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Cillian Murphy, Liam Cunningham, Padraic Delaney, Orla Fitzgerald, Mary Riordan ... see more see more... , Mary Murphy , Lawrence Barry , Damien Kearney , Frank Bourke , Myles Horgan , Martin Lucey , Aidan O'Hare , Shane Casey , John Crean , Martin de Cogain , Keith Dunphy , Kieran Hegarty , Gerard Kearney , Shane Nott , Kevin O'Brien , Gary McCarthy , Tim O'Mahon , Graham Browne , Owen Buckley , Aidan Fitzpatick , Vince Hannington , Denis Kelleher , Colin McClery , Finbar O'Mahon , John Quinlan , Peggy Lynch , Noel O'Donovan , Peter O'Manhoney , Barry Bourke , Frank O'Sullivan , Diamuíd ??'Dálaigh , Corina Gough , Roger Allam , Sabrina Barry , William Ruane , Dan O'Riordan , Peg Crowley , Fiona Lawton , Kieran Ahmem , Clare Dineen , Sean McGinley , Tomas Ohealaithe , Nora Lynch , Diamuid Ní Mheachair , Denis Conway , Barry Looney , Connie O'Connail , Aine O'Connor , Frances O'Connor , O'Riada Peadr , Neil Brand , Tom Chamock , Alan Ready , Mark Wakeling , Anthony Byrne , Marcus Anthony , Bill Armstrong , Christopher Brown , Mark Bryce , Alex Dee , Jonny Holmes , Allan Huntley , Bill Hurst , Daniel Kington , Jamie Lomas , Anthony Martin , Owen McQuade , Richard Oldham , Colin Parry , Scott Peden , Bernie Sweeney , Derek Taylor , Neil Alan Taylor , Gregor Wood

Two brothers are caught on differing sides of the battle for Irish freedom in this politically minded historical drama from veteran British filmmaker Ken Loach. It's 1920, and Damien O'Donovan (Cillia... read more read more...n Murphy) has recently graduated from medical school. Damien plans to leave the small village in Ireland where he was born to take a job in London, much to the annoyance of his brother Teddy (Padraic Delaney), who is an Irish loyalist and wants to see the British stripped of their rule of his land. While visiting Peggy (Mary Riordan), a longtime friend of the family, Damien and Teddy witness a visit by "Black and Tans," British soldiers who supposedly keep the peace in Ireland; the soldiers turn violent and murder Michaeil (Lawrence Barry), Peggy's grandson, when they discover he only speaks Gaelic. Damien is radicalized by the event, and with Teddy joins the local chapter of the Irish Republican Army, who use violence to drive British troops out of the country. While the IRA is a poor and ill-equipped fighting force, their willingness to give their lives for their cause is taken very seriously by the British, who step up their reprisals against the locals; the Black and Tans even begin directing their violence and torture against women and children, including Damien's girlfriend, Sinead (Orla Fitzgerald). In 1921, Britain attempts to end the violence in Ireland by creating the Irish Free State, a compromise government which will give the Irish greater autonomy while Great Britain still retains final political control of the nation. Teddy sees this as a victory and believes it's an important first step to a truly free Ireland, but Damien sees the IRA's goal as nothing short of complete independence, and the brothers and allies soon become rivals in a battle neither side can win. The Wind That Shakes the Barley received the Golden Palm award as Best Picture at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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85% liked it

34,887 ratings

Critics

88% liked it

112 critics

PG-13, 2 hr. 6 min.

