>>REVIEW
THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY
STARRING Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delaney and Orla Fitzgerald
DIRECTED BY Ken Loach
Opens Friday, March 16
Uptown Screen
Comparisons between the story line of Ken Loach’s new film The Wind that Shakes the Barley and the war in Iraq are obvious and the socialist director makes no bones about this. In Loach’s 2006 Cannes film festival Palme d’Or winner, he attempts to show the hard-fought struggle during the Irish war for national independence, and the subsequent civil war between the Irish Free State army and IRA irregulars. Loach’s film is a well-crafted, intensely real look at the violence of war. The complexities of war are unflinchingly told through a series of small victories and battles fought by brothers Damien and Teddy in their journey to save their country from imperialism.
Damien is set to leave his small Irish village and set off to London to complete his medical studies when tragedy in his village forces him to take up arms and join the rebellion alongside his brother. The film shows the diversity of political discourse between the Irish and the British, and eventually between the Irish themselves, symbolically shown in the relationship between the two brothers. This is a tactic that can often appear melodramatic, but here the metaphor works. The violence that ensues is simply shown on a small and personal scale, giving more impact than any huge war scene ever could. This sets the film apart from many others about "the troubles." Loach achieves an overwhelming sense of silence with a sparse musical score that creates an eerie sense of contemplation. This silence is punctuated by deafening fight scenes adding even more dramatic impact to the serenity of the seemingly peaceful countryside.
Loach’s complex story works because he maintains a consistent air of spontaneity and realism throughout the film. The actors are often improvising, which serves as an interesting jolt of realism. Shot on location in Ireland with exclusively Irish actors, Loach says the film is a small step in attempting to get the British to confront their imperialistic past. Loach has unfortunately made his film so completely one-sided, often portraying the Brits as faceless, nameless brutes that at times it feels manipulative and didactic.
Problems aside, this film is full of intense storytelling, stunning cinematography and superb acting, making it one of the best films to come out of Ireland in recent history. |
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