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The Wind That Shakes The Barley
2006
A gripping drama from Ken Loach, The Wind That Shakes The Barley is the story of the Irish Civil War in the 1920's - a fight for freedom which saw the Irish Republican Army up against the occupying British forces. Workers from field and country unite to form volunteer guerrilla armies to face the ruthless "Black and Tan" .. Read more
| Starring | Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham |
|---|---|
| Director | Ken Loach |
| Genres | Drama |
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The Wind That Shakes The Barley
A gripping drama from Ken Loach, The Wind That Shakes The Barley is the story of the Irish Civil War in the 1920's - a fight for freedom which saw the Irish Republican Army up against the occupying British forces.
Workers from field and country unite to form volunteer guerrilla armies to face the ruthless "Black and Tan" squads that are being shipped from Britain to block Ireland's bid for independence. Driven by a deep sense of duty and a love for his country, Damien (Cillian Murphy), abandons his medical career and joins his brother Teddy (Padraic Delaney), in a dangerous and violent fight for freedom.
| Starring | Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham |
|---|---|
| Director | Ken Loach |
| Studio | PATHE UK |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 7 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | English |
| Released | DVD: 06 Nov 2006 Production year: 2006 |
| Format | DVD |
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Most helpful member's review
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120 out of 128 people found this review helpful
Ken's Loach's deadbeat tale of the struggles of 1920s Ireland
This is Ken Loach's interpretation of the struggle for independence in Ireland filtered through his now familiar socailist agenda. The gritty realism is still present but he uses frantic mobile camera work to express the skirmishes. The bang of guns are made all the more chilling by the lack of a background soundtack. Cillian Murphy gives a wonderfully mannered performance imbued with frustrated idealism. If there is a criticism to be made it is that Loach tries to encompass too much. At times the films portray of events can be too simplistic and one sided. The English never evolve beyond sterotypes but this can be percieved as a reaction to the sterotyping of the IRA and the Irish over the years as shown in films such as Austin Powers. Without a knowledge of the political and cultural climate in the 1920's Britain the viewer could become easily bewildred. However there is a rich emotional core to this film and the main protaginists are well crafted characters.
It is a hard and harrowing film but that is what it was like to live in Ireland at the time. Viewers need to look past their modern day perception of the IRA as a terroist party and appreciate the idealism and genuine rationality behind their stance. Obviously the Barley are the Irish people and the Wind is the English. The wind cannot last forever, although it will blow away some of the barley, the rest will remain and the seeds they lay will lead to the regrowth of the Barley field. Very much what has happened in a now fully independent Ireland. Loach has made a thought provoking and polticially charged drama which I would recommend to everyone. -
Most recent members' review
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5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Just couldn't get into it!
Tried several times to watch this film but I just couldn't get past the first 40 minutes or so. Maybe it's a really good film and I should have persevered but I couldn't be bothered.
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News and features
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Looking For Eric
- 11 Jun 2009
Right, so, first things first: Eric Cantona is actually IN this film – it’s not just footie footage, or some clever CGI jiggery-pokery to make it look like he was there. I rather doubt that director Ken Loach has much truck with all that computerised mucking about anyway. Because this is very definitely a Ken Loach film. There’s the kitchen-sink realism of Carla’s Song or My Name Is Joe and the unflinching script of The Wind That Shakes The Barley, as we meet Eric... Read more
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The Wind That Shakes The Barley
A gripping drama from Ken Loach, The Wind That Shakes The Barley is the story of the Irish Civil War in the 1920's - a fight for freedom which saw the Irish Republican Army up against the occupying British forces.
Workers from field and country unite to form volunteer guerrilla armies to ...
-