Films About Irish Troubles
The Irish Troubles refer to a period of conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted from the late 1960s until the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. This tumultuous era was characterized by political and sectarian violence, primarily between the nationalist/republican community, who sought unification with the Republic of Ireland, and the unionist/loyalist community, who wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom. Films that tackle the Irish Troubles often delve into themes of identity, loyalty, and the impact of violence on individuals and society. They provide a lens into the complexities of this conflict, capturing the personal and political struggles of those affected.
Notable Films About Irish Troubles
“The Crying Game”, 1992
Director: Neil Jordan
This film explores themes of identity and loyalty against the backdrop of the Northern Irish conflict. It follows a British soldier kidnapped by the IRA and the complex relationships that develop between him and his captor.
Starring: Stephen Rea, Miranda Richardson, Jaye Davidson, Forest Whitaker, Adrian Dunbar, Breffni McKenna, Joe Savino, Birdy Sweeney, Andrée Bernard, Jim Broadbent, Ralph Brown, Tony Slattery, Jack Carr, Josephine White, Shar Campbell, Bryan Coleman, Ray De-Haan, David Crionelly, Charles Mandracchia;
Production year: 1992;
Genre: thriller, drama, melodrama, crime;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 112 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,2;
More information about the film “The Crying Game” on the website imdb.com
“In the Name of the Father”, 1993
Director: Jim Sheridan
Based on the true story of the Guildford Four, this film depicts the wrongful conviction of four Irish men accused of carrying out a pub bombing in England. It highlights themes of injustice and resilience.
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Pete Postlethwaite, Emma Thompson, John Lynch, Mark Sheppard, Beatie Edney, Frank Harper, Britta Smith, Corin Redgrave, Gerard McSorley, Alison Crosbie, Philip King, Anthony Brophy, Frankie McCafferty, Paul Warriner, Julian Walsh, Stuart Wolfenden, Jo Connor, Karen Carlisle, Seamus Moran, Billy Byrne, Maureen McBride, Jane Nolan, Laurence Griffin, Jason Murtagh, Kelly McKeavney, Joanna Irvine, Fiona Daly, Catherine Dunne, Anna Meegan, Marie Jones, Leah McCullagh, Saffron Burrows, Jamie Harris, Don Baker, Barbara Mulcahy, Mick Tohill, Peter Sheridan Sr., Joe McPartland, Stanley Townsend, Tim Perrin, Tony Denham, Rob Spendlove, Phil Davis, Martin Murphy, Richard Graham, Oliver Maguire, Maurice Kehoe, Rachael Dowling;
Production year: 1993;
Genre: drama, crime, biography;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 133 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 8,1;
More information about the film “In the Name of the Father” on the website imdb.com
“Michael Collins”, 1996
Director: Neil Jordan
This historical biopic chronicles the life of Michael Collins, a key figure in the struggle for Irish independence. It explores his role in the conflict and the complicated relationships with his fellow revolutionaries.
Starring: Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea, Alan Rickman, Julia Roberts, Ian Hart, Richard Ingram, John Kenny, Ronan McCairbre, Jer O'Leary, Brendan Gleeson, Stuart Graham, Sean McGinley, Gerard McSorley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Charles Dance, Owen O'Neill, Owen Roe, Ian McElhinney, Mike Dwyer, Martin Murphy, Gary Whelan, Frank O'Sullivan, Frank Laverty, Liam De Staic, Paul Bennett, Claude Clancy, Paul Hickey, Tom Murphy, David Gorry, Gary Lydon, David Wilmot, Joe Hanley, Colm Coogan, Aiden Grennell, Dave Seymour, Tony Clarkin, Luke Hayden, Gary Powell, Max Hafler, Laura Brennan, Aidan Kelly, Jim Isherwood, Michael James Ford, Mal Whyte, Martin Phillips, Aisling O'Sullivan, Malcolm Douglas, Brian «Joker» Mulvey, Frank Patterson;
Production year: 1996;
Genre: thriller, drama, war, biography;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 133 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,1;
More information about the film “Michael Collins” on the website imdb.com
“Bloody Sunday”, 2001
Director: Paul Greengrass
A dramatization of the events of January 30, 1972, when British soldiers shot unarmed civil rights protesters in Derry, this film examines the events leading up to the massacre and its aftermath.
Starring: James Nesbitt, Allan Gildea, Gerard Crossan, Mary Moulds, Carmel McCallion, Tim Pigott-Smith, Nicholas Farrell, Christopher Villiers, James Hewitt, Declan Duddy, Edel Frazer, Joanne Lindsay, Mike Edwards, Gerry Hammond, Jason Stammers, Ken Williams, Bryan Watts, Simon Mann, Rhidian Bridge, Johnny O'Donnell, David Clayton Rogers, Sean O'Kane, Thomas McEleney, Deirdre Irvine, Gerry Newton, Ross MacDonald, Jim Alexander, James Scott, Grainne Costello, Don Mullan, David Pearse, Charles Oakden, Kathy Kiera Clarke, Gerard McSorley, Bruce Lawrence, Jason Muir, Tim Clark, Matt Ashenden, Daryl Auckland, Rita Hamill, Robert O'Conner, Kevin McCallion, James McLaughlin, Graham Harrison, Oliver Maguire, Darren Healy, Simon Emberley, Raymond Cullen, Tony Bates, Kevin Meehan;
Production year: 2001;
Genre: drama, war, history;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 111 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,6;
More information about the film “Bloody Sunday” on the website imdb.com
“The Wind That Shakes the Barley”, 2006
Director: Ken Loach
Set during the Irish War of Independence and the subsequent Civil War, this film follows two brothers who find themselves on opposing sides of the conflict, exploring the moral dilemmas faced during wartime.
