MICHAEL COLLINS

US/Ireland, 1996, 132 minutes, Colour.
Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman, Aidan Quinn, Julia Roberts, Stephen Rea, Charles Dance, Ian Hart, Brendan Gleeson.
Directed by Neil Jordan.

Winner of the Golden Lion, Venice, 1996, this is a very serious-minded portrait of Irish patriot, Michael Collins, played with strength and conviction by Liam Neeson.

It opens with Easter Sunday, Dublin, 1916, and follows the fate of Irish rebels and British reaction during the following decade. In a world which seeks for non-violence and peace, the film is challenging in its presentation of the terrorist attacks by the Irish and in its presentation of the organised reprisal behaviour of the Black and Tans. We follow Collins change of heart as he is delegated by De Valera to go to London to negotiate a treaty which De Valera and his followers refuse to accept.

The film uses a 1966 quotation from De Valera who said that Collins' role would be re-evaluated - at the expense of his own reputation. This is the perspective of Neil Jordan's screenplay. Jordan has wanted to make this film for years. After his success with The Crying Game and Interview with the Vampire, he was able to raise the money. Filmed in Ireland and creating the atmosphere of the times and dramatising the Irish issues, the film is absorbing and disturbing. Alan Rickman is De Valera. Cast includes Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea, Charles Dance and Julia Roberts.

1.The impact of the film in the '90s? Its relevance? The Irish focus and its impact on the rest of the world? Irish nationalism? Divided Ireland? The role of the British and the British government? Issues of politics and violence?

2.The impact of the film? Its awards? For Irish audiences in understanding their 20th century history? For the English-speaking world? For the parallels in Europe, for example, the former Yugoslavia?

3.The atmosphere of Ireland, the locations, the settings from 1916 to 1923? The re-creation of O'Connell Street and the post office in Dublin? Dublin locations, the countryside, towns, houses, pubs? The Castle? The staging of the battles?

4.The musical score, the Irish tone, the Irish songs and the atmosphere and feeling?

5.The stance of the film: Michael Collins as hero, as saint, as terrorist, as murderer? Joe and Kitty and the telling of the story? Michael Collins as politician, strategist, military leader? The quotation from Eamon de Valera at the end of the film: "1966 - history will be kinder to Michael Collins and at my expense"? How true of this quotation is the film?

6.The presentation of the British and anti-British stances? 700 years of British presence in Ireland? British cruelty? British dominance and arrogance? Perceiving the Irish as driven to violence by oppression? The ideology of Resistance and a Resistance movement? Non violent means? Negotiation? Violent means? The Irish spirit as shaped by resistance to the English? The point of view of Ireland, the establishing of the Irish Free State, Northern Ireland?

7.The opening of the film and the re-enactment of 1916 Easter Sunday? The staging of the battler, the desperation of the Irish? Losing the battle? The taking of the leaders, their being shot? De Valera and his American passport, his imprisonment? The smuggling out of letters? The stance of de Valera and the response of the Irish, of the British? His negotiations with the British? His going to America and raising support and money? The military wing of the movement? The warning about his arrest? His preferring jail? The shrewdness employed in his escape? In America, the failure? De Valera and his ambitions, concern for Ireland, personal quest for power? His own ego? The collaboration with Michael Collins, the ultimate clash? His relationship with Harry? The importance of the truce? His manipulation of Michael Collins to go to England? The parliamentary response, the personal response? De Valera and Harry and the others and their attitude towards Collins, his betrayal of the cause, their walking out of the parliament? The eruption of violence and civil war? The deaths - his own understanding of the danger to Michael Collins, any responsibility for Collins's death? The subsequent history of the Republic of Ireland? Was de Valera's the correct way to go? The performance of Alan Rickman and his style and interpretation of de Valera?

8.Liam Neeson as Michael Collins? The participation in the uprising of 1916? His friendship with Harry, the defeat? The aftermath? His guerrilla tactics and his skills? The dramatisation of the various raids? His speeches throughout the Irish countryside? The spies? The encounters with Ned Broy? Seeing Broy as a spy? Broy's collaboration? The Castle, allowing Collins in, his searching of the archives, getting the information on the British personnel? Getting the plans of attack? Devising counter plans? The assassinations, the killings of the police? His social life, his relationship with Kitty, Harry and Kitty? The dance, the British and the giving of information? Rosie and her working for the British commander, the scraps from the waste paper basket? The counter plans and the deaths? The fights with the British, the indiscriminate shooting? The massacre in Phoenix Park? Engineering de Valera's escape and his going to the US? Welcoming him back? Michael Collins at home, riding his bike, active, planning? Meetings? The impact of Broy's death? His ultimately winning?

9.Michael Collins and his personality, age and experience, skills, friendship with Harry and Joe, with Kitty? Love for Kitty but respect for Harry? His seeming personal detachment? His commitment to causes? Going out to fight, the clashes, the choices? A short personal history with his death at 31?

10.His being trapped and being manipulated into going to England, the skilfulness of his negotiations with the British? The truce, the dance, people being desperate? His being trapped as regards the negotiations? The British and their wanting to find him - the fact that there were no photos of him? His detective work, parliament? The long speech and the justification of his good name? The dramatic impact of de Valera's walk-out? The speeches, the campaigns and the referendum? The sequence of the British and the ratification of the treaty? The role of the army, the development of the Civil War? The fighting and Harry's death? His going to Cork, the drink in the pub, the boy and the ambiguous loyalties? His decision to go, the ambush, his death? The reasons for his death - the Civil War mentality? His funeral?

11.Julia Roberts as Kitty? Her background, home life, love for Harry, farewelling him, his return? Going to Dublin, shopping? Her love for Michael Collins? Joe and the News of the disaster? What was Kitty left with at the end?

12.Harry and his place in the uprising, his friendship with Michael? Their being as one? Military skills, the assassinations? The violence? His love for Kitty? His going to the US, his change? His taking the side of de Valera, being part of the walk-out? The split with Michael? The uprising and the pathos of his death?

13.Ned Broy and his decision to side with Michael Collins, his being a spy and attending all the speeches in the countryside? The number of informers, their going to the Castle, in liaison with the British? Broy's change, approaching Michael Collins, the lists, getting him into the archives? The dramatic tension of these sequences? Supplying information, the arrival of the British, their humiliating treatment of him? The arrest, the pathos of his death and burning?

14.The portrait of the British, the military leaders, the commander and his arrogance, Rosie and her giving information? The massacre at Phoenix Park? The dramatic visualising of the cruel treatment of the Irish by the British? The Northern Irish question? The attitudes, politics, centuries of tradition? The Black and Tans?

15.The film as a dramatic re-creation of history? As a personal and national drama? Its contribution to the understanding of the personalities, the causes? The complexities of the Irish question? The fact that it remains unresolved?