Re: [Marxism] request for political film suggestions

[Octob1917@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 11/25/2004 11:15:32 AM Pacific Standard Time, einde@xxxxxx
writes:
I thought the most important message was the responsibility of the
British state for the frame-up. Having lived as a young Irishman in
London at the time I felt that it evoked the period and milieu (my
milieu) brilliantly, as what happened to them could have happened to any
of us - and to be frank nearly did because of the close family ties
between one of the people I shared with at the time and an IRA man
arrested shortly afterwards. Several people I knew at that time ended up
doing time in the North, even though half of those who did time weren't
in the IRA when they were first arrested - most were, however, by the
time they were released.

I take your point. The hysteria and anti-Irish sentiment of the time
certainly comes through in the movie, with excellent performances and an 
evocative
musical score. The track by U2 which opens the film still sends shivers down my
spine.

My critique is the stereotypical depiction of the IRA as a bunch of mindless
thugs bombing and killing with reckless abandon. There is no attempt by Jim
Sheridan to depict the cause of the violence or the conflict, namely British
colonialism, which I think leaves it lacking as anything other than a one
dimensional piece. That said, it remains a compelling story.

A couple of other movies I recommend are Spartans, especially the exchange
between Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis when Spartacus (Douglas) says, ' when one
man says no, I won't, Rome begins to fear. We were millions who said no.'
Adapted from the novel by Howard Fast by Dalton Trumbo, up until that point
blacklisted, this is an excellent metaphor for a socialist revolution.

The Stallone movie, FIST, is also worth a look, examining the rise and fall
of a labor leader back around the time of the depression. Inspired, obviously,
by the life of Jimmy Hoffa and the rise of the Teamsters, I like the scene
where Stallone gets the men whipped up after they've seen their picket line
broken by hired thugs.

Heady stuff indeed.


JoeD
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