The Minister for general mayhem

Classic Film Review: Michael Collins (1996)

Directed by Neil Jordan

Michael Collins the man was one of the most iconic heroes in Ireland’s troubled history. Developing extremely successful guerrilla tactics, instilling fear in the British as the man responsible for ‘gun-running, daylight robbery and general mayhem’, his campaign eventually led to the negotiation of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921. However, as the man who signed the Treaty, which allowed the partition of Ireland, Collins was regarded as a traitor by those that opposed the agreement. Eventually, this led to Michael Collins’ assassination.

Neil Jordan’s film tells the incredible story of Collins and the IRA from the Easter Rising in 1916 through to the statesman’s death. Oscar and BAFTA nominated, Michael Collins is a beautiful and dramatic piece of cinema and you don’t need knowledge of Irish history to enjoy it. However, upon release the film was subjected to wide criticism. Historians claimed the film was inaccurate, whilst British critics condemned the violent depiction of British auxiliary soldiers occupying Ireland. Nevertheless, the film was a huge success in Ireland and became quite a public affair as calls for extras were met with thousands of Irish people eager to re-enact their past.

The cast of the movie is undoubtedly star-studded. Liam Neeson produces an electrifying performance in the title role, which earned him the Venice Film Festival Best Actor Award. Unusually, Jordan didn’t exclusively use Irish actors for the starring roles, with Aidan Quinn and Julia Roberts swapping their American accents for surprisingly convincing Irish ones. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Alan Rickman. Whilst his performance is fantastic as the almost anti-heroic Sinn Fein leader, Eamon de Valera, his accent leaves a little to be desired. Julia Roberts could also be considered an odd choice for this movie as amidst the rough Irish backdrop she oozes Hollywood glamour. Nevertheless, you can’t deny that she provides a great onscreen character as Kitty Kiernan.

Michael Collins is dark, perfectly capturing the gloomy, perilous and troubled times of early twentieth century Ireland. Borrowing elements of the gangster genre, the movie shows uncompromising, raw violence mingled with political struggle. From the assassination of Irish officials to jailbreaks and the murder of innocent civilians, the lifetime of Collins was filled with death and destruction. However, the violence condoned by Collins is all in pursuit of peace and the establishment of a new, free Ireland.

Regardless of historical inaccuracies, Jordan’s film provides an insight into the man behind the Irish Free State, the IRA and the shaping of some of Ireland’s most significant historical moments. Dramatic, passionate and dangerous, Michael Collins is a movie to remember.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'Michael Collins'.

'What I do I do because I like to do'

A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess

Anthony Burgess’ novel, A Clockwork Orange, is without a doubt a masterpiece of modern writing. Made doubly famous by Stanley Kubrick’s controversial film adaptation, the original text caused just as much of a stir when published as it became the first book of its kind.

This is Alex’s story: a tyrannical, Mozart-loving youth, who roams the streets at night with his ‘droogs’ committing ultra-violence. However, raping and pillaging soon take Alex to prison, where he undergoes a brainwashing experiment to reform him into becoming a good citizen.

The novel is, on a basic level, a discussion of good and evil and the freedom of choice. Burgess looks at the imposing levels of state control in an age that is extremely relevant to today’s society: the age of technology. It is a society restricted by heavy laws, indoctrinated by the media and living in fear of a seemingly uncontrollable sub-culture of rebellious, violent youths. Sound familiar?

However, when the state starts to try and reduce the numbers in its crowded prisons by brainwashing criminals into feeling physically ill at the sight and thought of violence, individual liberty is jeopardised. Burgess looks at the frighteningly real possibility that as the state becomes more desperate to control its citizens and ‘protect’ them from violence, freedom of choice will become a thing of the past. Alex becomes mechanical, a ‘clockwork’ being under someone else’s control, so could we all become the same?

Burgess’ protagonist tells his story in a language (Nadsat) created for him and his fellow teenagers. It is related to Russian, as the book was written in the Cold War, and with it Burgess creates a completely unique style for the book. Nevertheless, the anglicised words are easily recognisable and you find yourself connecting with Alex and sympathising with him and his violent ways.

Alex’s journey throughout A Clockwork Orange is an interesting one, which portrays life from the side of the ‘bad’. What he does he does out of choice but when that choice is removed, Alex becomes as much a victim of society as the victims of his own violence. Burgess forces us to rethink what makes the good and what makes the evil, but whatever you might think, this novel is an absolute must-read.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'A Clockwork Orange'.

Up Rolls a Riot Van

So...

I see the British have resorted to typical British methods:

Want to solve a problem?
- First, wreck the source.
- Second, have a cuppa and sort the rest out later.

Ahead of the G20 summits, the London streets, as we all well know, were chokka block with protesters making their feelings known about the state of current affairs and finances. Most of the marches were peaceful, but why do there always have to be some pillocks that have to start throwing fire about in an attempt to make themselves heard?

Watching the news coverage, I saw that the police were well on top of things, battering protesters in a bit of a random fashion and even charging and barging the crowds, involving probably more innocents that guilty ones in the mass of violence. But then, I don't know how I'd react if someone threw a flaming stake at me. I probably wouldn't bring the horses in - it always seems a bit medieval, still using horses to try and restore order and suppress violence. Horses seem to get spooked so easily, and they can't wear helmets or carry shields to protect themselves.

It is nice to see protesters adapting to the 21st century though - everyone of them seemed to have an expensive camera which they used to take pictures of/video one bloke smash the Bank of England windows in with a metal bollard. No doubt some of these are already on youtube and will be 'This Week's Most Watched' by Friday.

I actually went to London today, purely out of choice, still being of my slightly naive teenage years. I went in and straight out again, sticking a bit south and staying away from the centre so that I didn't get caught up in anything a bit dodgy. I didn't really think there'd be much to make a fuss about, but apparently old habits die hard, and any excuse to cause a bit of mayhem seems to be a good and well-embraced one anywhere in the world. I was boring though and paid to have a bit of education at the Bodyworks Exhibition in the O2 (highly recommended), but I will get enraged one of these days and maybe go and take some snaps of a protest of my own.

Let's just see if it gets us anywhere, eh?