BLACK 47

Ireland, 2018, 96 minutes, Colour.
Hugo Weaving, James Frecheville, Stephen Rea, Freddie Fox, Barry Keoghan, Moe Dunford, Sarah Greene, Jim Broadbent.
Directed by Lance Daly.

The title refers to 1847 in Ireland. Very black times. The potato famine. The rule of the British and their oppression.

The film will have quite an impact in Ireland, an opportunity to look back at a particular time, not frequently shown in film, and to reflect on the subjugation of the Irish by the British, the nature of the oppression, the impact of the potato famine and the consequences on starvation in Ireland itself as well as the migration to Britain, Canada and Australia.

Those who have Irish ancestry will find it particularly interesting, especially if some of their ancestors suffered in the famine and migrated at this period.

The framework for the film is a vengeance story. It opens with a British soldier, fraternising with the police and the local authorities in a bar, then going to the prison and brutally interrogating an Irish rebel, choking him for information – and then being charged with murder. The soldier, Hannah, is played with his usual intensity by Hugo Weaving.

But the central character is another soldier, an Irishman who fought with Hannah in Afghanistan, but who left the Army, deserting, taking some weapons, returning to Ireland and finding his family devastated. His mother has died in the famine. His brother has been executed. His brother’s widow and children are destitute. This character is Michael Feeney, played by Australian actor James Frecheville, and made to look up like an outlaw, bushranger of the times, severe in demeanour, long beard, travelling by horse.

When Michael Feeney begins to kill those who are responsible for the deaths of his family, the authorities decide to send a young British officer, Pope (Freddie Fox) to capture Feeney. He is to take Hannah along to identify him as well as helping in the arrest. Also in the group is very young recruit played by Barry Keoghan, in charge of the horses, who later is shocked to discover the repercussions of the famine. Interestingly, in 1847, they travel by train to the north to pursue Feeney in Connemara, the bleak and often barren landscapes of the county.

Along the way, the group pick up an Irish traveller, who can spin a yarn, can give information, Conneely (Stephen Rea). He leads them to the town where the local landowner has a mansion. The landowner is played with enormous arrogance by Jim Broadbent, the landowner who loves the land but despises the Celtic people and longs for the day when they will all be eliminated.

Feeney encounters owners of shops who betrayed his family, various officials, and kills them in dramatic and symbolic ways.

It all builds up of course to a dramatic climax, the bond between Hannah and Feeney somewhat rekindled, Feeney skilful in destroying his enemies but ultimately destroyed – with Hannah having the option to stay in Ireland and face prison or, as Feeney advises him, to go to America.

Perhaps a bit specialist for non-Irish and non--Irish ancestry audiences.

1. A grim story? Grim times? Grim Irish history?

2. Ireland in 1847, the British and rule, the presence, the landowners, their workers, the military, the atmosphere of oppression?

3. The peasants, the potato famine, the rotten potatoes, fevers and deaths, emaciated survivors, being ousted from the farms? Landowners complaining about paying taxes for them? The produce being transferred to England from starving Ireland?

4. Audience knowledge of the times, awareness of the Irish experience and the range of Irish descent – to the US, Canada, to Australia?

5. The film’s use of Gaelic and English, speech, songs? The English against Gaelic?

6. Vengeance story, Michael Feeney, his going to the British Army, serving in Afghanistan, his comradeship with Hannah? Desertion, taking the weapons, coming home, looking like a bushranger, searching for his mother, her death, her refusal to take the potato soup? His brother being hanged? His brother’s wife and children in the hut? The time with them, the gift? His going to his mother’s grave? The return of the impact on him?

7. The introduction to Hannah, in the tavern, with the British soldiers, his interrogation methods, the Irishman defying him, Hannah choking him? His being arrested, to be tried for murder?

8. The bleakness of Connemara, the mountains, fields, the valleys, the huts? The contrast with the landowner and his mansion? And travel by train at this time?

9. The musical score, plaintiff, Gaelic tones?

10. Feeney, going to his mother’s grave, bringing food, singing, the family being ousted, his being hit and watching, the roof taken off, the severity of the authorities? His return, the mother and children frozen to death? The pig in the house? His confronting the agent, the agent and his stories, getting his gun, not being able to fire, his death, the pig’s head on his body? The mission, vengeance for the others to die, the agent supervising the grain, and buried in the grain? The judge, in the court, sentences to Van Diemens Land, his defence of legality? His being hanged? The other deaths?

11. Hannah, given the mission to find Feeney? Released? Pope, young, very British? The young lad with the horses accompanying them?

12. Travelling by train, the reporter talking about the famine? Going by horse, tracking, the experience of the locals? The soldiers and the mercenaries wanting the reward money?

13. The meeting with Conneely, in himself, on the road, accompanying them, giving information about the landowner’s house, his jokes with the landowner, watching the grain, severing Hannah’s ropes, observing the funeral?

14. The Lord, the registry ownership, his despising the Celtic people, loving the landscapes? The grain, sending it to England? The jokes with, Conneely? In the carriage, his abduction, injuries, not begging from Feeney? Feeney putting him on the horse, disguised, his being shot? The funeral?

15. The boy sent as companion with the horses, his experience of oppression, the grain going away, the Irish starving, his gun, his being shot?

16. Hannah, to appear before the firing squad? Feeney sniping?

17. The fights, the choking of the Sergeant? Hannah and his escape with Feeney? The shooting? Feeney and his dying, urging him to go to the US?

18. And at the crossroads, the group going to America – or the possibility of following the young British officer?