The Wind That Shakes the Barley

Whoever wants to see a big colorful and artistically ambitious film about the formation of the Irish Republic, the history of the struggle for independence, the events surrounding its creation, and the most famous moments in the history of the Irish Republican Army, should watch Neil Jordan's Michael Collins. The Wind That Shakes the Barley is a typically small production that looks like it's made for TV, and if the viewer wants to compare it with epic blockbusters, they will inevitably be disappointed. To be honest, I don't really understand its victory at prestigious film festivals because, from an artistic point of view, it is not possible to consider this film a festival peak. Its value lies in something else. I see it as a quality historically analytical film that provides today's viewer with relatively distant historical events. It is, in a way, an acted documentary filmed from the position of a protagonist who stands on left-radical positions in the historical dispute over the nature of the newly emerging Irish state. I have nothing against that, as many so-called historical films prefer an impressive story over a sober and factually presented historical truth. In the case of this film, it doesn't make sense to assess the film in terms of entertainment or artistic catharsis. However, it accurately describes the mechanism of the political crisis, guerrilla warfare for independence, and the subsequent conflict between radical supporters of violent solutions and those who are able to understand reality and negotiate compromises. For me, it deserves 3.5 stars, which I am elevating to four after a short consideration. Overall impression: 70%. (31/05/2015)

When there’s talk of Czech national pride, a lot of people say that it was there when the Germans occupied us. However, watch this movie to try and imagine how scarred the average Irish national pride is. What was happening there in the 1920s was no less harsh and I’m not all that surprised that this pride and separation from the Great Britain is so prominent to this day. It will probably never be any different for some families. It’s just a shame that the movie was so terribly emotionless. It was shot with such a strange camerawork that it even seemed like the camera was absent in some situations. It had good moments, for sure, but I feel like a premise like this could have had way more of them. (11/07/2016)