"They better not try to stop us today," a young Irishman jokingly states at the outset of Paul Greengrass' magnificent film BLOODY SUNDAY, referring to the presence of British troops anticipating a march by Irish civilians. "It'll take more than rubber bullets and barb wire." The scenes of chaos which follow will brutally underscore fact that truer words were never spoken with such a tragic sense of irony, nor with dreaded, calm before the storm portent.
Inspired by Don Mullan's book "Eyewitness Bloody Sunday," and written and directed by Greengrass, BLOODY SUNDAY intensely recreates the events of January 30, 1972, a day British forces opened fire during a peaceful march in Derry, Ireland, killing thirteen civilians and wounding fourteen. Employing superb handheld camera work by photographer Ivan Strasburg, pic possesses a staggering ring of authenticity, a mega-watt charge of visceral immediacy that plunges viewers into the relentless fray and is bound to elicit a wide swath of emotional response--from dread, horror, anger, to eventually a lingering sadness over such a ghastly event which seemed almost pre-ordained to happen. BLOODY SUNDAY is a galvanizing cry of moral outrage and one of the most powerful films audiences are ever likely to see.
Pic opens with dual press conferences which potently set the stage for story's central conflict. On the one side Irishman Ivan Cooper (James Nesbitt) stresses the political motivations behind Derry's Civil Rights Association sponsored march. On the other, Major General Robert Ford (Tim Pigott-Smith) voices British dissent and warns of possible conflict. From here pic branches into four distinct plot lines which serve to illustrate just how inevitable the massacre may have been. The first involves the aforementioned Cooper and his struggles to organize a march instilled in the ideals of non-violent peace. A second centers on an elite squadron of British paratroopers (The "powers") holed up in downtown Derry just outside a main march thoroughfare and ordered to counter any aggressive behavior. The third focuses on British Brigade Headquarters under the supervision of Brigadier Patrick Maclellan (Nicholas Farrell) who coordinates the British forces in the city. And the last (And most humane element) follows Gerry Donaghy (Declan Duddy), a young Derry native who along with mates is anxious to participate in march. Film devotes equal amounts of time in developing each of these story arcs and powerfully examines how the day's events--the march, escalating hostilities, shooting, and aftermath--impacts each and affects the lives of its participants.
Acting by exceptional cast of relative unknowns goes a long way in establishing atmosphere of verisimilitude. Nesbitt, with the physical authority and resemblance of George Clooney, infuses the harried, always-on-the-go Cooper with an inherent likeability. Fact that character is a Protestant among predominantly Catholic activists says a lot about Cooper's idealism. The emotional devastation conveyed by Nesbitt in final scene is especially palpable.
As Major General Ford, Pigott-Smith paints an effective portrait of unwavering, gung-ho antagonism. "I have seen nothing today that reflects in any way with discredit on our forces," Ford states with typically crass stubbornness, as if his troops were heroic. Farrell is an immediate counterpoint as Brigadier Maclellan, whose haggard countenance of defeat during the day's aftermath (Accepting congratulations from Ford no less) speaks volumes. As Private Lomez, Mike Edwards is effective as one of the few conscientious "Powers" who objects to his fellow troops' display of force. Actor's final scene perjuring himself during his official statement is particularly disconcerting. And Declan Duddy is a natural as Gerry (Who viewers should most identify with), a young, innocent with a past who against his will finds himself irrevocably entangled in the confrontation.
Greengrass' script and execution is stellar. Pic is so compact with information and rich details that they may go unnoticed upon initial viewing. Foremost among these is military state environment of downtown Derry. At every turn the omnipotent presence of British forces is felt. Another is fact that British blockade march's initial route that would have taken citizens to the city's Guild Hall. The improvised route which alternates the turn at the location confuses hundreds of marchers and instigates the lightning chain of events that will unfortunately end with death. The diabolical machinery of the swift British cover-up in particular conjures great animosity on part of viewers, especially when troops are seen planting evidence on the bodies of the dead. This gross defiling of their memories is even more shameful than the unnecessary shootings. Such sequences support notion that massacre was sadly inevitable.
The aforementioned Dogma style camera work by Ivan Strasburg is sensational and seamlessly edited by Clare Douglas. Their work in particular give scenes of mass hysteria an essence of harrowing realism, which serves to draw an even more tangible emotional reaction from viewers. The middle section of film beginning with the first pangs of civil unrest between marchers and troops, and climaxing with the final victim being shot is a tour de force of sustained, explosive intensity and chaos that matches anything in "Saving Private Ryan" and "Black Hawk Down." And pic's penultimate sequence at the hospital has an element of emotional catharsis unparalleled in recent film.
In BLOODY SUNDAY, Paul Greengrass has produced an extraordinary account of one of Northern Ireland's most shameful episodes. With stunning production and acting, film is an unforgettable experience into the descent of chaos, and lives hopelessly shattered.
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