The Wind that Shakes the Barley

Saturday at noon at the Elgin. No stars but we're all smiles.

This moving and beautifully shot film packs an emotional wallop. Cillian Murphy is a doctor, Damien, who is set to leave for London where he will work in a hospital. Before Damien leaves, he and his family suffer a bloody attack by the occupying British army and the soldiers also terrorize the driver of his train at the station so he forsakes his trip and joins his friends in the grass roots Irish Republican Army (IRA). The rag tag lot begins training and starts securing arms and executing bloody attacks on the soldiers in their midst. The soldiers retaliate and Damien's family is often the target. It is powerful to watch the women, including his grandmother, try to stand up to these soldiers.

The rift between the brothers comes to a head when a peace treaty is signed which creates a separate parliament for the republic of Ireland and calls for the removal of British troops. These political gains were not enough for Damien and several of the IRA members because the attached conditions were unacceptable: citizens must swear an oath of allegiance to the King and be subject to a Governor General. Teddy and Damien cannot reconcile their opposing positions and the conflict between the brothers escalates to a tragic end.

This movie was tough but touching to watch and Cillian Murphy turns in an excellent performance as Damien O'Donovan. By shining the light on this historical conflict in Ireland (which persists to this day), Director Ken Loach illuminates the tragedy and futility of current political and military conflicts. MMMMM