Best Irish movies

BlitzKrieg wrote:

To Sebthebum

points to mine and mycroft's posts on the question of irish film.


To mycroft.

It is interesting that in a similar idea to film genres (westerns sci fi etc) they tried to class films from certain countries are classified by reoccuring elements. For example i was recently reading over how they classify scottish films into 3 different groupings,

I'm just trying to remember the terms.

But one is defitnally Kailyard, which i believe can apply to any nation, but it currently seems to be considered a scottish film style. Kailyard is where the local 'backward' villagers outsmart the modern big city people.

I felt films like The Englishman who went up a hill and came down a mountain which is focused around ireland. Or Sweet Home Alabama which is in USA. These films i feel are kailyard but i am constantly put down by those damn lecturers who still argue against me that it is scottish only.

Interesting theory and I like your application, the Dukes of Hazard meets Chief O Hara theory of cultural stereotypes (I tells ya we're a decade late for the modern review co authoured article)

the other two i cant remember the terms, but one is focused around working class scotland and the other i *think* is the really fantasised historical scotland (like Braveheart).

Theres another the middle class worthy either the Cathal Black (korea) or the attempt to express an issue by someone who doesn't actually experience and is an attempt to empathise with three inches of plexiglass between them and their subject, or as a friend of mine was like to quote;

We make three films in this country

1. Cripples getting laid in the fifties

2. RA rebelions getting killed

3. Middle class middle life crisis.

The most confusing element of my film course last year was studying european cinema and film globalisation at the same time. One course was telling me national cinema can be up its own arse alot of the time and can be hyprocritical, then going to the other course i was being told all the beauty and greatness of films from such and such country. (I must admit i liked the Italian films they showed, but they were'nt really italian.)

Blitzkerg no offence but you seem a tad caught up witb film as globalisation, it's an interesting turn of the century concept but it negates the grief n hassle of film making. Irish cinema as a concept is staggering and reeling for two decades we've not made a success, it's hilarious we've someone lauding when brenda met trudi as a great film on this thread, I can remember when this film came out people claimed that WBMT and About Adam were the clarion call for a regeneration of irish cinema (when the first rise of the frankenstein monster occured we'll never know!) when the **** did a couple of sub par four wedding become a regeneration?

For me, I've felt that Irish cinema (sod gobal) has as always a self confidence crisis all of our best directions sodding off to the uk to learn and develop their trade, and the selection of shoddy films we've been presented, demand we offer a pretence of enjoyment, essentially whats occured to Irish cinema is a by product of the Irish disporia that's occured over the past 150 years. Our best talent has had to go away to get the experience necessary.

To be in our cups we need to admit that we're like Manchester and Glasgow, and Edinburgh and Birmingham, we've got the same brain drain to London, what we don't have is a regional funding to back up to the Uk.

I have a film editor/director friend of mine who's been ranting about how fundamentally what we need is more money for music (budgets) and the occasional star. And most importantly development money.

BlitzKrieg wrote:

yes i admit i am caught up on global issues, really because my whole life has been very international (i went to international school, father's with UN, studying abroad). And as you pointed out when the 'people' are expressing the need for resistance to hollywood cinema and everything. One cant help but get those stupid niave urges to stand up against the man. But i'm torn on the issue cause i know its being a bit niave so i'm trying (and failing) to understand the issue fully. hence yes i am very caught up on the gloabalisation issue, and i'm not offended. Ihave problems...thats me.

No it's not it's interesting, one need to only look at the fallout for the cast of city of god to look at cinema as a global insitution to look at how the cast was treated in comparsion to the films sucess.

I just find it remarkable that Ireland has yet to make a really significant mark on global cinema in the past 25 yrs, on a global scale on a non US supportered film, we haven't got the money for a Full Monty etc, but we've not made a complusive Irish film in decades and the fawning attention over WBMT and About Adam says it all, our best directors move to the US and the UK and our best writers have one foot their and one foot here. Our best technicans need to have spent time in the UK and US and be able to dance between the two. Our Industry is finite yet we produce more and more graduates expecting jobs in "film" each year.

My prefered editor has been ranting to Rod Stoneman for the past two about me needing to move to london to kept in work. It just needs to be done.

ienjoy the discussions...even if i am outclassed at times.

Not at all you raise the tone.....