Many movies and shows stop streaming on Netflix on January 1. This one stops on December 31 for some reason, so I gave it priority. At least I won't take as long to decide what to watch for the next week or so.
Set in Ireland in the early '20s, the plot moves from one war (of independence) to another (civil) so swiftly that I didn't immediately realize there was more than one. For the first, brothers Damien and Teddy become inclined to fight the British when some Black and Tans kill their friend for little reason. For the second, they are on opposites sides regarding whether to accept the compromise of the peace treaty until a better time to push for more rights. I might as well tell you now: It does not end well for them.
For a modern war film, it doesn't have a high body count, but that doesn't stop it from being pretty brutal. A few scenes involve torture, most notably the removal of fingernails. (It didn't look too realistic to me, but what do I know?)
While TWTStB is popular overall, many object -- quite rightly in my book -- to the Irish Republican bias of the filmmakers. It's easy for non-Brits to hate historical Brits, but the latter don't seem to get a fair shake here; they look awful enough to vindicate the most thuggish actions of the contemporary IRA (well, almost). Viewers disagree on whether it's lies and propaganda, but in any case, it's sorely unilateral. At best, we can chalk it up to the perceptions of the protagonists. We get a much better sense of balance during the pre-civil war debate, between Irish and Irish.
I've seen one Ken Loach film before. This one, coming 37 years later, bears almost no resemblance beyond tragedy in the British Isles. I think I appreciate Kes a trifle better. You may prefer to watch TWTStB when in the mood for constant conflict and no joy on behalf of the characters.
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