Feeney is soldier who fought for the British but has deserted to return home to Ireland, a country in the midst of a severe famine. As a result of the British policies, he begins a murderous rampage to avenge his family that have died as a result of them, while being tracked by a former colleague in the army...
Boiled down to its most basic level, Black '47 is a revenge western at its core. On that level it would fit into a wild west setting very easily. However, this isn't the wild west. This is Ireland. An Ireland decimated by famine, a setting that gives this film more depth than a number of films that use that same basic idea.
The famine in Ireland, along with the harsh treatment of the people by the British rulers, is in truth something I know very little about. I do know it drove many people to leave Ireland for a new life in America and that a great number of people died as a result of starvation. From a film perspective, I can't say I've seen a film that has used this setting before. It's possible, but if I have I can't recall it.
According to the IMDB, the writing credit is shared by P.J. Dillon, Lance Daly, Eugene O'Brien, based on a story by Pierce Ryan, which was made into a short called An Ranger. While I said the story at it's core is a basic one, one we've seen before in a number of genres, not just westerns, It's the backdrop of Black '47 that gives it added depth. In a terrific scene late in the film, Lord Kilmichael talks of the beauty of the country and Conneely, a teller of stories points out the land would be seen the same by locals if they could eat it.
The backdrop also adds depth to character's who may have been deemed throwaway ones in other films. A soldier, one of the group hunting Feeney is so struck by how the people are suffering he is willing to help them if he can, leading to tragedy.
The performances are first rate. Hugo Weaving plays Hannah, the ex-soldier leading the hunt for Feeney and is as good as always. There is good support from Freddie Fox as the young British officer determined to do his duty, Stephen Rea as Conneely, Jim Broadbent as Kilmichael and a small but key role for Barry Keoghan. Of the female roles, only Sarah Greene, a relative of Feeney through marriage, makes a haunting impact in the film.
But it's James Frecheville as Feeney who dominates. A man of few words, and a number of them in the Irish tongue, as his character will not speak English at times, he is an imposing figure, an avenging angel of sorts, one, perhaps in a Clint Eastwood kind of way. Frecheville carries the film easily.
The film has a bleak look to it, thanks to cinematographer Declan Quinn, but a look that fits the film perfectly. The score from Brian Byrne is terrific, capturing the mood in the film well indeed. Lance Daly directs the films and does a very good job with the strong material. As well as the good performances, he stages the action in the film very well indeed, the scenes of violence often brutal. He slowly builds the tension as the film heads to it's final act and the confrontation we know is coming, but there are moments that surprise you.
The end of the film is very ambiguous, the final shot leaving the audience wondering but I liked that. There is also a moment where the fate of a character is revealed, which in other films may have broken my enjoyment of the film, but not here. In one way, I did think it might happen, so perhaps that's the reason it never bothered me when it did.
Black '47 may not have the most original story. But thanks to it's cast and crew and more importantly it's harrowing setting, it brings the story back in a fresh, powerful way.
I really enjoyed the film, one I would certainly recommend.
Rating: 4/5
No comments:
Post a Comment