The Wind that Shakes the Barley on IMBD

meglome

Was just browsing imdb.com instead of sleeping. And happened upon The Wind the Shakes the Barley page. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460989/

Now I haven't as of yet seen this film but I noticed it user rating is 3.8. Considering it won the Palm D'or in Cannes and it has, in general, received good reviews I thought this was strange. So I checked rating and 29 people gave it a 1 so I'm getting the feeling there is some political voting going on. Every film gets a certain amount of 1 out of 10's just because the voters hate the director or the lead actor or whatever. But I would have thought 29 out of 149 (19.5%) is overly high. War of the Worlds only got 7.5% of 1's and it was average at best (different film I know but still). There is some serious political mud slinging going on in the forums. I seriously thought about giving it a 10, mainly as it is historically accurate if nothing else. If elements in Britain don't like it then tough, the truth isn't always what we want it to be, but I’ll wait until I see it and then decide. Anyways off to bed...

BlitzKrieg

there was a thing in after hours a while ago about the tabloids in england throwing alot of grief at the film...hence the damage to the score.

Karl Hungus

Definetely reeks of political muppetry right there, I'm afraid.

I think when the film hits the states, it'll probably bring the score around.

meglome

Has anyone seen it?

Karl Hungus

meglome wrote:

Has anyone seen it?

Well, I assume somebody must have seen it, otherwise how else did it win at Cannes?

Seriously though, I've not seen it myself, but I'd like to.

flogen

I don't think it's been released anywhere yet.... just shown at Cannes

Ruu_Old

June 23rd release date afaik.

p.pete

Any idea when there'll be a UK release date? Just checked my local cinema here but no sign of it in future releases...

BlitzKrieg

only meant to be going to 30 cinemas in the UK so check your arthouse cinemas

meglome

BlitzKrieg wrote:

only meant to be going to 30 cinemas in the UK so check your arthouse cinemas

Can't imagine why he he he

A Dub in Glasgo

Not many of the chains have it which is very disappointing. The independent Glasgow Film Theatre will show it and I think Cineworld (UGC) will show it.

radiospan

I remember checking the IMDB rating the morning after the Cannes win and it was nowhere near that low.

meglome

The bad press it got in Britain, supposedly it being anti-British meant that people came on and gave it 1 out of 10 without seeing it. Although on the flip side a lot of people have given it 10 out of 10 without seeing it. It's really the percentage of 1 out 10's is very high.

A Dub in Glasgo

BBC Newsnight feature on Loach and the film

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/ukfs_news/hi/newsid_5080000/newsid_5085700/bb_rm_5085720.stm

5uspect

Simple solution, everyone go see the movie when it comes out
log on to imdb and give it what you think it deserves
then the idiots who try and ruin the score will be drowned out
Should be interesting to see how it fairs on rotten tomatoes..

secret_squirrel

meglome wrote:

I seriously thought about giving it a 10, mainly as it is historically accurate if nothing else.

That would make you as bad as the muppets who are giving it 1.

How do you know its historically accurate until you've seen it and compared it to the consensus of the history of the period?

New_Departure06

Karl Hungus wrote:

Definetely reeks of political muppetry right there, I'm afraid.

I think when the film hits the states, it'll probably bring the score around.

It could also be argued that this will not be the case because of Loach making comparisons with the Iraq War.

meglome

secret_squirrel wrote:

That would make you as bad as the muppets who are giving it 1.

True which is why i didn't actually do it.

secret_squirrel wrote:

How do you know its historically accurate until you've seen it and compared it to the consensus of the history of the period?

Well they hired a good historian from UCC to make sure it was historically accurate. I saw him interviewed on the tv and he says that even though individual scenes may be dramatised for the film they are completely representative of what was going on at the time. I've no reason at this moment to believe otherwise. And besides no one saying it's historically inaccurate, just anti-British.

SpitfireIV

secret_squirrel wrote:

How do you know its historically accurate

Because it wasnt directed by Neil Jordan, thats good enough for me .

Cant WAIT to see this movie, I wasnt aware of it until it won the award, crept up out of no where, about time too a movie was made on the subject.

mikelmessi

Friend saw a press preview, said it was a brillinat film and incredibly powerful. Also said he left the cinema on a high with a fervent desire to right historical wrongs from the British. He said it was like a Scotsman having watched Braveheart! Must be some film, as that would be pretty out of character for him.

meglome

mikelmessi wrote:

Friend saw a press preview, said it was a brillinat film and incredibly powerful. Also said he left the cinema on a high with a fervent desire to right historical wrongs from the British. He said it was like a Scotsman having watched Braveheart! Must be some film, as that would be pretty out of character for him.

Let's orgainise some burnings, the embassy first and we'll work our way along

Morlar

Saw this today and didnt think it was nearly as anti-english as it could have been (or even should have been for the sake of accuracy). The famous tan atrocities were not even mentioned. The one surprising thing about it is that its a very localised film there boy - it really focuses on a small part of the country as opposed to the wider picture.