Directed by: Ken Loach

Release Date: March 16, 2007

Keywords: war

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DVD Release Date: September 4, 2007

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Stats: 3,189 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (3,189)

  • garyX
    February 14, 2012
    garyX
    A pair of working class Irish brothers are caught up in the troubles during the social upheaval caused by the fight for independence in 1920. Set during the same period as Neil Jordan's Michael Collins, The Wind That Shakes The Barley is a far more personal representation of the ... read moreevents depicted; while Jordan concentrated on the political movers and shakers of the period, Loach is far more concerned with the ordinary soldiers on the ground and the divisions that were created by the treaty of 1920. Although it centres around the ordinary working class folk of Ireland, I couldn't help the feeling that we didn't really get to know any of them on a personal level leaving little room for emotional attachments; we saw their political views and passions but learn little of them as people. Although its documentary style is more believable and gives a real sense of "being there" I felt Michael Collins had a stronger centre in the form of Liam Neeson's powerhouse performance and the wider scope had more value as a piece of entertainment. This film is still a powerful window on a tragic piece of Irish history however and if watched in conjunction with Jordan's biopic, makes for a extremely interesting companion piece.
  • axadntpron
    December 19, 2011
    axadntpron
    This film tackles head on the all-consuming power of an idea and the evolving nature of that idea in the face of reality. Like other films about the liberation movement in Northern Ireland such as Paul Greengrass' Bloody Sunday or Steve McQueen's Hunger, it is brutal, difficult t... read moreo watch, and enraging. However, even in the face of these atrocities committed by the British, Loach shows that this isn't the timeless battle of good vs. evil, but rather one group of humans subjugating another. The monsters are in many ways innocent themselves and the oppressed are capable of the same barbarism showcased by their oppressors. It is an important film and one that is exceptionally well made.
  • fb619846742
    November 28, 2011
    fb619846742
    A well-done, powerful story concerning the battle for Ireland amongst the IRA (led by Cillian Murphy) against the power-hungry British during the 1920's. Director Ken Loach picked out some really gorgeous backdrops to film this story, and this add to his overall epic scope concer... read morening the themes of loyalty, freedom, and family. Murphy's wonderful turn can not be understated, as he remains a scrawny but intense hero whose shift in character is handled exceptionally well. The movie overall is not a masterpiece, given it has some slow parts as well as a mega-depressing ending that needed a little more closure. Still a fine film in many respects, and definitely worth a view.
  • SirPant
    May 4, 2011
    SirPant
    Historical films are to be approached with caution these days but in Loach you can trust. This is an uncomfortable but balanced history lesson, never really showing anyone in a particularly great light but never shying away from the human condition, warts and all. It's very well ... read moreshot and the acting is superb, Cillian Murphy dislikers may want to rethink avoiding this one but Ken Loach fans can be rest assured it's another great film from him. Brilliant.
  • imrealgod
    April 11, 2011
    imrealgod
    This one was a let down. I've seen many such stories of revolutionaries (replace Irish by Indians) fighting against British, and compared to them, this seemed quite pale (no offense intended).

    Having said that, I gotta admit that it wasn't a total failure. The vicious circle of ... read moreviolence set through the British soldiers killing the Irish, and in retaliation, the Irish revolutionaries killing the British, enlightened me to realize the indepth implication of the quote: "An eye for an eye will make the world blind." Till date, I considered it to be BS. It's so simple, yet so difficult to understand that violence only breeds violence. No matter what the motive, the ultimate result of violence is destruction. (Before long, all this knowledge will evaporate into thin air.)
  • rubystevens
    January 8, 2010
    rubystevens
    fine acting and beautiful cinematography in this drama of the early years of the irish republican army. english director ken loach makes his sympathies known in the war against the occupation and they aren't with his fellow countrymen. many powerful scenes but the ending goes o... read morever the top for effect. accents are a bit thick for americans but i totally respect loach's refusal to compromise
  • ythelastman89
    November 17, 2009
    ythelastman89
    Saw this in Ireland and it was like the best movie to see there. Cillian Murphy is unbelievable in this. It's a perfect example of a time when every aspect of a film is perfect from set to cinematography. The story is so well done that it doesn't even feel like a war movie. The l... read moreook of it is authentic as can be and complements the tone nicely. Again, the acting is amazing as well as the direction. It's so realistic it's almost scary.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    July 30, 2009
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "I tried not to get into this war, and did, now I try to get out, and can't."

    A sympathetic look at Republicans in early 20th century Ireland, and two brothers who are torn apart by anti-Brit rebellion.

