Critical Times

Ken Loach’s new film The Wind That Shakes the Barley is a brilliant work that brings to life a crucial moment in Irish history — the signing of the treaty with England in 1921 that partitioned the country into the Irish Free State in the south, with “Northern Ireland” remaining under British rule, and the consequent civil war between supporters and opponents of the treaty. Through the experiences of a small group of working people and rank-and-file Irish Republican Army fighters, the film deals with both the brutality of the British occupation, and the key internal political struggles of the day.

Opening in County Cork in 1920, we see Damien O’Donovan (Murphy), a young doctor who is cynical about the prospect of independence for Ireland, preparing to leave to work in England.