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Bloody Sunday

2002, Movie, R, 110 mins

Bloody Sunday: Review

BLOODY SUNDAY
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English writer-director Paul Greengrass's unnervingly realistic recreation of the 1972 "Bloody Sunday" massacre of 13 unarmed Irish-Catholic civilians during a civil-rights demonstration on the riot-scarred streets of Derry, Northern Ireland, has been rightfully compared to Gillo Pontecorvo's classic THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS (1965). Greengrass uses a similarly breathless, semi-documentary style that could be mistaken for reality; he also boldly courts controversy with an account that's clearly at odds with the "official story" based on the British army's version of events. Organized by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association to protest the internment of hundreds of rebels without trial, the parade was originally supposed to wind its way through the Bogside, Derry's Irish Catholic enclave (and a hotbed of anti-Unionist activity), straight through a police barricade and boldly end on the steps of the Guildhall, the venerable symbol of Protestant rule in Derry. Together with the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the British army, which had maintained a highly contentious presence in the city since 1969, had its own plan of action. Welcoming a confrontation with the protesters, they intended to use the inevitable riot as a pretext for invading the Bogside and rounding up the hooligans who'd been pelting the British soldiers with rocks on a daily basis. To get the job done, the army called in a brigade of hardcore British paratroopers, a notoriously brutish bunch whose reputation for belligerence only added fuel to the anticipated fire. The film is a heart pounding, moment-by-moment recreation of that awful January day, beginning with the assembly of marchers under the supervision of idealistic NICRA activist Ivan Cooper (James Nesbitt), and climaxing with a horrifying display of violence that's difficult to stomach. Throughout, Greenglass cuts between events on the street and tensions at army headquarters, where RUC Chief Superintendent Frank Lagan (Gerard McSorley) vainly urges Brigadier Pat MacLellan (Nicholas Farrell) to keep the paratroopers out of the Bogside. The accents are thick and the soundtrack noisy, but even as the screen explodes in chaos, Greenglass maintains a solid grip on the story. But while the immediate, you-are-there approach packs an undeniably powerful punch — the sight of paratroopers opening fire on unarmed marchers is genuinely sickening — it also leaves little room for any response beyond the visceral. Without the benefit of context that extends beyond the events of the day, the film's ability to address more general questions as to why such inexcusable violence could occur is limited. leave a comment --Ken Fox
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