    REVIEW
    ... read more
    This fascinating film about the Irish Republican Army in 1920s Ireland has an improvisatory feel about it. Not many scenes in the movie feel scripted. There are many scenes showing groups of men and women arguing, debating and fighting, but it all feels natural, and like the way these kinds of moments would play out in real life. Indeed, thinking back on the movie, it seems like much of it took place without dialogue, or at least without significant dialogue. This may be an odd comparison, but it reminded me of Michael Cimino's style of film-making in "The Deer Hunter" and "Heaven's Gate": the emphasis on male solidarity up against forces too strong to oppose, the environment almost becoming a character in the film, the loosely choreographed scenes and the fact that much information is conveyed through imagery rather than words.

    The nominal focus of the film is on two brothers who start out on the same side of the Irish/British conflict, but who become opposed to one another as the IRA fragments into conflicting factions. The brother against brother plot line is of course meant to symbolize a larger and more universal struggle, but it's not dealt with in a heavy-handed manner.

    A very good and overlooked film.
  • paulsandberg
    January 23, 2009
    paulsandberg
    An interesting and arresting period piece that well captures the idealism and the rag-tag elements of those who first banded together to throw off the yoke of Britain.

    After fighting for a free country, two brothers end up opposing each other over the peace treaty that still pl... read moreaces Ireland under British rule (independant but owing "loyalty" to the crown. Both site the sacrifices made to get to the treaty, but while one thinks it is a positive step, the other thinks it is a goal-line fumble. When the latters' faction begins to disrupt the new provisional government, the first brother, now a shaker and mover in the new regime, seeks out his brother and has him executed. A "nasty bit of work" as the Brits would say.

    Overtones of "meet the new boss, same as the old boss" run through the second half of the film as power oversteps idealism and as usual when you get any group of people in a room, there are as many differing opinions as there are people. In the end everyone is a victim, mostly of their own misplaced idealism.

    The film has some harrowing and very "grue" moments, and yet oftimes seems somehow detached, as if you're watching events unfold from a distance. What does shine through is the totalitarianism of their ideals and the inner strength it takes to live up to those ideals.
  • RossCollinsUK
    November 19, 2008
    RossCollinsUK
    Not a pleasant movie by any means. Almost constant shouting and conflict, and all seemingly for nothing. A brutal account of rural Irish life around the time of Ireland's independence.

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Critic Reviews

Steven Rea
August 4, 2007
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Gripping, powerful, heart-breaking. Full Review

Kyle Smith
April 27, 2007
Kyle Smith, New York Post

Raises hard questions about Ireland's uncanny ability to kneecap itself. Full Review

Robert Denerstein
April 27, 2007
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

[Loach] has made an often handsome, always sobering movie that does what the best movies do: leave us a whole lot less sure about what we ought to think.

Michael Wilmington
April 27, 2007
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

[Loach is] the master of the docu-drama or the realist social film, and Wind is one of his masterpieces. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
April 27, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

As frequently happens in both Loach films and history, the betrayal of ideals, socialist and otherwise, leaves a harsh aftertaste, which made me feel sadder but not much wiser. Full Review

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
April 12, 2007
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Wind That Shakes the Barley isn't interested in being a straightforward or romanticized history lesson. Rather, [director] Loach offers an examination of the very nature of rebellion, as filtered ... Full Review

Ruthe Stein
April 7, 2007
Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle

The humanity that Loach and his compassionate screenwriter bring to their story prevents it from being another polemic about how the British screwed Ireland. Full Review

Stephen Hunter
April 5, 2007
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

Director Ken Loach is full of astonishments. In this film, he stages raid and counter-raid, big gunfight and small, with stunning dynamism. Full Review

Richard Roeper
March 20, 2007
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

Great film. Ken Loach is such an important filmmaker, he's made so many great films over the years, and it's great to see another director, like Eastwood and so many others in his 70's, who continues ...

Geoff Pevere
March 16, 2007
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

... you can feel the panic, rage and fear of the participants, and there's a rare sense in the movie of history being less recreated than relived. Full Review

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