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Amazon.co.uk Review
If it had been written as a piece of fiction no one would have believed it, but In the Name of the Father is the true story of one of the most shocking episodes in British legal history. Dealing with the events surrounding the Guildford pub bombing in 1974 and the subsequent 15-year fight for justice, the film portrays a nation in the grip of an anti-system, desperate to find culprits at any cost, however immoral, illegal or brutal. By playing out the drama in personal as well as political terms--the relationship between Gerry Conlon (Day-Lewis) and his father (Pete Postlethwaite) becomes the story's centrepiece--the film works on numerous levels, but the events are no less shameful for it. The court case that ultimately freed the three men and one woman only takes centre stage for the last 20 minutes but despite that--and the fact that the outcome is no secret--it is high drama and completely gripping. This is an unmissable example of genuinely courageous cinema.
On the DVD: Where the real-life events behind the film might have offered huge scope for additional material, the DVD provides little beyond production and cast notes. The film's re-creation of both 1970s Belfast and London is very realistic, intensified by the anamorphic screen ratio, and the excellent soundtrack (including Bono, Sinead O'Connor and Thin Lizzy), which helps drive the action, is intensified by the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. --Phil Udell
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thought provoking, especially in this new political climate,
By Goldie locks (Denmark) - See all my reviews
This review is from: In The Name of The Father [DVD] [1994] (DVD)
This movie is one of my favorite movies of all time! It was the movie that introduced me to the genius of Daniel Day Lewis and to the issues of the IRA and Northern Ireland. I was 10 when I first saw this movie and the horror of what it depicted stayed with me. The performances of the actors are brilliant all the way around as is the direction. It made me laugh, it made me cry and probably best of all it made me realize that things aren't always the way they seem, even if it is the police who are giving you the facts.
There are other reviewers who have summarized the movie, so I won't do that here. What I will say is this: apart from the actual story being told in the movie, it is a movie well worth watching because it is still so very current in the issue of terrorism and how we deal with this. The way that the British police treats the people they bring in for "questioning" are horrifyingly similar to the things you hear on the news that the "democratic" nations fighting for democracy in the Middle East are doing to supposed terrorists. This movie forces you to take a good look at your own opinions on post-9/11 legislation, i.e. the PATRIOT Act and other similar laws it spawned. It forces you to think about whether or not you can completely trust the information you are given by a government desperate to put a face on an enemy who is spreading terror amongst the nation's citizens. I have recommended this movie to pretty much everyone I know and so I will do the same here. I have yet to meet anyone who didn't like it so I can only assume that it is not just me.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
In The Name of The Father,
By
This review is from: In The Name of The Father [DVD] [1994] (DVD)
On 5'th October 1974 an IRA bomb exploded in a crowded Guildford pub; killing many and injuring/maiming far more. To me the events which followed, and which this film encapsulates perfectly, demonstrate the ludicrously unjust situations which inevitably arise, when a 'democratic' government insists on being bound by 'the international rule of law' when dealing with terrorists, who quite evidently don't give a damn about the law themselves.
Knowing 'those responsible' have almost certainly left the country, but fearing widespread anti-Irish riots; these same 'respect for justice' politicians have no hesitation in 'secretly' bringing massive pressure(promotion, pensions etc...) on police forces to apprehend 'those responsible'. In blind desperation, the police trawl the area, find a few faces that will 'fit' and manufacture a case against them. A show trial is organized. As the felons are dispatched to prison, an exultant media spotlights those involved, the career prospects of whom are enhanced! These senior political, police and media figures involved however; mostly knew that the unfortunates beginning their 20-30yrs jail terms were innocent! The rest of this genuinely human drama, illustrates the grim reality endured by Gerry and Giuseppe Conlon, Paul Hill and Annie Maguire as they struggle to exist as innocent victims of the institutional corruption/incompetence, endemic throughout the British establishment of that time; which is the true villian of this hard-hitting and very relevant film. To my mind however the real culprits were not the Prison Guards, Police Officers/Chiefs etc.... pilloried; but the politicians who's failure to take the hard decision's needed; enabled this situation amongst others, to get out of hand in the first place. While serving in the British Army during this period, I was told that the IRA's total combat strength was less than three hundred men, with the individuals, their ranks, addresses, 'service' records and very much more, all being well known to British Intelligence. Had fifty or so of their best organisers, fundraisers, bombers, snipers and knee-cappers been 'taken out' in the weeks/months following the first bombings; Belfast alone would have been spared more than 20yrs of atrocity and fear, 3,000 deaths, and innumerably more injured/maimed. Similarly, gross travesties of justice such as the incident depicted in this film, would not have occured. I unreservedly recommend this film to any who wish to understand the reality behind the tragic headlines which so often fill our TV News.In The Name Of The Father [DVD] [1994]
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Daniel Day Lewis at his best,
By
This review is from: In The Name of The Father [DVD] [1994] (DVD)
SAFE READING - NO SPOILERSOther reviewers have gone into great detail of the plot and there is no need for me to duplicate information. Daniel Day Lewis is an actor who chooses his parts with great care and, if the media is to be trusted, prepares for his parts with meticulous and detailed care. The issues of the IRA and Northern Ireland are complex, deeply rooted in both cultures and very difficult for an outsider to judge. It is very difficult to empathise with people who use terror and indiscriminate bombings to make political points but this film makes a good attempt. It is difficult to fault any of the performances and it will certainly provide food for thought. Recommended
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