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Plot:
Ireland 1919: workers from field and country unite to form volunteer guerrilla armies to face the ruthless 'Black and Tan' squads that are being shipped from Britain to block Ireland's bid for indepen...( read more 
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Recent Reviews
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MCT:September 19, 2008
The wind is nigh,the skies fling above us like signs of a Iliad's trifles.Loach on the other hand produces biblical terms to cover a brilliant yet distant to the wealthy in sharpness filmography all these years.A near magnum opus,it succeeds in the levels of unforgiving absolutism.I wish there were more iconic portrayal of the tons of information chopped off for fiction's sake.
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MCT:September 16, 2008
Powerful film from Ken Loach with a great performance from Cillian Murphy. I learned a lot, but there were times that I felt disconnected from the characters, but I understand that Loach was trying to pack a lot of information into the film.
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MCT:September 7, 2008
Ken Loach's political drama gives a chilling description of the Irish uprising during the 1920's. The radical approach by director shows the brutality committed by the British troops (The Black & Tans squads) & the Irish as well. It is also a humane drama about two Irish brothers and change in their mindset as the war gets murkier.
"Damien: The Treaty does not express the will of the people, but the fear of the people." -
MCT:August 23, 2008
I only watched it because I like Cillian Murphy and I love the way the title sounds. I admit one of them is a stupid reason. Anyway, I liked the movie, despite being a bit boring and partial.
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MCT:August 17, 2008
A very interesting movie about IRA rebels featuring Cillian Murphy who acts beautifully in this one. Sometimes very intense, I'd recommend this to adult viewers because I believe younger ones would get a little bored.
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MCT:August 10, 2008Good movie...
This is an amazing film that gives an accurate portrayal of the events in Ireland during the reign of the evil Black & Tans. Of course the British are not going to like it because it shows them up for the colonial oppressors they once were. It's quite simple really, the Black & Tans laid the foundation for a rebellion against an evil colonial force, take it on the chin Brits it's what you were.
Ken Loach has no reason to lie in his films, he gets at the truth and holds no bars in telling it, but sure if any truth about the Brits comes out then the provider must be anti-British.
I am pleased that the British are taking this film so badly, if you would only open your mind and realize how evil your past governments were then maybe you could see the film, in a different light.
I like that. -
MCT:June 29, 2008
SELDOM has a group of men arguing about politics felt so electric and urgent as it does here.
English director Ken Loach is famous for his ideologically charged films. In this period piece set during the bloody war of independence waged by the Irish against the mighty British empire in the 1920s, politics is not so much academic discussons by men in suits as a very real battle to improve the conditions of the poor and the downtrodden.
The story centres on two brothers - Damien (Cillian Murphy) and Teddy (Padraic Delaney).
Older brother Teddy is the passionate but pragmatic soldier-turned-politician. Damien is initially reluctant to join the fight, but an innate sense of justice drives him to abandon a promising future as a doctor to be a guerilla fighter.
It is evident where Loach's sympathies lie. Along with long-time collaborator, screenwriter Paul Laverty, Loach paints a stark portrait of the brutality of the Black and Tans, the British irregulars who exercise their power with casual callousness.
Their easy doling out of physical punishments, the adult version of vicious schoolyard bullying, convinces Damien that repaying savagery with savagery is the way to go.
But that is a slippery slope, as he discovers, when the fight against the British turns into civil strife after the controversial Anglo-Irish treaty is signed.
The treaty established an Irish free state which nonetheless remained a British dominion. This caused an ideological split between the Irish who believed the political compromise was the way to go and those who thought complete independence was the only acceptable outcome.
What looks like a very small film about a very specific historical episode takes on universal resonances thanks to Laverty's intelligent script, Loach's understated direction and a raft of beautiful performances from a sterling ensemble cast.
The film, which won the coveted Golden Palm at last year's Cannes film festival, has moments which border on genre cliches.
The Black and Tans attack innocent civilians and torture prisoners in scenes reminiscent of Nazi villainy in a dozen World War II films. But Loach, aided by cinematographer Barry Ackroyd's Vermeer-like compositions and lighting, reins in the melodrama with understatement.
And he draws superb performances from his cast. Murphy's pale blue eyes are liquidly expressive, shading from youthful idealism to an almost fanatic martyrdom.
Another stand-out is Liam Cunningham, who looks like a more youthful version of French actor Jean Reno, as Dan, a train driver-turned-political activist.
