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Michael Collins [VHS] [1996]
 
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Michael Collins [VHS] [1996]

VHS ~ Liam Neeson
3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)

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3 new from £3.24 13 used from £0.92 2 collectible from £9.00

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Product details

  • Actors: Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Julia Roberts, Ian Hart, Richard Ingram
  • Directors: Neil Jordan
  • Writers: Neil Jordan
  • Producers: Redmond Morris, Stephen Woolley
  • Format: Closed-captioned, Dolby, PAL, Surround Sound
  • Language English
  • Classification: 15
  • Studio: Warner Home Video
  • VHS Release Date: 13 Oct 1997
  • Run Time: 127 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00004CU6J
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 685 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

    Popular in these categories:

    #7 in  Video > Drama > Period
    #18 in  Video > Action & Adventure > War Films
    #47 in  Video > Horror & Suspense > Thrillers

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
A heartfelt epic from Irish director Neal Jordan (The Crying Game, Interview with the Vampire), Michael Collins is the biography of the charismatic and controversial Irish rebel leader who led the fight for independence from Britain. Among the most beautiful and atmospherically photographed movies of the 1990s, Michael Collins is also a rich and intelligent study of the nature of politics and leadership: the IRA spokesman, full of fiery convictions, eventually gives way to the more mature negotiator who strives to reach a compromise solution and is politically undone in the process. Liam Neeson gives a grand and towering performance as Collins, but for all the character's legendary, heroic, or otherwise larger-than-life attributes, Jordan and Neeson also keep him human. This is sweeping historical filmmaking of the kind we haven't seen since the heyday of David Lean, but with Jordan's characteristic touches of complexity and ambivalence. --Jim Emerson

Synopsis
The incredible story of Michael Collins, a man whose passion and dedication inspired a nation and changed the history of Ireland.

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Michael Collins [VHS] [1996]
84% buy the item featured on this page:
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Customer Reviews

19 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Ignore the pedants, a great film about a great revolutionary, 7 Sep 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Michael Collins [DVD] [1996] (DVD)
Ignore the views that say this film is "inaccurate" or "biased" or "incomplete" - this is always said of historical movies.

Neil Jordan and his cast succeed admirably in conveying the smells, passions and dilemmas of a turbulent time, and in showing the vastness of Collins' achievements. Collins' commitment to Irish freedom was enfused with a deep realism rather than a sentimentalism, and his ruthlessness and bravery in war were matched only by a deep humanity, an almost boyish vulnerability and commitment to making peace.

The loss of Collins was a major one for Ireland and the Irish, and yet his spirit and principles cast a longer shadow than those that opposed him and those who killed him.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Comments on an Hero, 27 Sep 2000
By A Customer
This film celebrates the life and work of a truly amazing individual. The films begins in 1916 during the Easter Rising and ends with Collins' assasination. As far as stories go, it would have been extremely hard to make a hash of this film as Collins truly led an amazing life. In places the film assumes the viewer has an insight into Irish politics and consequently appears to jump from stage to stage rather quickly without warning. This can lead to confusion if you are unfamiliar with the life of Michael Collins, or indeed the turmoil that surrounded the Irish Question throughout the last few centuries. My advice is to see the film; if you become confused simply read a his biography.
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32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the few good movies about Irish history, 15 Nov 2005
By Trevor Willsmer (London, England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)      
This review is from: Michael Collins [DVD] [1996] (DVD)
Michael Cimino was one of many who tried to bring the story of Irish revolutionary Michael Collins to the screen and on the evidence of the mess he made of Salvatore HGiuliano's story in The Siclian (and the bizarre gay love triangle in his proposed version) it's a good job he didn't. Kevin Costner's attempts resulted in some equally simplistic scripts that enshrined cliche over history before Warners decided to drop his version in favor of Neil Jordan's long-planned film. Even if they were motivated more by the success of Interview With the Vampire than the material, they made the right choice: Michael Collins is easily one of Jordan's very best films and a strikingly intelligent piece of political cinema. There are changes for dramatic purposes, but these generally seem made for sound reasons and don't change the essential truth of the Irish Republican hero who became a scapegoat for de Valera's failure to gain a Republic and ended up being assassinated by his former colleagues in Ireland's forgotten and bloody civil war.

