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'The Wind That Shakes The Barley' set visit

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'The Wind That Shakes The Barley' set visit

Dave Calhoun catches up with Ken Loach on location in Ireland.

Jul 18 2005

'In your own time, and off you go,' says Ken Loach calmly to two of his actors as another scene rolls on his latest, Irish-set film 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley', ditching the traditional yell of 'Action!' for a gentler, more characteristic approach.

This is Loach's first period tale since 'Land and Freedom' (1995), and there are certainly parallels between this new film and that earlier story of internal struggle among freedom fighters during the Spanish Civil War.

This time, Loach's focus is the lead-up to the Irish Civil War of 1922 and the complexities of Ireland's struggle for independence at a grass-roots level. Once again, the director is showing concern for ordinary people who organise themselves to fight against foreign or oppressive rule.

The film has contemporary significance too. While 'Land and Freedom' reflected the problem of fascist resurgence in mid-'90s Europe, so the occupation of Iraq is surely not irrelevant to this new project.

We're in Bandon, a small town about half an hour outside Cork. Loach and two of his lead actors – Cillian Murphy ('28 Days Later', 'Batman Begins') and Liam Cunningham – are squeezed into a grey, windowless room in the basement of a former town hall.

Today, this dismal and cramped space represents an austere prison cell in County Cork in 1919. Dressed in period gear, Murphy and Cunningham are playing two captured members of Ireland's organised, armed resistance to British rule; they are members of one of the Irish Republican Army's 'flying columns'.

Neither character is a celebrated political figure or legendary military leader as this film is not a grand historical epic driven by well-known personalities and events.

Instead, Loach is exploring this tumultuous period in Irish history via fictional characters: two brothers, Damien (Murphy) and Teddy (Padraig Delaney), and their friend Dan (Cunningham). All three abandon their former lives to help execute a violent underground campaign against British rule.

'It's about the civil war in microcosm,' explains Loach's producer Rebecca O'Brien, a veteran of nine Loach films.

Several other key crew members – such as cinematographer Barry Ackroyd and sound mixer Ray Beckett – have also worked with Loach for years.

'It's not a story like 'Michael Collins', O'Brien continues. 'It's not seeking that sort of biographical accuracy, but rather will express the themes of the period. This is the core of the later Troubles, which is why it's so fascinating to make.'

Loach and his crew have been on location in Cork for five weeks now. Almost the entire cast are from the area, even Cillian Murphy the lead actor, who's better known, has a local pedigree.

The film has lingered long in Loach's mind. O'Brien explains that he first thought of telling the 'Irish story' when he made the inter-war drama series 'Days of Hope' for television in the mid-'70s.

Indeed his long-time screenwriter Jim Allen was working on a script (then titled 'The Stolen Republic') when he died in 1999. Two years ago, Loach's most recent writer, Paul Laverty ('Carla's Song', 'Ae Fond Kiss') took up the baton and has approached the story from scratch with a new script and an intense period of research in Ireland.

Later the same day, Loach fills a local hall with around 70 extras, old and young, all of whom are dressed up for a rousing ceilidh scene which takes place in that brief period of peace and optimism between the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921 and the outbreak of civil war the next year.

A local band – including a singer with a fantastic bird's nest of a white beard – plays traditional Irish party songs and the crowd dances wildly. Photos of heroes of the 1916 Easter Rising – James Connolly, Joseph Plunkett, Padraig Pearse – line the wall and the Irish tricolour flag hangs behind the stage .

Loach gives a quick pep-talk to the crowd: 'It's the summer of 1921, and you're all either members of a flying column or at least Republicans, and so are very enthusiastic about Irish culture. There's a real bar, but please don't go too wild. Still, this is a big film, so we can afford a drink for all of you.'

O'Brien, the producer, rolls her eyes in mock-horror at the words 'big film'. 'It's costing the equivalent of about four-and-a-half Batmobiles,' she later jokes. She then explains how costly it is to ensure the accuracy of the period detail, pointing to a modern phone box that the crew obscured with a horse-and-cart for an earlier scene rather than pay £400 for its temporary removal.

Before the party scene kicks off, Loach comes over for a quick word. 'It's typical, you managed to be here this morning for the only scene in which the word 'socialism' is used,' he grins, referring to an earlier prison-cell conversation between Damien and Dan in which they quote a speech by James Connolly, one of the martyrs of the Easter Rising.

Loach is quite aware of those detractors who criticise him for banging the political drum. 'But why do we shy away from these issues?' asks O'Brien. 'People fear politics. But here we're always trying not to shy away, to lay out the facts in a grown-up way. We don't want to pander to the lowest common denominator. We want to raise discussion.'

To read Dave Calhoun's Cannes review of 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley', click here.

And to read news of the film's Palme d'Or win, click here.

User comments on this story

jo from boston said...

beg to differ - it was excellent acting, true to life, etc. my father was in the ira and my mother saw some terrible tragedies by the black and tans. Very tragic that the young ones in ireland don't give a damn how there grandfathers fought and died to save beautiful ireland. boston Posted on Sep 24 2008 14:07

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Eolan said...

