During the World War 1 years, the Irish lads were used to carry oats and barley as provisions in the battlefields. In the poem titled 'The Wind that Shakes the Barley', a young Irish lad bemoans the fact that he would have to sacrifice his true love for the love of his motherland but he must take pride in the fact that he is serving Her. In the film by the same name, the titular character Damien O' Donovan, played superbly by Cillian Murphy, says "When I wanted to serve diligently the Irish people in the war against Britishers, they didn't take me in. Now I don't like it but I cannot quit". Damien O' Donovan didn't want to serve anymore in the war not because he was tired of it or afraid of dying but simply because his own brethren defeated the purpose of the war he so personally fought. He was a brilliant medical student and could have ended up being one of the finest doctors practising in London but he succumbed to the vagaries of the war. He didn't like it but he had to like it. He, in the end, dies.
Irish freedom movement, unlike ours, is fraught with historical facts manipulated and falsified. Some considers Michael Collins it's hero, others Eamon De Valera. Both were top leaders of Sinn Finn Party that won the majority in Irish Elections of 1921. But Britishers denied it's authenticity and having always considered Irish 'rogue and rough' people, imposed themselves some more upon them. Irish Revolutionary Army (IRA) retaliated in kind and a violent movement for a sovereign, free Irish State Started. Britishers were thoroughly outmaneuvered by Irish in this Guirella war for freedom and thus invited Michael Collins and other Sinn Finn leaders to negotiate a truce. Truce was successfully achieved but not the promise of a sovereign Irish state. Instead, it was awarded a 'British Dominion' Status. For many unionist and British Sympathizers as well as Church, it was a deal worth taking because when you sit across the likes of vicious people such as Chamberlain and Churchill in a room to negotiate, you don't win much and what they offered here was still quite something and indicative of Irish resistance. But for a passionate patriot like Damien O' Donovan, it was a betrayal of a promise for which he sacrificed everything. His own brother, Teddy O' Donovan, supported the treaty, being previously the wrecker-in-chief for IRA and that really hurt Damien. Moreover, in order to save the treaty and keep the Britishers at Bay and not having them back again on Irish soil, the likes of Teddy O' Donovan became the police who hunted down their own loyalists so that they couldn't go against them and the Britishers. What we see in final moments of the film is poignant portraits of two siblings who are quite torn apart from inside and really don't know whether they are right in themselves. Teddy catches Damien in a minor revolutionary scuffle and according to law, imprison him. He asks him for address of his weapon pile and Rory's, the new leader of local movement after Teddy's abandonment of the post. Damien, now having become a true revolutionary and patriot, denies having any information of note. Teddy decides to hang him next morning and finally hangs Damien. The purpose of the war is defeated for both of them. One has lost his beloved kid brother for the sake of peace, other the dream of seeing his country 'totally' free of Britishers......
The Wind that Shakes the Barley won the top award at Cannes 2006 when it premiered there and the reasons will be obvious to you when you watch it. It's unlike many other great war films and but it is still one of the finest war films made in this millennium. It leaves you thinking hard and then with a feeling of numbness. For me, that was enough!!!!
Irish freedom movement, unlike ours, is fraught with historical facts manipulated and falsified. Some considers Michael Collins it's hero, others Eamon De Valera. Both were top leaders of Sinn Finn Party that won the majority in Irish Elections of 1921. But Britishers denied it's authenticity and having always considered Irish 'rogue and rough' people, imposed themselves some more upon them. Irish Revolutionary Army (IRA) retaliated in kind and a violent movement for a sovereign, free Irish State Started. Britishers were thoroughly outmaneuvered by Irish in this Guirella war for freedom and thus invited Michael Collins and other Sinn Finn leaders to negotiate a truce. Truce was successfully achieved but not the promise of a sovereign Irish state. Instead, it was awarded a 'British Dominion' Status. For many unionist and British Sympathizers as well as Church, it was a deal worth taking because when you sit across the likes of vicious people such as Chamberlain and Churchill in a room to negotiate, you don't win much and what they offered here was still quite something and indicative of Irish resistance. But for a passionate patriot like Damien O' Donovan, it was a betrayal of a promise for which he sacrificed everything. His own brother, Teddy O' Donovan, supported the treaty, being previously the wrecker-in-chief for IRA and that really hurt Damien. Moreover, in order to save the treaty and keep the Britishers at Bay and not having them back again on Irish soil, the likes of Teddy O' Donovan became the police who hunted down their own loyalists so that they couldn't go against them and the Britishers. What we see in final moments of the film is poignant portraits of two siblings who are quite torn apart from inside and really don't know whether they are right in themselves. Teddy catches Damien in a minor revolutionary scuffle and according to law, imprison him. He asks him for address of his weapon pile and Rory's, the new leader of local movement after Teddy's abandonment of the post. Damien, now having become a true revolutionary and patriot, denies having any information of note. Teddy decides to hang him next morning and finally hangs Damien. The purpose of the war is defeated for both of them. One has lost his beloved kid brother for the sake of peace, other the dream of seeing his country 'totally' free of Britishers......
The Wind that Shakes the Barley won the top award at Cannes 2006 when it premiered there and the reasons will be obvious to you when you watch it. It's unlike many other great war films and but it is still one of the finest war films made in this millennium. It leaves you thinking hard and then with a feeling of numbness. For me, that was enough!!!!
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