Ireland 1920: workers from field and country unite to form volunteer guerrilla armies to face the ruthless ‘Black and Tan’ squads that are being shipped from Britain to block Ireland’s bid for independence. Driven by a deep sense of duty and a love for his country, Damien abandons his burgeoning career as a doctor and joins his brother, Teddy, in a dangerous and violent fight for freedom. As the freedom fighters’ bold tactics bring the British to breaking point, both sides finally agree to a treaty to end the bloodshed. But despite the apparent victory, civil war erupts and families who fought side by side find themselves pitted against one another as sworn enemies, putting their loyalties to the ultimate test.
Unlike virtually all his contemporaries, Ken Loach has never succumbed to the siren call of Hollywood, and it’s virtually impossible to imagine his particular brand of British socialist realism translating well to that context. After studying law at St. Peter’s College, Oxford, he branched out into the theater, performing with a touring repertory company. This led to television, where in alliance with producer ‘Tony Garnett’ he produced a series of docudramas, most notably the devastating “Cathy Come Home” episode of “The Wednesday Play” (1964), whose impact was so massive that it led directly to a change in the homeless laws. He made his feature debut Poor Cow (1967) the following year, and with “Kes”, he produced what is now acclaimed as one of the finest films ever made in Britain. However, the following two decades saw his career in the doldrums with his films poorly distributed (despite the obvious quality of work such as The Gamekeeper (1968) (TV) and Looks and Smiles (1981… read more
An exceptional piece of historic cinema by the admirable Ken Loach. This film bravely weaves a story of young Irish men standing up to the brutality and utter savagery of the British Army occupying their land. Ultimately, "The Wind..." is a tale of loyalty, nationality, and the testing of beliefs. Gorgeous cinematography and powerhouse performances all around. A must-see for anyone fighting to preserve their culture.
Almost a counterpoint to Hunger, a film which preferred to depict the Troubles through imagery, actions. Loach’s film, set a half-century earlier during the Civil and Independence Wars, does that, but is also a gusty, heated drama, inevitably emotive. His trademark, rowdy kinship now marked by a sombre tinge - truly harrowing in its most pronounced moments, only to still be sobering elsewhere. Its arc mirrors that of the focal struggle: lengthy, unyielding conflict, a brutal cycle of violence and savagery. Very admirable.
Even as he turns 75 today, Ken Loach carries on working. The BBC spotted him just the other day shooting in a Scottish distillery; his next
"Ken Loach will arrive fashionably late at this week's Cannes film festival — his latest drama has just been confirmed as a last-minute
"As the bloody sectarian horror show of Northern Ireland in the 20th century has tapered off in the headlines, so has much of its currency
“Le vent se lève” n’est pas une grande fresque historique hollywoodienne et c’est peut-être pour cela qu’il désarçonne quelque peu le spectateur. C’est un film plutôt intimiste et allégorique qui montre… read review
(December 2007)
“I didn’t knew what to expect. Never saw a Ken Loach movie before. I don’t want to talk about the direction, nor the script, nor the damn photography. I don’t think that we can… read review
I knew I was watching an absolutely brilliant, amazing film about 15 minutes into it. The protagonist, Damien, a doctor on his way to London for a new job, witnesses two atrocities committed by British… read review
War films — like other genres defined by a singular, restrictive theme — suffer from the success of their predecessors. Once you’ve seen a few brilliant samples of the genre, the rest starts to feel… read review
