Michael Collins (film)

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Movie
German title Michael Collins
Original title Michael Collins
Country of production UK , Ireland , USA
original language English
Publishing year 1996
length 133 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Neil Jordan
script Neil Jordan
production Stephen Woolley
music Elliot Goldenthal
camera Chris Menges
cut J. Patrick Duffner
Tony Lawson
occupation

Michael Collins is an Irish historical film from 1996, which tells about the Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins . Directed by Neil Jordan , Liam Neeson and Julia Roberts can be seen in the leading roles .

background

Great Britain was a world power at the beginning of the 20th century, whose territory stretched over a third of the earth. Still, it was always the closest colony, Ireland , that caused the UK's greatest problems, as Ireland resisted British rule vehemently. This resulted in civil wars and revolutions, but all efforts failed. Finally there was another uprising in 1916, which was followed by a guerrilla war . This war ultimately resulted in the relationship between Britain and Ireland forever changing. Michael Collins was an Irish politician and leader of the Irish Struggle for Independence, which lasted from 1919 to 1923. His life and death determined a whole epoch.

With some historical inaccuracies, the film shows the story of the Irish struggle for independence from the Easter Rising in 1916 to the assassination of Michael Collins, the controversial founder of the IRA, on August 22, 1922.

action

In 1916 the British occupation forces bloodily put down the Irish Easter Rising. As a result, the Irish Republican leaders are shot without due process. Eamon de Valera , the head of the Irish underground movement, is taken to prison along with his young allies Michael Collins and Harry Boland. The struggle against the overwhelming British could no longer continue in the same way. Collins sees this too, whereupon he organizes a secret army, the Irish Republican Army . With this army, Collins succeeds in gaining the upper hand in this war through terrorist attacks on politicians loyal to the king and informants of the British secret service.

Peace negotiations follow, with Collins acting as chief negotiator. The majority of the Irish people are in favor of the drafted treaty , but the discontent of the rest of the population is plunging Ireland into war again . Now the Irish are fighting against the Irish - supporters against opponents of the treaty. De Valera and Boland meanwhile break away from Collins. Collins wants to prevent further bloodshed, which is why he travels to Cork , an opposing focal point, against the advice of his supporters . There he wants to conduct peace negotiations with de Valera. But it doesn't come to that, he is caught in a fatal ambush .

Reviews

  • Ulrike Steiner from the OÖN wrote on July 5, 1997 that the film does not raise anything beyond good storytelling and the over-exhausted formula that the revolution is eating its own children.
  • film-dienst 7/1997: Although it pays homage to myth rather than reflection, the film is nonetheless a captivating cinema piece, which impresses above all with its atmosphere based on models from English film history.
  • kino.de wrote that Liam Neeson shines in the title role . Furthermore, that director Jordan succeeded in the implementation of the feat of capturing the recent history of Ireland on the screen without forgetting the entertainment aspects that are important for marketing .

Awards

The film received the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1996 .

Cinematographer Chris Menges and film music writer Elliot Goldenthal were nominated for an Oscar in 1997. Elliot Goldenthal and Liam Neeson were nominated for the 1997 Golden Globe Award . Chris Menges and Alan Rickman were nominated for the British Academy Film Award in 1997.

The film was nominated for the Political Film Society Award for Peace in 1997. Elliot Goldenthal was nominated for the 1997 Golden Satellite Award .

More films about the Irish War of Independence

Web links