VEry poor representation of the war in Cork. Cobbled together different events without developing a proper narrative. And as well, having a Scots and English man using the war in West Cork to espouse their own socialist message - when socialism had absolutely nothing to do with the war down there. and why does the Dublin socialist get the last word in every conversation. Very disappointing film. Posted on Sep 24 2008 13:49

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Janet Burke said...

This movie was recommended by friends in Ireland quite awhile ago and it took a very long time for it's release in the US, finally saw it at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago and it was well worth the wait. I felt it depicted the brutality of war, in general, and of the Irish war of independence and the civil war that followed, in particular, very well. What I liked most about it is that it allowed the truth of the situation to speak for itself without manipulating the viewer emotions with gratuitous heartwrenching scenes. Also as a period film it felt right, though not living through it that's only a guess. My husband, an Irishman, thought the Irish soldiers marching to "one, two, one, two" in english was not realistic, that their orders would have been in Irish and that it could have been done more in the movie without too much confusion to the viewer. I agree that more Irish speaking would have added to the authenticity. Posted on Jun 14 2007 19:50

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Jo Murphy said...

have been waiting for this film to come to usa - not in any theatres. found one - going this evening. can't wait to see it as my father wasan IRA old member from Galway. Will comment on the film later. All the best Posted on Mar 22 2007 11:47

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justinm said...

The pulling of fingernails happened-courtesy of the Essex Boys in Bandon...
as did the shooting of people who had been used by the B.A. for information, which was carried out by the Volunteers. Everyone "played dirty" at some stage...and then to the glee of our former occupiers we went and turned on each other with all the energy of our new found ruthlesness. Thats the bloody saddest bit of all! Posted on Jan 08 2007 17:31

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chris said...

jerry what are you talking about the whole point of the film was the troubles in Ireland in the 1920's which was perfectly done.As for acting you didn't need to see the finger nail bit the screaning was enought to put the point of torture acrross it worked I had to turn it off for a bit because It mad me think of all the other forms of torture that happened in those times Posted on Jan 06 2007 14:10

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justinm said...

Chris -
go raibh maith agat!
proffesional actors didnt fight
the war of ind. ..
ordinary people did and thats
who it portrays, ordinary people. Posted on Jan 04 2007 16:58

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Chris said...

To all those of you who are rubbishing this dvd your mad. and as for the any one who said the Michael Collins film was better what rubbish. Michael collins film was un realistic and badly dramatised. The wind that shakes the barley is true to what really happened itl's ties in with books that are written by people who were there ie Tom Barry, Dan Breen. learn your history before you criticize the film. I have Irish blood and have heard the stories from my family it was a brutal time which has been accurately re inacted Posted on Dec 25 2006 23:42

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Jerry said...

Hey justinm did you see Michael Collins film? Films use actor's you said it wasn't acting which is correct it was an appalling attempt at acting. I heard that the old woman that wanted to live in the chicken coup after the house being burnt never went to a cinema until the primere she also never stood in front of a tv camera. Posted on Dec 23 2006 00:52

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justinm said...

Well, it wasn't "acting" in the
conventional sense, reason for that being to get a less polished and more realistic
atmosphere...people stumble
over their words or trip up in
real life, dont they...
as for boring, sorry but we were fighting a war of independence down here in
west cork, it was by all accounts a bit of slog between us and HM's lads
so sorry we couldnt get it over and done with in five minutes...!The film was not supposed to be "outstanding"
like the other polished productions but was to show
life from the perspective of the "little man" in the big picture. unheroic, happy and sad, success and tragedy,
and in that form i think it worked. Sin e a chara! Posted on Dec 19 2006 23:40

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Sarah O'Donnell said...

This film was recommended to me by several people and quite frankly I was disappointed. The acting was appalling and it was slow and boring. There are alot of outstanding Irish films out there and this is not one of them. Posted on Nov 13 2006 11:54

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terry gorman said...

Our side were noisy, vicious and quite nice. The crown forces were noisy, vicious and very nasty. Which side sheared more girl's hair? Why wasn't the septuagenarian Mrs Lindsay shown as the victim of a reprisal? What else could she have done? This is bone-headed stuff like braveheart. Posted on Nov 06 2006 03:13

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Michael Foote said...

J. Anderson said.
'Iraq was oppressed by a maniac and now is on the way to true democracy and freedom because of America-if your going to comment on politics get it right the next time'
lol Mmm So thats what the Black & Tans were doing then. looks like they've F' up again then...!!! Posted on Oct 27 2006 00:00

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Tom Murphy said...

Some idiot said why don't the brit's admit what they have done, to me that is rubbish talk I am irish and my ancestors lived through troubles. Trying to blame british people today for what happened over 80 years ago is nonsense, why are some people so naive? Posted on Oct 25 2006 19:41

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Mick said...

I have to agree Murphy was too much of a nancy boy for this film, why did they tie him to a pole before they shot him? he must have been afraid to fall on the ground and also his sparkling white shirt might have got dirty, however luck was on his side because he didn't even bleed after being shot. Posted on Oct 24 2006 20:29

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