The Wind That Shakes the Barley - NR
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this 1920s-set drama about the IRA will probably only interest older teens with an interest in history, since its mature subject matter includes dire violence and political discussion. The battle scenes include shootings and grenade explosions; bodies are explicitly injured, broken, and bloodied. Characters are tortured (screaming and beating sounds come from off screen, and fingernails are pulled out on screen) and executed via gunshots to the head and firing squad. A brief, tender, non-explicit love scene is mostly filmed in the shadows. British soldiers burn a house and beat up a young woman and cut off her hair. Brothers and friends have increasingly tense, loud arguments. Lots of cigarette smoking and plenty of swearing ("f--k," "s--te," "arse," etc.).
Families can talk about the IRA conflict. How does the film portray its beginnings? Does it provide a different perspective on it? Another good discussion would be to explore the conflict that develops between the O'Donovan brothers. How do their different loyalties take them in different directions? How do their experiences affect their political ideals?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Cynthia Fuchs
When director Ken Loach accepted the Palme d'Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, he said, "Maybe if we tell the truth about the past, we tell the truth about the present." This hope works in several ways in his movie THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY. As it tells the story of two Irish brothers caught up in the beginnings of the IRA (Irish Republican Army), the film also shows the many costs of war and oppression for fighters on all sides. Viewers may well interpret it as an indictment of British colonialism -- as well an allegory for the United States' war in Iraq.
The movie begins in 1920 with a sign of what's to come: Just as some lads in County Cork are done with their "hurling" match, they're accosted by a squad of Black and Tans (British occupying soldiers), who insist that the game constitutes a breach of the Defence of the Realm Act, which bans "public meetings." Two brothers -- medical student Damien (Cillian Murphy) and Teddy (Padraic Delaney) -- watch in horror as the soldiers assault a friend who refuses to say his name in English instead of Gaelic: He's dragged inside a barn, tied to a post, and beaten until he's dead. Damien had planned to return to London to continue his studies, but this and another incident convince him to take the IRA's oath of loyalty.
The film -- thoughtful, passionate, and beautifully made -- follows the young men's diligent training, heated discussions, and acts of violence (some go as planned, others don't), as well as their capture by the British forces. Though they make a last-minute escape, they're forced to leave a few members behind, so they swear vengeance. Damien, the most reluctant warrior, executes two informants; the ordeal leaves him scarred and angry -- he hates what he's become even though he believes in the cause of the Irish Free State. When he and his fellows begin to argue over tactics -- some believe their internal system of government too closely resembles the British one -- the group begins to fragment.
The Dec. 1921 signing of the Anglo-Irish peace treaty (which maintained Ireland as a dominion of the British Empire) breaks them apart completely. Teddy aligns himself with Michael Collins and the Loyalists (now "armed and uniformed by the British state") and Damien continues to fight. Ultimately, their split -- like that of their country -- leads to tragedy for both.
Fans might enjoy other films about the Irish pursuit of freedom, including John Ford's The Informer, Jim Sheridan's The Boxer, Paul Greengrass' Bloody Sunday, and Terry George's Some Mother's Son. Or try Land and Freedom, about a young Brit who joins the war against fascism in 1936 Spain.
Rate It!
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual ContentBrief sex scene between the film's only couple is shot in shadows and accompanied by romantic piano. |
 |
|||
ViolenceWeapons include guns, knives, grenades, and pliers (for pulling out fingernails); battle scenes show injuries and bloody bodies; the films IRA heroes are shot at, tortured, and imprisoned by British soldiers -- their acts of vengeance, however righteous, never lead to victory, as they suffer emotionally afterward and the British maintain dominion. |
 |
|||
LanguageLots of angry language, including more than 40 uses of "f--k," plus "s--t" and "s--te," "ass," "damn," "bastard," "bitch," and "whore." |
|
|||
Message |
 |
|||
Social BehaviorDifficult situations bring about difficult decisions: Violent acts, betrayals, and commitments come with terrible costs. |
 |
|||
Commercialism |
 |
|||
Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoYoung men smoke cigarettes repeatedly; in bar scenes and during political meetings, characters drink liquor and ale. |
|
|||
