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Tokolosh · 11.20.2006, 04:31 AM

I watched The Wind That Shakes the Barley last night. Brilliant!
I really enjoyed it. The name is borrowed from an Irish ballad written by Robert Dwyer Joyce (1836-1883),
a Limerick born poet and professor of English literature.

Synopsis:

Damien (Cillian Murphy) is about to leave Ireland for his medical studies in London, while his brother Teddy is an active member of the Irish Republican Army. After witnessing an act of resistance to the daily violence of the Black and Tans, he decides to stay and fight back against the English occupation, and joins the IRA in a guerilla war against British paramilitary forces. When the peace treaty is agreed, the two brothers find themselves pitted against one another: Teddy, who is involved in the organisation of the new Irish Free State, wishes everyone to support peace; Damien, however, deems that this peace treaty is not what he has fought for, and that it will 'only change the colour of the flag', the oppressed remaining so while the elite is replaced. This is the outbreak of the Irish Civil War, when the men in a uniform are now Irish.
In a bid to impose their view on the treaty, both the Irish Free State army and the anti-treaty IRA resort to the same violent means that were used previously by the occupation army and the guerilla, with the violence now directed towards former comrades, and atrocities are committed on both sides. At the end of the film, Damien is about to be executed by the Irish Free State army. Teddy offers to release him if he reveals where the IRA stores their weapons; Damien refuses, and is executed by a firing squad commanded by Teddy.
Laverty has explained that many of the incidents in the film are based on true incidents. Presumably some of the characters are composites; Teddy has similarities with Tom Barry (although he fought on the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War), as the ambush in the film is clearly based on the legendary Kilmichael Ambush. Damien has similarities with two people who gave up their medical studies to join the IRA: Ernie O'Malley, who wrote one of the best known personal histories of the conflict, On Another Man's Wound, and Paddy O'Sullivan, whose brother Micheál wrote a book about the war, Where Mountainy Men Have Sown. Allusion is also made to the atrocities of the civil war era.
Wikipedia

What I love about Ken Loach movies, is the way he pursues stories of social struggle.
Almost all his films deal with a so-called 'social evil' as Loach would describe it.
I've seen:

Ladybird Ladybird
Hidden Agenda
Sweet sixteen
Kes
Land and freedom (one of my favs up until now)
The Wind That Shakes the Barley (yesterday)

Any other recommendations?

11.20.2006, 04:31 AM	#1
Tokolosh invito al cielo Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Plaza de Toros Posts: 6,731	I watched The Wind That Shakes the Barley last night. Brilliant! I really enjoyed it. The name is borrowed from an Irish ballad written by Robert Dwyer Joyce (1836-1883), a Limerick born poet and professor of English literature. Synopsis: Damien (Cillian Murphy) is about to leave Ireland for his medical studies in London, while his brother Teddy is an active member of the Irish Republican Army. After witnessing an act of resistance to the daily violence of the Black and Tans, he decides to stay and fight back against the English occupation, and joins the IRA in a guerilla war against British paramilitary forces. When the peace treaty is agreed, the two brothers find themselves pitted against one another: Teddy, who is involved in the organisation of the new Irish Free State, wishes everyone to support peace; Damien, however, deems that this peace treaty is not what he has fought for, and that it will 'only change the colour of the flag', the oppressed remaining so while the elite is replaced. This is the outbreak of the Irish Civil War, when the men in a uniform are now Irish. In a bid to impose their view on the treaty, both the Irish Free State army and the anti-treaty IRA resort to the same violent means that were used previously by the occupation army and the guerilla, with the violence now directed towards former comrades, and atrocities are committed on both sides. At the end of the film, Damien is about to be executed by the Irish Free State army. Teddy offers to release him if he reveals where the IRA stores their weapons; Damien refuses, and is executed by a firing squad commanded by Teddy. Laverty has explained that many of the incidents in the film are based on true incidents. Presumably some of the characters are composites; Teddy has similarities with Tom Barry (although he fought on the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War), as the ambush in the film is clearly based on the legendary Kilmichael Ambush. Damien has similarities with two people who gave up their medical studies to join the IRA: Ernie O'Malley, who wrote one of the best known personal histories of the conflict, On Another Man's Wound, and Paddy O'Sullivan, whose brother Micheál wrote a book about the war, Where Mountainy Men Have Sown. Allusion is also made to the atrocities of the civil war era. Wikipedia What I love about Ken Loach movies, is the way he pursues stories of social struggle. Almost all his films deal with a so-called 'social evil' as Loach would describe it. I've seen: Ladybird Ladybird Hidden Agenda Sweet sixteen Kes Land and freedom (one of my favs up until now) The Wind That Shakes the Barley (yesterday) Any other recommendations?
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