The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)

Directed by Ken Loach. Starring Cillian Murphy, Pádraic Delaney, Orla Fitzgerald, Liam Cunningham, Roger Allam, Mary Murphy, John Crean, Damien Kearney, Laurence Barry, William Ruane.

Unromanticized approach to the Irish Civil War and War of Independence during the 1920s, pitting two brothers (Murphy, Delaney) first against their English oppressors, and then each other. Tight and straightforward by director Ken Loach’s standards, and written by frequent collaborator, Paul Laverty, it’s a fictional story against a backdrop of historical events and attitudes, and attempts no saber-rattling or contemporary parallels. In fact, the situational specifics are gleaned off-hand, as the characterizations avoid inflammatory back stories and definable color, and although the furor is intensely political, audience members without a working knowledge of the conflict’s roots are bound to be left in the dark over what the fuss was really about. Verisimilitude is exquisite, however—it’s one of those period dramas you feel like you’re living in as the story unfolds—and the acting is sound without succumbing to flashy theatrics. A bit cold around the heart, but such is the penalty of revolution depicted with provocation switched to the tasteful and thoughtful settings. Title taken from Robert Dwyer Joyce’s ballad of the same name, which is set during the Irish rebellion at the tail end of the 18th century. Palme d’Or winner at Cannes.

75/100