The Wind That Shakes The Barley (2006)
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Two brothers find themselves on opposite sides of a civil war after fighting together for Irish independence.
The story
In 1920, in County Cork, Ireland, Damien O'Donovan prepares to leave his home to practice medicine in London. However, after witnessing the brutal execution of a friend by British forces, he decides to stay and join his brother Teddy's Irish Republican Army brigade. The brothers fight together against British rule, but the landscape of the conflict shifts following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. As the Irish Civil War begins, the brothers' shared cause fractures, and they find themselves on opposing sides of a growing internal conflict, forced to choose between their personal bonds and their conflicting visions for the future of Ireland.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1920, Damien O'Donovan decides to join his brother Teddy's IRA brigade after witnessing a friend's execution by British forces. The brothers fight together until the Anglo-Irish Treaty is signed, causing a rift in the movement. Teddy and his allies accept the Treaty to secure peace, while Damien and his allies join the Anti-Treaty IRA. During the ensuing Irish Civil War, the brothers' paths diverge further. During a raid, Dan, a close ally of Damien, is killed, and Damien is captured by the National Army. Teddy, now a commander in the Free State forces, is tasked with interrogating Damien. To save his brother from execution, Teddy offers Damien amnesty and a life with his love, Sinéad. Damien refuses to 'sell out' the Republic. At dawn, Damien is executed by a firing squad commanded by a heartbroken Teddy. The film ends with Teddy delivering Damien's final letter to Sinéad, who is left devastated by the tragedy of their divided lives.
- First release year
- 2006
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Production countries
- Ireland; United Kingdom; Italy; Germany; Spain
- Original languages
- English; Irish; Latin
- Directors
- Ken Loach
- Writers
- Paul Laverty · writer
- Cast and characters
- Cillian Murphy · Damien O'Donovan; Pádraic Delaney · Teddy O'Donovan; Liam Cunningham · Dan; Orla Fitzgerald · Sinéad Ní Shúilleabháin; Laurence Barry · Micheál Ó Súilleabháin; Mary Murphy · Bernadette; Mary O'Riordan · Peggy; Myles Horgan · Rory; Martin Lucey · Congo; Roger Allam · Sir John Hamilton; John Crean · Chris Reilly; Damien Kearney · Finbar
- Genres
- war drama; romance
- Themes
- Social revolution vs. nationalist revolution; Cost of war; Brotherhood; Ideological conflict
- Tone and mood
- Bleak; Uncompromising; Dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- Irish history; Civil War; Socialist; Brotherhood
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Wind That Shakes the Barley (song by Robert Dwyer Joyce)
- Reception
- The film was widely praised and won the Palme d'Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. It was a significant box office success in Ireland, becoming the highest-grossing Irish-made independent film until 2011. Critics described it as a brave, gripping, and thought-provoking drama.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 90% · scale: percentage · review count: 116; Metacritic · score: 82 · scale: 100 · review count: 30
- Awards and nominations
- Palme d'Or · Cannes Film Festival · 2006 · Won
- Production trivia
- The title is derived from a song by 19th-century author Robert Dwyer Joyce.; The film was shot in various locations in County Cork, including Ballyvourney and Timoleague.; The film's production was an international co-production between companies in Ireland, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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