With the cinema still horribly lacking in films I want to pay my credit-crunch reduced money to pay, I'll have to keep going with my catch-up reviews. This one takes me back to 1993's autobiographical, multiple-Oscar-nominated, In the Name of the Father. In fact, I've even regressed to my original title for these posts after extensive market research confirmed this to be our readers' preferred title (well, our one reader said she liked it).
The film is based on Jerry Conlon's account of the aftermath of the Guildford Pub Bombing. For those - like me - who don't know the history, Conlon and 3 others were falsely accused of, and imprisoned for, carrying out the bombing and a number of their family members were imprisoned for assisting them.
The film is - as it should be - a shockingly stark slap in the face for those (me) who don't know this story and especially those (not me) who maintain a modicum of faith in the British Justice System. Any last thread of belief I had disappeared sharply and brutally with the progression of this gripping, well-judged, and superbly performed effort. The story of the Guildford 4 belongs firmly alongside other British judicial failings, such as the well known case of Satpal Ram. There are many others, but this is a review, not a political diatribe, so I'll press on.
The first thing to say about this concerns the quality of the performances. Daniel Day Lewis (rightly) and Emma Thompson (less rightly, but not enough to make me complain) were both nominated for commendable efforts. Day Lewis has, in parts, to carry the film, and its a huge historical weight to carry on his charismatic and supremely talented shoulders, but he does excellently. However, the real star of the show, from its very first scenes, is Pete Posthlethwaite. Posthlethwaite provides the film's stand out moment, very early on, as his obvious blind love for his son sees him run headlong into and through a full scale riot between British troops and IRA sympathisers with only a small white handkerchief waving amidst the teargas and gunfire for protection. It is a stunningly beautiful depiction of love and how it collapses the self and it is a motif that permeates the film as Posthlethwaite battles the injustice to which he and his son have been subjected with pure dignity and love. And it is a film with a last scene that adds a whole new layer of powerful meaning and beauty to everything that has gone before. The relationship between Gerry and his father is the film's key driving force and the essence of that is confirmed by Gerry's final words.
A word for the supporting cast too - they are excellent. The depictions of British arrogance and blind faith in whatever it is they find themselves doing by, in particular, Corin Redgrave (as chief inspector Dixon) and, very briefly (but powerfully for what he symbolises), Alan Barry as an officious Home Office archivist (and others who also play establishment figures) are highly effective and deserve mention in the same breath as Edward Fox's frightening portrayal of Dyer in Gandhi. All in all, a hugely effective ensemble performance and the cast deliver the message with great and polished effectiveness.
It's a little too long and weighty to be a film I'll return to again and again. In a way, of course, that's a very unfair comment. Schindler's List suffers in the same way. It seems unfair to judge all films on the criteria that the greatest should make you want to return to them again and again but I think that is how, ultimately, all films should be judged, weighty and timely or not. It may be best just not to make this a criticism so I won't and I'll finish by saying that I'd recommend this to anyone. Especially in these times when extensions of the terror laws, of imprisonment without charge and the suspension of Habeas Corpus, remain high on this government's agenda. Of course, what In The Name of the Father gets across is an incredibly heightened, taught and sensitive feeling of injustice that remains powerfully with you after the credits. A similar story for those detained under the provisions of the terror laws in recent years. The vast majority are released without trial. That is concerning. But their story tends to disappear into the ether of misunderstanding and misrepresentation about their religion which pervades the national press.
If this review has political overtones, then that is down to the film. It makes you think and it makes you worry in equal measure. And that, more than anything else perhaps, is to its great credit.
B+
2 comments:
Matt, I knew within two sentences of this review that you were the poster....
I liked this film as well - and have seen it twice now. All I will say about the politics is that I think the film portrays a typically one sided Hollywood view of how corrupt the British police are and how noble and brave the Irish are.
As I'm sure you'll agree - the reality is probably somewhere in the middle of those two extremes, but it makes for a great film..
Ah those plucky Irish. I walked out of Bloody Sunday in protest at the completely invented dialogue between the British soldiers. Lines like "Look at that innocent looking Irish chap who doesn't look like he would harm a fly. Let's blow his brains out just for the hell of it." Or something like that anyway.
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