One that I have neglected despite the creativity it holds as it takes you through the beautifully gothic city of Bruges.

Films often hailed as a dark comedy rarely have incredibly stylistic choices. Rarely are they filled with incredible talent; rarely is the majority of that talent also from the Harry Potter franchise. Despite its comedic elements and performances that really drive the film forward, it's a film that's really about our ability to change, and how regret can shape our perception of the self and motivate us to be better.

The film has a frequent joke that portrays Bruges as some terrible destination where everything is boring. That no place is worse than Bruges. There's actually nothing really wrong with the city, and it holds a plethora of history that is soon used as some symbolism to connect with the characters and both their emotions and actions. Our two main characters being hitmen: one an older man with a passion for the history and culture of the city, another a younger man riddled with regrets and anxiety, completely lacking interest for what the city has to offer.

For the first half of the film, the narrative is simple: the two wait for a phone call that will give them their next orders. Until then, they're pretty much free to do as they please. This allows for a lot of character development and exposition to take place that allows us to learn more about our characters. We see their lives during the days and nights as they roam the city, visiting various historical landmarks and art galleries, trying to take in the scenery, all while running into various characters that test their patience or imply romance.

With what seems like a lack of actual events that take place in the film, it's the dialogue that absolutely flourishes. The script is written to perfection. The interactions our characters have with other tourists, and even each other, allows for plenty of laughs. It makes a mockery of everything and everyone it can, especially under the guise of sheer confusion which is present in pretty much every character.

With Irish and English accents, much of the dialogue holds its impact alongside the way lines are delivered. They wouldn't have such an impact under other accents. There's comedy that stems from our own nationalities and differences. Displaying the clashing of cultures and how we think and perceive parts of life and the world, this holds a larger meaning in regards to the concept of life and regret much later on.

It doesn't take us too long to discover that one of our hitmen had collateral damage in a prior mission, having accidentally killed a child with a stray bullet. He's haunted by this event, forever seeing references to the incident. Moments of passing families with small children stand out to him, pregnant women are something he now aims to protect. But it isn't enough, he's haunted by the fact that he took a child's life and there is nothing that can be done about it. Suicidal tendencies accumulate during the stay in Bruges, as he grows mentally weaker and doubts his ability to live a normal life going forward.

During a visit to an art gallery, the two hitmen see paintings that reflect judgement day, that display the last day for humans on Earth. This produces a rather human reaction to the characters. Where while they're hitmen, they're still very much afraid of their actions and own mortality. They're far from evil people, and there's plenty of growth and honour that we see much later on in them.

The question soon becomes whether one can live having killed a child. Does this person deserve to continue to live? Is their evident regret justification to continue in hopes of pursuing a better life? Metaphorically, are we the same people we were last year as we are today? Can tomorrow be another day in which we completely change and pursue something rather different to our prior nature? The role of our villain in the film even displays this humanity, where he's still displayed as a family man, and one that refuses to reject his own moral principles regardless of the situation. Again, the dialogue heavily connects us to these characters, where they even stick up for their kids or point out general idiocies of others.

There's a bit of reflection in each character as a result of one man's accidental killing of a child, and it creates a ripple of emotions that eventually come together in what one could perceive as their own day of judgement.

Not only is Bruges a beautiful location with a incredible colour and architecture, its gothic nature allows for a lot of darker tones and compositions in photography. Shot on 35mm film, In Bruges has some truly beautiful scenes. In moments I loved how beautiful the warm lighting was inside relatively tight spaces. How the old walls and woodwork was integrated into shots of the dated streets with perspectives from the dated windows that overlook them.

There's use of rather wide lenses that open the spaces up, but feature close-up shots of our characters within them. It makes their emotions feel more enclosed and isolated. Towards the end, in one particular scene, we see the characters moving from background to foreground, illuminated by the warm glow of the city's nightlife. That perspective allowing the characters to enter a more personal boundary to the audience in certain moments of dialogue.

Much like the medieval style of the city, the characters and their emotions are rather dark. They fit in very well, to a point where the period they are in makes no difference to their lives. Bruges simply acts as an extensive of their minds as a result of this, where things are enclosed, lonely, dark, and their actions often feature a medieval barbaric nature. Each angle is crafted to either display the beauty of the location, or to provide some metaphoric or symbolistic reference to the problems our characters are facing.

In essence, Bruges is like purgatory for them. Where they meet in a place that is completely neutral, but serves as the location in which they will be judged. Where their actions here matter and are the final place in which their true colours are displayed through numerous tests.