ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies

VETERAN DIRECTOR Ken Loach is no stranger to controversy. His social conscience and left-wing beliefs have created unforgettable films, but incensed those who do not share his view of the world.

‘The Wind That Shakes The Barley’ won the Palme D’Or at Cannes but has stirred up a hornet’s nest of criticism for its brutal depiction of the British presence in 1920s Ireland. It is a powerful tale of the way injustice inspired a generation willing to die for a cause.

Versatile Irish actor Cillian Murphy stars as Damien, an idealistic young man who has studied to become a doctor. Like many educated Irishmen, he is intent on leaving his homeland to begin a new life in London.

When British troops disrupt an innocent afternoon of sport, a teenage boy is beaten to death and Damien decides he cannot walk away from the situation. He joins his brother Teddy (Padriac Delaney) and pledges himself to fight for Irish independence.

Screenwriter Paul Laverty depicts the way a man who has trained to save lives becomes a freedom fighter who sees no option but to shed blood. Once he commits himself to the cause, Damien is willing to kill and die.

A martyr is born from the unjust actions of a brutal oppressor, and Cillian Murphy makes us feel the pain of a tortured, guilt-ridden soul who feels there is no alternative way to save Ireland.

‘The Wind That Shakes The Barley’ is not a subtle film, with the English troops being depicted as black-hearted monsters. It is a very one-sided history lesson, but it finds a human heart in Damien’s story, and his growing conflicts with his brother build to a deeply moving climax.

Nationwide release
Director: Ken Loach
Stars: Cillian Murphy,Padraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham, Gerard Kearney
Screenwriter: Paul Laverty
Certificate: 15
Running time: 124 mins
Country: UK
Year: 2006

© Allan Hunter, 2006