Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006)

Director: Ken Loach
Cast – Cillian Murphy
Wins – Golden Palm, Cannes, 2006

Wind that Shakes the Barley, is a title derived from an popular Irish song. The backdrop of the film is the Irish War of Independence and Civil War in Ireland during 1919-1921. It was an insight for me into the Irish War of Independence and struggle for freedom from the British Empire. Its so remarkable to see that freedom, which now a lot of us take for granted, was something lots of men and women were deprived of. And that they had to fight struggle and lay down their lives, so that their children would live in a free world.

He film follows a near historical/political account of the series of events that happens in Ireland laced with a subtle plot development. I quite liked the discussions and the conflicts which happen between the Irish themselves. There is an instance where is an ideology clash between them, even though both them want the same thing. Its interesting to note how difficult it is sometimes to decide what is right and what is wrong. I usually felt ‘wrong’ would appear as tempting, luring and with a red alert in contrast to the ‘good’ would be tough to choose but obvious that it would be the right . However, this decision can be really difficult, because the circumstances and events would make either of them equally right. The definition and classification then becomes very very individual and relative.

The other episode was whether the treaty was what they fought for or was it a short of it. The discussion, the arguments and the games played, really provide an insight what was going on in the minds of the people then.

“I decided not to enter war, but I did. Now I want to get out of it, I can’t.”

“It is sometimes easy to decide what you are against, but completely different to find what you are for.”