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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

Maria said...

where is this film showing in London? Posted on Jul 10 2006 15:52

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Gerry Duffey said...

Great movie, good use of local actors and dialects. Just one gripe: In the cimema scene (slient movie newsreel) the audience are seen to be reading out the text on the screen as if it was the news of the day (like a modern newsflash). But, in reality in the '20s they would have known of the Treaty and so on from newspapers, and the bush telegraph. A newsreel at that time would have taken 3/4 weeks to be processed and distributed to a rural part of Ireland. Posted on Jul 08 2006 15:45

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Gerry Duffey said...

Brave attempt by Loach to show how it was in Ireland in 1920s. Evenly balanced tale based on facts.A time for reflection on how the "Irish" question was really handled down through the years by the powers that be.. Posted on Jul 08 2006 10:17

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Phil Taylor said...

The title "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" is a celtic tune and song, accepted as both Irish and Scottish. What a good film !!! Posted on Jul 07 2006 07:20

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Mike Ansfield said...

Despite bad reviews from the tory Pres the film was terrific and fitted in with what my mum (from W Cork) told be about the times.
However - continuity - if they covered up a modern 'phone box in Bandon they should have ensured that the Priest haranguing his congregation should have been wearing a maniple which only disappeared in the late 1960s early 70s! Posted on Jul 06 2006 16:38

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justinm said...

Got to see the film at last -very good portrayal of the times. The local accents added to the film- not the usual polished acting school stuff! Very teling sign of the civil war that the opponents were able to call each others names as they were fighting each other. As it showed, once the gun is picked an unstoppable process often begins even for the best of ideals. The scenes dealing with "Chris"s turning and execution were sad to see but thats how it was.No glory
there atall. Well done Ken! Posted on Jul 06 2006 16:28

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Karen Jones said...

why is it called the wind that shakes the barley? Posted on Jul 05 2006 22:14

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Jeri Lynch said...

When will it be released in USA? Posted on Jul 05 2006 19:57

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Nick Clark said...

Thanks Nick that should clear up any confusion with posting any additional views on this emotive subject!
Kind regards
N J Clark (Nick Clark) Posted on Jul 05 2006 13:56

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N R Clark said...

Nick, apologies we share the same name but not the same views! I will sign in - as above - from now on. Posted on Jul 05 2006 09:31

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Nick Clark said...

VERY IMPORTANT
Lauren and Chris ....It seems that a new NICK CLARK has appeared on this forum with a different view on this topic to me! Just you both know my last post started with
..'So Tom you've seen the film I take it?'
I have reported this to the administrator and if it isn't cleared up. I will NOT be making anymore posts! Posted on Jul 04 2006 23:27

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Nick Clark said...

Chris, both sides were as bad as each other. Many black and tans were Irish. Not simply Brits "terrorising" the Irish. Don't worry about British critics - I'm sure this film will get bags of support in the USA. Posted on Jul 04 2006 12:53

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Chris Doherty said...

This film gets across extremely well the terrorising of the Irish nation in the early 1920s. Ofcourse British critics will always put this film down. Nick Clarke , the majority of people who share his sentiments are Irish do not exclude the North. Posted on Jul 03 2006 14:36

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Nick Clark said...

Lauren, if the film is fair and accurate historically it would be one of very few that are! INdeed it would be incredible if such a film were made on such a disputed topic. I suspect that the majority of people who share your sentimiments will be from the South (of Ireland). Posted on Jul 03 2006 10:53

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Chris Doherty said...

I thought that this was a great film although I have yet to see a motion picture which emphasises that the North and South should be combined, in both this and Michael Collins the facts seem shoved to the side blurring out how the treaty effectively destroyed the country as a whole. As a Northern Citezen I believe Ireland was destroyed in this period of time and has been for the last 84 years. Doesnt this deserve significance?
ddirish@gmail.com Posted on Jun 29 2006 00:39

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