| The Wind That Shakes the Barley | 
 enlarge | Director: Ken Loach
Actors: Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham, Orla Fitzgerald, Mary O'riordan
Studio: Ifc
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.95 (€15.76)
Buy New: $12.83 (€10.14)
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (78 reviews)
Sales Rank: 3461
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 127 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: GEPD80252D
UPC: 796019802529
EAN: 0796019802529
ASIN: B000OCY7JO
Release Date: September 4, 2007
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Description
Driven by a deep sense of duty and a love for his country, Damien (Cillian Murphy) abandons his burgeoning career as a doctor and joins his brother, Teddy in a dangerous and violent fight for freedom. As the Irish freedom fighters bold tactics bring the British to a breaking point, both sides finally agree to a treaty to end the bloodshed. But, despite the apparent victory, civil war erupts and families who fought side by side, find themselves pitted against one another, putting their loyalties to the ultimate test.
Amazon.com
Winner of the Palme d'Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, this gripping drama by Ken Loach (Raining Stones) is set during the early days of the Irish Republican Army, when British occupation of the Irish radicalized many a citizen and caused some to take up arms. Cillian Murphy plays Damien, a medical student on his way to London when he witnesses a couple of atrocities committed by British troops. Instead of becoming a doctor, he turns into a leading and respected figure in an IRA division led by his brother, Teddy (Padraic Delaney). The film provides some fascinating historical insight into the nascent resistance movement as it was in 1920, and Loach brilliantly conveys the profound emotional transition young men had to make to become saboteurs and killers. Loach's realistic style is absolutely mesmerizing, with many scenes built around the dynamics of large groups: contentious meetings, torture sessions, battles, celebrations, and the like. One has the sense of history as a pool of energy, and one also develops a kind of Renoiresque appreciation for the fact that different people on opposing sides of a life-or-death issue have their reasons for believing what they believe. As the story moves along, subtle shifts in the perspectives of men and women who had once agreed to be absolute in their fight for freedom results in a tragic yet understandable schism among Irish patriots. The final half-hour of The Wind That Shakes the Barley says a lot about how the Irish, including people who had known one another all their lives, turned their wrath on one another for so many decades. This is an outstanding film, featuring the best performance yet by Murphy (Red Eye). --Tom Keogh
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| Customer Reviews: Read 73 more reviews...
 A Brief Opinion December 19, 2008
I'm fortunate enough to have studied the struggles of the Irish, and to call many Irish people my friends, and to have visited their country many times, and on account of that, and as a follower of Irish history it's hard for me to view this movie through naive eyes. It is one of my top 5 favorite films. It is harsh and brutal. It is the only movie to ever make me want to tear at my hair and sob (and I am not the sort of person to feel this way about much of anything). What I see in this film is a beautiful and tragic tale of a people so determined to have their freedom, unwilling to give in, to accept defeat in order to alleviate suffering. The film shows what the Irish people are still in some ways torn between; Catholics vs. Protestants, The North vs. the Republic. Loyalists vs. Nationalists. It's all one in the same in most regards, but I would think that for anyone who doesn't know the history that the movie would still be great because it's a FASCINATING tale and might only make you want to type a few questions into google in order to educate oneself further and there is nothing at all wrong with a movie which leaves you with a feeling such as that. The Wind That Shakes the Barley is worthy of watching for any adult... It's different, it's engrossing, it's impassioned, it's everything you could ask for from a movie, except much laughter... I recommend it to every person I know. It is a brilliant film, not the usual Hollywood junk food.
great but sad November 29, 2008
I enjoyed this movie very much and felt that it pulled at the heart strings of Ireland's sad history. Events very much like this took place at the early part of the 1900's and was condoned by the British government. Well acted and portrayed
Brother Against Brother November 26, 2008
Set in the early 1920s, "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" tells the story of two Irish brothers at first united in the struggle for independence from England, but ultimately torn apart by the civil strife that followed. Damien (Cillian Murphy) is a bright medical student who, on his way to study in London, witnesses British atrocities and chooses instead to stay home and join the resistance group led by his brother Teddy (Padraic Delaney). Despite his initial reluctance to get involved in the fighting, Damien grows increasingly steadfast and unyielding in his Republican (and Marxist) convictions. Damien's unwavering allegiance to his ideals places him in a heartbreaking position--at one wrenching point in the film, making him the executioner of a lifelong friend.
The deepest tragedy comes after the IRA signs a truce with England, splitting former comrades into opposing camps. Some, like Teddy, hail the truce as a victory they do not want to jeopardize with continued violence. However, the agreement falls short of granting Ireland full independence, and in Damien's eyes, accepting it means "selling out" the martyrs who died for true autonomy. In the ensuing turmoil, brother turns against brother with heartrending results.
Powerful performances by Murphy, Delaney, and Orla Fitzgerald (Sinead, a participant in the resistance who falls in love with Damien) make "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" an affecting film. The movie shows the very personal consequences of the political rift in Ireland, while imparting the positions of both sides in a nuanced manner. A beautiful soundtrack and enchanting scenery create a haunting backdrop.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley November 12, 2008
A beautiful film. I love being able to find things on Amazon that are just plain hard to find anywhere else. The seller provided it as promised and well within the shipment window promised.
A powerful and amazing film November 4, 2008
This is a fine piece of drama. It's sad, moving, stirring, involving and thought provoking. It has some very harrowing presentations of the two wars involved, and it can stand against the best war films ever made.
A truly excellent film.
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