http://commentarytrack.com/2007/05/28/review-the-wind-that-shakes-the-barley-2007/ movie reviews, news and discussion Sun, 20 May 2012 05:18:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://commentarytrack.com/2007/05/28/review-the-wind-that-shakes-the-barley-2007/#comment-239 Miriam Sat, 23 Jun 2007 23:59:49 +0000 http://commentarytrack.com/2007/05/28/review-the-wind-that-shakes-the-barley-2007/#comment-239 The historical problem film is a tough genre. I don't think I've ever seen a better example than this one. The movie is gorgeous to look at which is a marvelous bonus, but its strength is the clear even-handed presentation of the intellectual origins of a century of Irish "troubles". It's the division between the Irish characters, not the conflict with the British, that is the dramatic core. It was full of talk and there were too many characters to know any well, but the talk was as passionate as the gunplay and carried me more deeply into their lives than I realized. The surge of intense emotion I felt at the conclusion took me by surprise. It is inevitably tragic when people try to settle political disagreements by killing each other. The final scene between the brothers is bitterly ironic if you know how the next few years play out. Both of them are right; the social status quo is maintained and the treaty is renegotiated to achieve complete independence for the Republic. In fact, some in the anti-treaty faction participate in elections and adopt the gradualist approach which eventually succeeds. Of course, not all of them do and you get the IRA - but that's another movie. I The historical problem film is a tough genre. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better example than this one. The movie is gorgeous to look at which is a marvelous bonus, but its strength is the clear even-handed presentation of the intellectual origins of a century of Irish “troubles”. It’s the division between the Irish characters, not the conflict with the British, that is the dramatic core.
It was full of talk and there were too many characters to know any well, but the talk was as passionate as the gunplay and carried me more deeply into their lives than I realized. The surge of intense emotion I felt at the conclusion took me by surprise.
It is inevitably tragic when people try to settle political disagreements by killing each other. The final scene between the brothers is bitterly ironic if you know how the next few years play out. Both of them are right; the social status quo is maintained and the treaty is renegotiated to achieve complete independence for the Republic. In fact, some in the anti-treaty faction participate in elections and adopt the gradualist approach which eventually succeeds. Of course, not all of them do and you get the IRA – but that’s another movie.
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