The hardest part of the film to watch (imo) was not the war of independence scenes but it was when the civil war began to escalate. Those were tough scenes to watch. It is an excellent movie and definitely worth checking out.

klash

Fantastic movie, absolutely fantastic. Its a REAL story

nuttz

Excellent factual film, some scenes seem improvised but it didn't hinder the intended effect, well worth seeing and a timely reminder of those who paid their lives for our country today.

Memnoch

great film... I mean I wasn't born in Ireland, but the film really hit a very strong personal note with me.

It's no surprise that the british don't like it, who wants to be reminded of crimes and atrocities committed by their country? But the truth is that this kind of stuff is exactly what the British did, in fact they were much more brutal than depicted in the movie, but off course they want to suger coat their past.

But the British have always been excellent at believing their own illusions.

Agent Orange

If you really want to make your blood boil, read Christopher Tookey's review in that esteemed organ the Daily Mail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=392203&in_page_id=1773

His main bone of contention seems to be the fact that Loach leans left and the British are portrayed as a brutal monsters (the fact that the Black and Tans were brutal monsters doesn't matter - after all, didn't the Irish rebel in 1916 and collaborate with the evil Germans in WWI?)

There can be little doubt that the British did commit atrocities in Ireland, and that the behaviour of the ill-disciplined Black and Tans did radicalise the locals.

But Loach gives us no clue as to why British forces were in Ireland. There's nothing about the Easter Rising of 1916, or the Irish willingness to collaborate with Germany during the Great War. The British are presented as an evil, occupying force, intent on overthrowing a democratically-elected government.

Loach might have been wise at least to countenance other viewpoints, as most good political films do.

And there's no mention of the rest of the film in your review, Chris. Aren't good film critics meant to watch the whole film?

monkeyfudge

I'd say a lot of British people wouldn't be too happy at how Churchill is talked about in film either.

Baby4

This post has been deleted.

Balmed Out

excellent show, kind of surprised that the British army came of so well after all the publicity i expected it to be more one sided. Historically its pretty close to the point like your man 'finbarr' is obviously tom barry. Id say if anyone has anything to complain about its the free staters (though they executed too many to have much sympathy for). Interesting in relation to the whole micael collins thing he was killed by the anti treaty forces from the west cork flying column whom this film is about, it would have been interesting to see how it would have gone done if they showed that too.

senordingdong

Yeah the film was brilliant, and regardless of what British tabloids have to say, Loach did not make this film one sided.

J.R.HARTLEY

the film was very good, not excellent, too many people willing to jump up and down and praise it simply because of the hard hitting story,

if you want to see a loach film that really explores the troubles caused by the occupation of ireland then hidden agenda woud be better, wind.. is a little romanticised in places and i feel failed to properly explore the split of the irish people in the civil war which was a far greater tragedy we are all aware that the british government surpressed us for centuries but the civil war was the heart break for ireland, families were split down the middle and loach was too simplistic with this.

senordingdong

J.R.HARTLEY wrote:

the civil war was the heart break for ireland, families were split down the middle and loach was too simplistic with this.

How was he simplistic about it, most of the plot revolved around Damien and Teddy. And then there was the ending ofcourse...

J.R.HARTLEY

senordingdong wrote:

How was he simplistic about it, most of the plot revolved around Damien and Teddy. And then there was the ending ofcourse...

loach made his choice which side he believed was right and presented that, i don't believe he put the two sides out on their own for the audience to judge, at the end of the day the civil war was us against ourselves never forget that, people can't drag simplistic brit bashing into our civil war, it's much deeper than stupid young lads chanting drunken slogans.

spacecoyote

Went to see this at the weekend, and i really enjoyed it. I don't call myself a die-hard republican, and i have never shed a tear in a movie before, but this movie did bring tears to my eyes in two scenes (i won't detail them as i don't know how to use spoilers). i'm a 25 year old bloke by the way and willing ot admit that the movie upset me, i'm such a modern man:rolleyes:

I didn't think that it was overly biased to be honest, it seemed to show the reality of it, i can only assume, not being alive in the 1920s. Most of the Brits were portrayed as b*stards, and rightly so given many of the atrocities which took place, but even some of them seemed to carry out their orders reluctantly.

I would recommend everyone to go and see it. Its highly emotive and a well told story which is definitely worth a look

Beruthiel

An excellent movie, everyone should see it.
I found it very heavy though and hard to watch in places, I think it could have done with a few more lighter moments, the intensity was hard to take at times.
I left the cinema drained, my friend had to leave before it finished (those who have seen it know why)

ShiverinEskimo

spacecoyote wrote:

i'm such a modern man:rolleyes:

Modern Man = Pink T-Shirt wearing Pussy. Grow a Set.