Clocking in at little over 130 minutes, Jordan keeps a sense of momentum that occasionally loses the odd detail that would be helpful to audiences unfamiliar with Irish history (such as the way the popular hatred towards the rebels who fought in the Easter Rising was turned around by the disastrous decision of the British to execute its leaders) but which still manages to find room for character as well, personalizing the tragedy surprisingly effectively. One of the last historical epics to use real sets and real extras instead of CGI, the film feels grounded in reality while still being an enthralling and cinematic political thriller. Sinead O'Connor's screaming over the assassination scene is unhelpful, but even that can't destroy the film.

Keeping his promise to cast Liam Neeson despite heavy lobbying from Michael Collins lookalike Kenneth Branagh (who lacks the presence necessary for the part), Jordan gets good rather than great performances from his leads, although Alan Rickman nails de Valera's reptilian and hesitant delivery and Ian Hart impresses as one of Collins' lieutenants. The unwelcome presence of Julia Roberts threatens to turn the film into Hollywood but thankfully her extremely limited abilities aren't stretched to breaking point. Probably the only film about the IRA that protestants and Brits can see without bringing Molotov cocktails to the cinema, it's release fell foul of America's constant denial of the complexities of the situation, Ireland's denial of the civil war and the rest of the world's horror at the IRA breaking their ceasefire without warning and killing a little girl in the process. Rarely revived, it's definitely worth rediscovering.

The DVD comes with an excellent South Bank Show that fills in many of the film's historical gaps, including archive footage of Collins himself (who really was a dead ringer for Branagh), although it is irritatingly a flipper disc.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Michael Collins dvd
A fictional tale of a real part of history. This is the type of film you could watch over and over again.
Published 3 months ago by Mrs. M. P. Rumley

4.0 out of 5 stars Involving and fairly graphic account of the troubles
This is a movie made the tried and tested old fashioned way. It soups up the material, throws a female star in for some love interest and a bit of pulling power, and gives us some... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Lou Knee

1.0 out of 5 stars if you want to watch half a film
Very disappointed with Michael Collins the story is excellent but the film stopped near the civil war,it did nt freeze there was nt any more film on dvd. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mr. G. A. Mcglade

1.0 out of 5 stars WTF
This film is APPALLING. I have to admit i am writing a review but i could not stomach watching the film right to the very end (i watched at least 3\4 of it), i gave it a chance... Read more
Published 7 months ago by M. dickens

5.0 out of 5 stars A great film - should be watched by everyone
This film has a real power to it, and presents a major historical figure in a way that is easy to appreciate. Read more
Published 8 months ago by The Cheerful Teacher

4.0 out of 5 stars Depicts Run up to Irish Civil War
When I first saw this film I was not sure what to expect. Was it going to be a biased portrayal? Although some incidents were merged, I'm glad to say that I thought the film was... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Jay

3.0 out of 5 stars I really wanted to love this film but.......
Any one who is interested in Irish history must surely love this film right???? Wrong! Unfortunately this film is, in my estimation as distinctly average. Read more
Published on 6 Mar 2007 by Mr. M. V. Kelly

2.0 out of 5 stars The usual Hollywood treatment
This film is indeed well produced and nicely shot etc. If you like your history portrayed Hollywood style then this movie does the job. Read more
Published on 12 Feb 2007 by Bernard McGrane

1.0 out of 5 stars Are you all out of your minds, this film was Hollywood schmalz!
Some of the reviewers here are Irish for Heaven's sake! One of the most embarrasingly hollywood-ised films on this subject. Read more
Published on 10 Jul 2006 by J. DeLyon

4.0 out of 5 stars Sad History
I saw this film for the 2nd time last week and enjoyed it just as much as the first time .I cannot understand the criticism of Julia Roberts as her role in the film is not that... Read more
Published on 20 April 2006 by Brendan Wall

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