Those actors help convey the immediacy of people who are fighting for not just a political cause but also the very real purpose of alleviating suffering. The lack of a happy ending - instead of independence, there is civil war - is a vivid warning for idealists and martyrs alike that conviction can divide as well as unite people.
This film yields a rich harvest for those looking for a more thought-provoking offering this blockbuster season. -
MCT:June 22, 2008
irelands fight for independence from the u.k in 1919, focusing on the working class irish coming forward to gorilla fight, on there own turf against british forces patroling ireland. a interesting look at politics going on at the time, how the irish were frustrated by laws being put into place, and wanting to create there own, cillian murthy is one fighter, as we watch him grow, and watch as movement grows. a vital part in irelands independence from the u.k, but what is to follow in many years to come, with the rise of the i.r.a, in it many forms,
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MCT:June 15, 2008Moving says it all in one word, But first film I have rated that high and not added it to my Favorite Films list. If you have 2 plus hours sit down and enjoy some of the younest fine acting you will see today.
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MCT:June 9, 2008I hate sad movies, but I love Cillian Murphy so I had to watch this. The whole movie is sad and it's horrifying that people actually went through these struggles. I can only imagine how much it would mess you up to kill brothers and life long friends because of your belief in a cause above all else. The ending was especially hard to watch.
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MCT:June 4, 2008When I heard about it at first, I honestly thought it sounded like a snooze fest, but I was surprised to find that I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was so painful to see the English murder and torture the Irish, but it was a beautiful film too. It was a very well cast movie.
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nah not into war films that much anymore who wants to see peeps kill each other over something as minute as how you worship the same god
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MCT:May 23, 2008
A very powerful film about two brothers struggling against British rule in early 1920's Ireland. Brilliant acting by the whole cast.
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MCT:May 6, 2008
irish people serch for their freedom, to be free from england! the story about a couple of brother who fight about what they believe and trust the most!
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MCT:May 5, 2008
The struggle of Irish people to obtain their freedom is not a new subject in the vast film universe, and Ken Loach approaches it in an honest and correct way. The story shows all the suffering, sweat, blood and tears without any ornament. the ending is moving, and profoundly bitter.
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MCT:April 11, 2008
The most irish film I have ever seen. Cillian Murphy is perfect in quite an epic drama which will really fuck with your head- it is just so heavy and draining but still very good, well-scripted and gripping and some beautiful visuals forgive its length. But all in all, very irish...
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MCT:April 7, 2008
Recommend you see this if only to become aware of the truth of what the Irish had to experience during the British occupation.
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MCT:March 29, 2008
Moving story about two brothers fighting the English in the IRA in 1919. I definately recommend this one if you're interested in Ireland and nicely done war movies.
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MCT:March 27, 2008Strikingly realistic portrayal of tempers flaring and causing people to get stupid and escalate violence, sometimes for no reason. A great movie that I just didn't gel with.
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MCT:March 19, 2008
I didn't even know this happened so recently. Good cast, and interesting for the first half. The second half I started to wander my eyes around the living room. I liked that this movie actually has people stutter and mess up words but do it realistically and without drawing attention to itself. Most movies everyone speaks perfectly.
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Comments
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GoodPossumposted 240 days ago -
I absolutely love this movie. Cillian's performance was discustingly wonderful! bahaha i cried when he died. =(
69 thumbs up!posted 252 days ago -
The Black and tans: the british government sent ex-squaddies across to Ireland to help the RIC in their work. Many black and tans units terrorised Irish communities - This film is about this very subject and Ireland striving for independence. . Im a strong believer in violence breeds voilence and I think so is this film. * Peace
posted 578 days ago -
if you are the type of person who thinks that the british occupation of Ireland wasn't to bad watch this film. It is produced by an English company (they are hardly going to make the occupation any worse are they?)
posted 647 days ago -
this is my favoirite movie EVER its the best movie in the world and screw anybody who does'nt like it
posted 669 days ago -
Amazing film!!!I loved it. It annoys me the way people go on about how anti-british it is when it's not. It's simply portraying the facts about how the irish were treated by the administration at that time, that doesn't mean it's anti the british people. I think it got such a bad reaction in Britain because british kids are'nt taught that part of their history in school which is a shame really. The film made me really proud to be irish!!
posted 716 days ago