(:D).

Heading to see this over the next few days when its not as nice out. (anyone else feel guilty going to the cinema on a sunny day? - even though I'll prob do my best to stay out of the sun anyway so as not to get burnt.)

I'm thinking its the kind of movie you have to be int he mood for - can't go until I'm prepared for it - have to be in a serious frame of mind. Like going to see movies like Syriana, The Machinist, and other complex political/civic issue related movies.

Or maybe i'm strange.

Tobias Greeshman

I went to see it over the weekend, excellent film, and I think every Irish person should go see it. It's very moving in most parts, and you can feel your blood almost boiling at points.

I think the film was fairly unbiased overall, it shows how the civil war affected one town in Ireland, and more specifically one family.

J.R.HARTLEY

it's loaches highest box office in ireland ever, hardly surprising, was over €800,000 euro up to this weekend, not including. could break michael collins record

solskjaer20

Thought it was excellent.

spacecoyote

ShiverinEskimo wrote:

Modern Man = Pink T-Shirt wearing Pussy. Grow a Set.

(:D).

my mammy says my pink t-shirt is very masculine

ShiverinEskimo

Thats the trouble with modern young fellas - i think all their mammy's are saying that - now when I go to buy a decent t-shirt i can pick from 3 colours, Pink, Pinker and pink and yellow.

Grr. Anyways - back to Wind that Shakes the Barley - I bet nobody in that movie wears pink. They be all double hard bastards.

I've noticed too from the daily mail website with the review than there are 0 reader's comments. I left one yesterday slating the reviewer and it hasn't been published. Shocking really (not).

flogen

Just saw it, superb film.
Anyone saying it's anti-British or pro-IRA obviously hasn't seen it yet.
The film takes no side; the black and tans are shown to be animals but almost as victims too,

like when the soldier pleads to Damien for his name, saying that the recognition of the Dáil is nothing to do with him, he's following orders and his men are war-weary from their time in the Somme

; the imagery is superb, using the same places to reference the evil we are all capable of.
Frankly if anyone thinks the British were portrayed badly in the movie I'd venture a guess that they didn't know who the Black and Tans were in the first place; they'd also miss the point made that the Irish were shown just as badly just as much.
The line (I'll spoiler this because it's at the end)

"It's easier to know what you're against than it is to know what you're for"

kind of sums the crux of the Irish division up.

Anyway, enough rambling. Really enjoyed the movie, thought it was an excellent account of a piece of our history we shouldn't forget and most importantly it never changed my opinion on modern politics but rather reminded me of the evils (on every side) that got us here, for better or for worse.

LordSutch

Have just seen the film/
My first impressions are that it was a good film, well made, good cast, with a touch of artistic licence taken re the complete utter madness and sadistic cruelty by the B&Ts for no apparent reason at all!
That said, I was scrastching my head for the first thirty miniutes wondering why the Black & Tans were so completly brutal & crazed, than it dawned on me that the reason for them being in Ireland in the first place was because the "local irish" Police force were being bumped-off one by one by the IRA!

Hence the arrival of the Black & Tans to stamp out the attacks on the Irish Police force (This was not mentioned in the Film)!

Big mistake on the part of London though, they should never have treated fire with fire in the first place, and the B&Ts were obviously a bunch of EX trench shell shocked mercenaries on a mad mission.

My verdict:
Good Film
Well Made...............
But I do think that the reason should have been given as to why the Black & Tans acted in such a crazy & barbaric fashion.

No comment on the brother V brother politics, somebody else can comment on that side to the film.

A Dub in Glasgo

"If a police barracks is burned or if the barracks already occupied is not suitable, then the best house in the locality is to be commandeered, the occupants thrown into the gutter. Let them die there – the more the merrier.

Should the order ("Hands Up") not be immediately obeyed, shoot and shoot with effect. If the persons approaching (a patrol) carry their hands in their pockets, or are in any way suspicious-looking, shoot them down. You may make mistakes occasionally and innocent persons may be shot, but that cannot be helped, and you are bound to get the right parties some time. The more you shoot, the better I will like you, and I assure you no policeman will get into trouble for shooting any man."

Lt. Col. Smyth, June 1920

Black & Tans Bible

ODS

An excellent film - possibly the most important film yet made in Ireland. Tells a story that for too long weve been afraid of telling ourselves - and done by a british director. To hell with the UK Mail and such diatribes; the picture is not anti-UK, but instead gives an account very close to the truth.

Think of it; in 1900 Cork was certainly a very pro-union city with the 'butchers apron' being flown out everywhere celebrating Victoria. What had happened by 1920 that opinion had changed so much? Go figure - no wonder they dont like the picture as it tells a truth! If I was rating for Halliwells, I'd give it the full 4.

BTW Dub in Glas, what did happen Lt. Col. Smyth? It is hoped he got plugged.