The Wind That Shakes The Barley [2006]

See Larger Image	List Price: £15.99 Our Price: £4.98 Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours Manufacturer: Pathe Distribution Starring: Cillian Murphy, Liam Cunningham, William Ruane, Padraic Delaney, Orla Fitzgerald Directed By: Ken Loach Average Customer Rating:


Audience Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Binding: DVD EAN: 5060002835821 Format: PAL Label: Pathe Distribution Manufacturer: Pathe Distribution Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Pathe Distribution Region Code: 2 Release Date: 2007-11-26 Running Time: 122 Studio: Pathe Distribution Theatrical Release Date: 2006
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Editorial Reviews: Winner of the Palme d'Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, this gripping drama by Ken Loach (Raining Stones) is set during the early days of the Irish Republican Army, when British occupation of the Irish radicalised many a citizen and caused some to take up arms. Cillian Murphy plays Damien, a medical student on his way to London when he witnesses a couple of atrocities committed by British troops. Instead of becoming a doctor, he turns into a leading and respected figure in an IRA division led by his brother, Teddy (Padraic Delaney). The film provides some fascinating historical insight into the nascent resistance movement as it was in 1920, and Loach brilliantly conveys the profound emotional transition young men had to make to become saboteurs and killers. Loach's realistic style is absolutely mesmerizing, with many scenes built around the dynamics of large groups: contentious meetings, torture sessions, battles, celebrations, and the like. One has the sense of history as a pool of energy, and one also develops a kind of Renoir-esque appreciation for the fact that different people on opposing sides of a life-or-death issue have their reasons for believing what they believe. As the story moves along, subtle shifts in the perspectives of men and women who had once agreed to be absolute in their fight for freedom results in a tragic yet understandable schism among Irish patriots. The final half-hour of The Wind That Shakes The Barley says a lot about how the Irish, including people who had known one another all their lives, turned their wrath on one another for so many decades. This is an outstanding film, featuring the best performance yet by Murphy (Red Eye). --Tom Keogh
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: "I've crossed the line now...." Comment: Ken Loach brings us a slice of surprisingly recent history with this story of two brothers and their involvement in the Irish liberation movement of the early 20th Century. Instead of focussing solely on the historical events, Loach does what he does best and brings us a very personal account of the beginnings of the IRA. We get to see a group with a noble goal split asunder as talk of compromise quickly divides a people united. There's no patronising obvious groups of `goodies' and `baddies'; we are presented with a society ravaged by the maniacal oppression at the hands of the British military, but a hint is given of the horrors the British army have faced in their recent past - an excuse (thought not a justification) of the psychopathic abuse they dish out. The band of heroes soon appear less heroic as a unified ideal becomes a series of distinctly different visions of Ireland's future. Gripping from the start with characters you can believe in, you feel you know more about the conflict after watching this film. In nutshell: Gripping from the start with characters you can believe in. History in the making - you feel you know more about the Irish conflict after watching this film. It's hard to believe that this conflict could be happening so soon after "the war to end all wars", but Ken Loach shows us how everyday life was unacceptably interrupted and harassed by the British army, and leaves us to make up our own minds as to how effective the resistance was in making life better. A story which still resonates strongly today, and perhaps will do for generations to come. Customer Rating: Summary: The Wind that Shakes the Barley Comment: Really interesting film showing the occupation by the Black & Tans of Ireland in the 1920. Realistic portrayal of the feeling against the British. Enjoyed very much, but then the DVD bought through Amazon was faulty and it stopped after about an hour. This happened also on my friend's DVD player. Customer Rating: Summary: Not just an Irish tale Comment: I gave this four rather than five stars because there are a number of pretty predictable and perhaps haggard cinematic plotlines here, history repeating itself etc. It is an interesting portrayal of two brothers with diverging political positions, one at first reluctant to adopt armed struggle and eventually reluctant to abandon it, while the other is precisely the opposite, one allied to the new authorities and the other very much the opposite. Its also more than a snap shot of Irish history from the time of the independence struggle against British soldiers and Black and Tans to the time of the Irish civil war. A lot of the violence and persecution, which isnt all on behalf of the British authorities either before or after their withdrawal from the country, is realistic and it never lapses into a cinematic actioner. This is very much a Ken Loch film, lots of committee room scenes with sparring orators discussing and debating all points of the equation, circumstances or events trap individuals, there's dilemmas, irony and crisis of conscience aplenty. There's also no shortage of pragmatic/realpolitik versus entrenchment/retrenchment/idealpolitik dilemmas too. Which I imagine is the stuff of late night early morning debate or discussion sessions amongst a core of Ken Loach's viewing public and media or arts students too. Giving credit where it's due this is much, much better than Loach's movie about the Spanish Civil War, the dilemmas are more convincing and while Loach's own sympathies are pretty clear, I would say so anyway, the story arch doesnt suffer so much from a feeling of soapbox politics. Customer Rating: Summary: A powerful and amazing film Comment: This is a fine piece of drama. It's sad, moving, stirring, involving and thought provoking. It has some very harrowing presentations of the two wars involved, and it can stand against the best war films ever made. A truly excellent film. Customer Rating: Summary: Five stars. Comment: The Wind that Shakes the Barley follows the life of two young Irish brithers who are fighting for the IRA to win back freedom for their country. Damien (Cillian Murphy) has just finished is qualifications to be a doctor but is persuaded to join the small group of rebels, by his brother Teddy (Padraic Delany). But as different ideas of what a free Ireland is, turns into a civil war, the brothers are torn apart and families are turned aginst one another. The acting in this film is very good (if not a little shouty in places), especially as most of them are volunteers. The story portrays a very realistic 1920's Ireland and the perminantly grey weather throughout strengthens that point. Cillian Murphy, Liam Cunningham and Padraic Delaney do well in their roles as the Irish rebels. Ken Loach creates a film of depth and meaning and help you understand the troubles of what Irelnad went through. Loach has not created an Anti-British film, as some critics suggest, just shown it through the eyes of an Irishman who would obviuosly hate them. Overall, A very good film. 8.5/10 More Reviews