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Pádraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham, Orla Fitzgerald, Mary O'Riordan, Mary Murphy, Laurence Barry, Damien Kearney, Frank Bourke, Myles Horgan, Martin Lucey, Aidan O'Hare, Shane Casey, John Crean, Máirtín de Cógáin, Keith Dunphy, Kiernan Hegarty, Gerard Kearney, Shane Nott, Kevin O'Brien, Gary McCarthy, Tim O'Mahon, Graham Browne, Owen Buckley, Aidan Fitzpatrick, Vince Hannington, Denis Kelleher, Colin McClery, Finbar O'Mahon, John Quinlan, Peggy Lynch, Noel O'Donovan, Peter O'Mahoney, Barry Bourke, Frank O'Sullivan, Diarmuid Ó'Dálaigh, Corina Gough, Roger Allam, Sabrina Barry, William Ruane, Danny Riordan, Peg Crowley, Fiona Lawton, Kieran Aherne, Clare Dineen, Sean McGinley, Tomas OhEalaithe, Nora Lynch, Diarmuid Ní Mheachair, Denis Conway;
Production year: 2006;
Genre: drama, war;
Age: 18+;
Duration: 127 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,5;
More information about the film “The Wind That Shakes the Barley” on the website imdb.com
“'71”, 2014
Director: Yann Demange
This tense thriller follows a British soldier accidentally abandoned in Belfast during the early years of the Troubles. The film captures his struggle for survival amid the chaos and violence of the city.
Starring: Jack O'Connell, David Wilmot, Sean Harris, Sam Reid, Richard Dormer, Charlie Murphy, Barry Keoghan, Paul Anderson, Martin McCann, Killian Scott, Jack Lowden, Paul Popplewell, Adam Nagaitis, Joshua Hill, Ben Williams-Lee, Jonah Russell, Harry Verity, Peter McNeil O'Connor, Babou Ceesay, James McArdle, Sam Hazeldine, Ben Peel, Andy Moore, Amy Molloy, Valene Kane, Aaron Lynch, Tom Cowling, Gerard Jordan, Denise Gough, Liam McMahon, Aaron Monaghan, Dawn Bradfield, Eabha MacCabe, Corey McKinley, Paul Kennedy, Emmet Kirwan, Barry Barnes, Chris Patrick-Simpson, Terence Keeley, Jim Sturgeon, Cathy White, Pamela Ashton, Paul Bergquist, Lee Bolton, Jonathan Bridge, Calum C. Sutton, Eric Campbell, Michael Degnan, Paul J. Dove, Graeme Ford;
Production year: 2014;
Genre: action, thriller, drama, crime, war;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 99 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,2;
More information about the film “'71” on the website imdb.com
“The Boxer”, 1997
Director: Jim Sheridan
Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, this film tells the story of a former IRA member who tries to rebuild his life as a boxer after being released from prison, exploring themes of redemption and the consequences of violence.
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Emily Watson, Brian Cox, Ken Stott, Gerard McSorley, Kenneth Cranham, Daragh Donnelly, Frank Coughlan, Sean Kearns, Lorraine Pilkington, Niall Shanahan, John Wall, Maria McDermottroe, Carol Moore, Kate Perry, Andrea Irvine, Joan McGarry, Theresa McComb, Catherine Dunne, Kerrie Duggan, Sharon Dunne, Derbhla McClelland, Oliver Maguire, David McBlain, Sandra Corbally, Eleanor Methven, Tess Sheridan, David Hayman, Paul Sheridan, John Sheridan, Pat Mulryan, Peter O'Donoghue, Martin Dunne, Tommy O'Neill, Ciarán Fitzgerald, Maurice Henry, Josie Doherty, Joe Rea, Joan Sheehy, Peter Sheridan, Larry Byrne, Joe Gallagher, Sean Brunett, James Hayes, Richie Pigott, Jack Waters, Padraig O'Neill, Mark Mulholland, John Cowley, Don Foley;
Production year: 1997;
Genre: drama, melodrama, sport;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 113 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7;
More information about the film “The Boxer” on the website imdb.com
These films provide a poignant exploration of the Irish Troubles, reflecting the deep-seated issues and human stories that emerged from this conflict.
In conclusion, films about the Irish troubles serve not only as poignant reflections of a tumultuous period in history but also as powerful narratives that explore the complexities of identity, conflict, and the human spirit. From the harrowing realities depicted in “The Wind That Shakes the Barley” to the gripping tale of survival in “In the Name of the Father,” these films invite audiences to engage with the emotional and political intricacies of the era. They remind us that amidst the violence and division, the resilience of individuals and communities prevails, offering a glimpse of hope and a call for understanding. Through their storytelling, these films continue to resonate, encouraging a deeper discussion about the impacts of conflict and the enduring quest for peace and reconciliation in Ireland and beyond.
