Ireland 1920: workers from field and country unite to form volunteer guerrilla armies to face the ruthless "Black and Tan" squads that are being shipped from Britain to block Ireland's bid for independence. Driven by a deep sense of duty and a love for his country, Damien abandons his burgeoning career as a doctor and joins his brother, Teddy, in a dangerous and violent fight for freedom. As the freedom fighters’ bold tactics bring the British to 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 as sworn enemies, putting their loyalties to the ultimate test.
Directed by Ken Loach
Actors
- : Dan
- : Teddy
- : Damien
- : Sinead
- : Bernadette
- : Dunica
- : Micheail
- : Sir John Hamilton
- : Peggy
- : Leo
- : Dunica
- : Rory
- : Sinead
- : Bernadette
- : Dan
- : Teddy
- : Dunica
- : Micheail
- : Damien
- : Sir John Hamilton
- : Peggy
- : Leo
- : Dunica
- : Rory
Film Crew
- : Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh
- : Ray Beckett
- : George Fenton
- : Ken Loach
- : Jonathan Morris
- : Kevin Brazier
- : Fergus Clegg
- : Paul Laverty
- : Sixteen Films
- : Diaphana
- : The UK Film Council
- : Matador Pictures
- : The Irish Film Board
- : Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen
- : Bórd Scannán na Héireann
Technical Information
- Color
- English
Images
Videos
Trailer
Two brothers become drawn into the fight for Ireland's freedom and find their loyalties to their country and to each other dangerously tested.-
...the history presented in The Wind That Shakes the Barley hardly feels like a closed book or a museum display. It is as alive and as troubling as anything on the evening news, though far more thoughtful and beautiful.
A.O. Scott, The New York Times -
Loach has a talent for making an ordinary scene with little or no dialogue seem like an epic and this one has a few that will stand out in the memory.
Gavin Burke, Entertainment.ie -
...a finely made, finely acted piece of work. For this, and for his remarkable and uncompromising career, Loach deserves his golden palm.
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
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Reluctant Hero: A Profile of Cillian Murphy
Born in Douglas, Cork in 1976, Cillian Murphy studied Law at University College Cork before realising he was more interested in the college’s drama society and playing guitar in bands than he was...
Incredibly moving and well-made film. Can't recommend highly enough.