There have been countless prison films over the years. Many of them are feature an 'innocent' man who has been framed. Perhaps the best of the genre is "Papillon" (1973). The most famous such film is "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994).

One problem common to most prison films is exaggeration. To create sympathy for the lead character, he is made more gentle and heroic, while the captors are made more brutal. The injustice of his imprisonment becomes a dramatic device, rather than a reflection of reality.

Fortunately, that's not the case with "In the Name of the Father". It is an excellent 'true story' about Gerry Conlon, an Irish petty criminal who is wrongly imprisoned. He finds himself framed, along with his friends and family, for an IRA bombing that he had nothing to do with.

Conlon is played by one of my favorite actors, Daniel Day-Lewis. He shows the same versatility, intensity and credibility that he displayed in his Oscar winning role in "My Left Foot".

The film makes it clear that Conlon is more irresponsible than innocent. However, the same cannot be said for his family, especially his disapproving father Giuseppe (Pete Postlethwaite).

The relationship between Gerry and his father is extensively explored. They love each other, but Gerry is frustrated because he cannot meet the expectations of his father. Still, Giuseppe believes that his son is innocent of the bombing. Emma Thompson plays a British lawyer who is convinced of the injustice of their case and seeks to free them.

A fictional character, McAndrew, is inserted to make obvious a cover-up by British policemen. McAndrew (Don Baker) is an IRA terrorist and political extremist who has admitted responsibility for the bombing. When both Conlons end up rejecting McAndrew's methods, "In the Name of the Father" finally repudiates terrorism as a method of achieving political independence.

The film scores points when rebuking martial law. This allows suspects to be subject to torture and intimidation, and held indefinitely without counsel. Judicial injustice is an underrated movie theme, greatly increasing the audience's sympathy and identification with the oppressed.

The film's pro-Irish sympathies are expressed in the soundtrack as well, which features Irish acts such as U2 and Sinead O'Connor. (85/100)




Recommended: Yes