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Two brothers are caught on differing sides of the battle for Irish freedom in this politically minded historical drama from veteran British filmmaker Ken Loach. It's 1920, and Damien O'Donovan (Cillian Murphy) has recently graduated from medical school. Damien plans to leave the small village in Ireland where he was born to take a job in London, much to the annoyance of his brother Teddy (Padraic Delaney), who is an Irish loyalist and wants to see the British stripped of their rule of his land. While visiting Peggy (Mary Riordan), a longtime friend of the family, Damien and Teddy witness a visit by "Black and Tans," British soldiers who supposedly keep the peace in Ireland; the soldiers turn violent and murder Michaeil (Lawrence Barry), Peggy's grandson, when they discover he only speaks Gaelic. Damien is radicalized by the event, and with Teddy joins the local chapter of the Irish Republican Army, who use violence to drive British troops out of the country. While the IRA is a poor and ill-equipped fighting force, their willingness to give their lives for their cause is taken very seriously by the British, who step up their reprisals against the locals; the Black and Tans even begin directing their violence and torture against women and children, including Damien's girlfriend, Sinead (Orla Fitzgerald). In 1921, Britain attempts to end the violence in Ireland by creating the Irish Free State, a compromise government which will give the Irish greater autonomy while Great Britain still retains final political control of the nation. Teddy sees this as a victory and believes it's an important first step to a truly free Ireland, but Damien sees the IRA's goal as nothing short of complete independence, and the brothers and allies soon become rivals in a battle neither side can win. The Wind That Shakes the Barley received the Golden Palm award as Best Picture at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A golden Palm well earned!,
By
This review is from: The Wind That Shakes the Barley (DVD)
I don't think I've seen a movie that touch me more then The Wind that shakes the Barley this year. Ken Loach delivers nothing less than a masterpiece of cinema and history. It's a hard and poignant movie! Great acting, wonderfull picture make this movie (in my opinion) the best golden palm since Elephant without a doubt and maybe more!
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply fantastic,
By S. Gale (Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Wind That Shakes the Barley (DVD)
I can not say enough good things about this film. Solid cast, good script, beautifull cinematography...you cant go wrong. Cillian Murphy really shines throughout.
8 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Poignant Reminder of Where Violence Ends!,
By Ian Gordon Malcomson (Victoria, BC) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME) (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Wind That Shakes the Barley (DVD)
As I watched this latest film on the Irish Civil War of the 1920s, I was once again reminded how easy it is for some to allow politics and the rule of the gun dominate their lives. The story, in this case, is a simple one of a family split over the critical issue of whether Ireland should accept the terms of the 1921 Truce. In typical cinematic fashion, this disagreement will result in the most tragic of circumstances of a brother being compelled to kill his younger sibling. While that kind of drama is always very riveting, the movie offered something else that spoke to my very being: the use of violence on behalf of a political cause has never achieved personal peace or social stability. As Christ admonished Peter in the Garden of Gethsamne, those who persist in taking up the sword will likely die by it. Then why is modern history - especially the Irelands of this world - full of people so intent on pursuing this self-destructive exercise? Is the lust for- and practice of - violence such an opiate for its operators that it dulls those sensibilities that are critical to the preservation of life? The awful and senseless conclusion to this production certainly makes that point in spadefuls.
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