| Rating: | ★★★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Drama |
I won't say much, or spoil the plot, it would just be adding my opinion to the variety of opinions on the subject that we already have in this group. Suffice to say it's based on a true story, set in Belfast and the hero is a Special Branch supergrass who infiltrates the IRA... or is he an IRA member who is recruited by Special Branch? It's definitely leaning in favour of the British establishment, but it does show the anger of the common Irish people at the occupation by British troops. It definitely portrays the IRA as terrorists and gangsters, no room for doubt in that. And it illustrates how the troubles tore families apart and took brothers, sons and husbands away from their loved ones.
Whatever your view of this nugget of history, if you're politically minded enough to be reading this, then this film is worth your time. Contains graphic scenes of violence, rioting and torture.
Pigeon recommends.
I remember "In the name of the father", yes. So I guess I'd like this a lot too. Thanks.
AntwortenLöschenAn afterthought...
AntwortenLöschenNowadays it's all Islam vs The West, and the battlefield seems to be the Middle East and Asia... not forgetting the infighting between different denominations within Islam. During the era of the Cold War, this 38 year occupation of Northern Ireland by British Armed Forces, as you know, centred around the Catholic / Protestant divide and people's inability to get along peacefully, always finding some ideology or territory to disagree and fight over. Over generations it becomes programmed in, to hate 'them'... pushing aside all intricacies and details, it's just a tale of man's inhumanity to man, same as any other tribal dispute. If the situation were not manipulated by the agendas of loyalists, seperatists, governments, armies and militias... perhaps people could and would co-exist happily side by side?
Aside normal quarrels in the neighborhood, yes. I remember when I was a child the old people still were talking about France as a hereditary enemy, when Adenauer and de Gaulle founded the French-German friendship. England and Germany were enemies at well. Now the European nations have a lot of profit from peace and regular relations. But even here are still some inveterate resentments and incorrigible agitators.
AntwortenLöschenWere you being deliberately provocative with that statement?
AntwortenLöschenThe British armed forces went over there for what was supposed to be weeks, and stayed 38 years. The film says so. No, I wasn't being provocative. I used the word 'occupation', because that's what I'd call it when you have armed soldiers walking the streets, a peacekeeping force or not. Last thing I want to do with this is poke the fire. I'm English, so I'd rather not choose one opinion or the other, and try and look at from the fence, as objectively as I can. I wasn't there, so my opinion isn't that important, but I'm sure many of the Irish people who were, saw it as an 'occupation'.
AntwortenLöschenIt's Catholics and Protestants in any case, and I've no time for either.
AntwortenLöschenHow can it be an occupation of your own country?
AntwortenLöschenHence the debate... Irish Republicans v Loyalists
AntwortenLöschenWhen you have soldiers patrolling the streets of parts of their own country they cannot be called an occupying force by anyone other than those opposed to the political status quo. The British Army were originally welcomed by the Catholic population.
AntwortenLöschenThey were no more occupiers than the U.S. National Guard were when they were called on to patrol the streets of Orleans after Katrina.
Ok, point taken. I guess I do disagree with the political status quo. While I wouldn't engage in terrorism for it, I guess I sympathise with the belief that Northern Ireland should be part of Eire. Makes geographical sense to me. Scotland too, if the majority of Scots want it, let them have devolution.
AntwortenLöschenOf the possibility of Georgia joining the EU, Gorbachev referred to the Caucasus in general as belonging to a Russian, historically, politically and geographically, sphere of influence, not a European one. I think he was right, whatever the people of Chechnya or South Ossetia may want. In Britain's case, it's just the crumbling of the old empire. I hope 'Great' Britain falls apart sooner or later. The Irish want to be Ireland... let them be. Why the interest in Northern Ireland anyway? Have they got oil? I know Scotland has. Why not give the loyalist Protestants council houses in Manchester and be done with it? The hate runs through generations... its just tribalism. Politically, NI is British. But only politically. I can't argue that you're wrong, but I still choose not to agree.