David Carr, a disillusioned unemployed Liverpudlian, follows his principles and joins the fight against fascism in Spain. Taking up with a poorly armed Republican alliance, he becomes enmeshed in the struggle to protect the country’s democratic government from General Franco’s advancing armies.

A unique moment in history—the arrival of men and women from all over Europe to join the red forces during the Spanish Civil War—is beautifully portrayed in Ken Loach’s sobering depiction of camaraderie amid conflict. Its heart-wrenching dramatic potential never undermines its historical complexity.