Cillian Murphytruly shot himself to mega stardom in 2023 when he won the Best Actor Oscar for his magisterial performance inOppenheimer.Between that role and his bloodthirsty performance as Tommy Shelby in the BBC’sPeaky Blinders,Murphy is finally getting the acclaim that his larger, more noticeable roles have deserved. However, in the actor’s back catalogue, there is a plethora of films and performances that sowed the seeds of his future successes and thus, warrant more attention from film fans nowadays. His turns inNeil Jordan’sBreakfast on Pluto,John Crowley’sIntermission,andDanny Boyle’sSunshinein particular are equal parts heartwarming, heart-breaking, and deep in their emotional intensity. There is one more particular film by a director from the British Isles that features an intense, star-making performance from our Irish actor:The Wind That Shakes the Barley.
The 2006 film by director-screenwriter teamKen LoachandPaul Lavertytells the story of two Irish brothers who join the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence in the struggle for independence from the United Kingdom.Murphy stars as Damien O’Donovanalongside fellow IrishmanPáraic Delaneyas his brother, Teddy. The film explores the relationship the two men have with each other and with their fledgling country, the relationships often mirroring one another in the film itself. The title of the film is taken from a19th-century balladabout the previous 1798 rebellion in Ireland, and is featured in the film in a particularly haunting funeral scene. Loach’s film ended up winning thePalme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festivaland is, to date,the highest-grossing film of the director’s career.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
In Ireland, amidst the turmoil of the 1920s struggle for independence from Britain, two brothers are drawn into the fray, initially united in their fight against the oppressive regime. However, as the war evolves into a bitter civil conflict, their paths diverge dramatically, reflecting the complex interplay of nationalistic fervor and the harsh realities of a divided nation. The narrative delves deep into themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the personal cost of political strife.
What Is ‘The Wind That Shakes the Barley’ About?
The Wind That Shakes the Barleyis set between 1919 and 1923 during the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. The film portrays the struggle of Irish republicans against British rule, leading to the establishment of the Irish Free State. The internal conflict that follows highlights the divisions among Irish revolutionaries over the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which ended the war but partitioned Ireland into the Republic of Ireland, an independent state, and Northern Ireland, a remaining member of the United Kingdom.This partition remains to this day. This historical period is marked by intense political and social upheaval, setting the stage for a poignant exploration of loyalty, sacrifice, and the complexities of revolutionary movements.The Wind That Shakes the Barley,although a work of historical fiction, isone of the more underrated historical filmsproduced in the last twenty years. Its stellar cast is one of many reasons for that.
In this world, Murphy plays Damien O’Donovan,a medical student and younger brother of Teddy (Delaney), who is the leader of the local chapter of the revolutionary Irish Republican Army. Damien plans to move off to London to study, but after witnessing some local atrocities at the hands of theBlack and Tans, Damien feels like he should stay home and help his brother in the fight for independence. Their group imprisons spies and gets themselves imprisoned in violent little donnybrooks until they hear news of a ceasefire.The film is almost split into two parts, covering the War of Independence and the Irish Civil War, sparked by the Anglo-Irish Treaty.
Irish Cinema Is Having a Moment
It’s a proud day for the Irish!
Damien and Teddy have different views on whether to support the Treaty or not, just like so many Irish families of the time. Teddy supports accepting the Treaty, while Damien believes accepting it is a betrayal of the revolutionary ideals that had already brought them so far. Spiraling into the Irish Civil War, brother was pitted against brother,not too dissimilar toBrothers,another war film by an Irish director. Damien continues his revolutionary acts with the Anti-Treaty IRA, while Teddy joins the National Army and begins patrolling in uniform. The film ends tragically with one brother causing the other to lose his life,underscoring the personal and political costs of the struggle for independence.
Cillian Murphy Delivers One of the Best Roles of His Career in ‘The Wind That Shakes the Barley’
Murphy is fantastic in this role, bringing an emotional intensity to his performance that goes unseeneven in his omnipotent portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer. He manages to catch the perfect balance between restraint and intensity throughout the film, capturing the inner conflict of Damien with exceptional truth and gravity. Murphy’s ability to convey vulnerability, determination, and a sense of tragic inevitability is one of the main reasons why this film stands strong as one of Loach’s better and more successful pictures.Aside from his two most well-known roles, his performance as Damien is, to date,one of Murphy’s bestby some distance.
The complexity of the emotions displayed by Murphy is one of the film’s defining features. From the idealism and determination he feels for his country, to the disillusionment and sorrow that come as a result of the fight for his country’s freedom, Murphy’s nuanced expressions, gestures, and body language all convey these emotions exquisitely. It presumably helped Loach that he cast an actor from Ireland because Murphy’s performance feels grounded in serious authenticity. He captures the essence of a man torn between his duty to his country and his personal relationships. This authenticity is crucial in ahistorical drama for it to be successful, and Murphy’s performance went a long way to helping this film win the Palme d’Or.
Murphy’s traditional lean visage brings the film to a whole other level, increasing its depth and impact upon the viewer. One can feel and understand the moral dilemmas that the character is experiencing just by looking at his face. Murphy’s eyes too tell the tale of his character’s psychological journey. Some of film’s most astounding performances have been given by actorswearing masks or covering their faces, but there’s something to be said for the power that a human face can have in a film. Murphy’s whole performance is great, but his vacant gaze and gaunt visage are the real stars of the film.
‘The Wind That Shakes the Barley’ Puts a Spotlight on the Human Cost of Freedom
While Murphy’s performance is the stand out, every actor in this film puts in a strong showing. Delaney,Liam Cunningham, Orla Fitzgerald,andRoger Allamall beef up the film with their acting experience and bring their own emotional intensity to the film.The whole ensemble helps to turn this historical war film into a powerful, moving experience for the viewers. The same must be said for Loach, the British director pivoting mostly away from the thematic norms that have peppered his career to date (and will hopefully continue to do so). He imprints some of his own political views onto the story itself, too, particularly with his insinuations that the film’s story was as much about a social revolution as it was a national revolution, as well as the discussions about the village’s collectivization of agriculture and industry, and land reform, particularly from the two main brothers.Loach is a renowned director of social issues, and so he finds a way to include them even into this war film.
But the film does not dwell for too long on political issues like those Loachfavors in the rest of his filmography; instead,it focuses on the human aspect of the story and the human sacrifice that comes with fighting for one’s freedom.The Wind That Shakes the Barleyis a very personal story, using the frame of the revolutionary war to tell a familial tale about two brothers torn apart by their devotion to opposing causes. The story is strong and all the behind-the-cameras work is on top form, but Cillian Murphy is a key reason this film stands on another level. His performance encapsulates so many things,from the horrors of a youth fighting a war, to a man witnessing his independent country being formed before his very eyes as he lays down his life for it. One can only hope that viewers who lovedOppenheimer, Dunkirk,andPeaky Blinderscan delve into his oeuvre for fantastic features like this one.The Wind That Shakes the Barleypacks a punch, and Murphy is the one delivering the final, and most important, blow.
The Wind That Shakes the Barleyis currently available to stream on AMC+ in the U.S.
WATCH ON AMC+
