CLOSING THE RING

UK/Canada, 2007, 119 minutes, Colour.
Shirley Mac Laine, Christopher Plummer, Mischa Barton, Neve Campbell, Gregory Smith, Stephen Amell, Brenda Fricker, Martin Mc Cann, Pete Postlethwaite.
Directed by Richard Attenborough.

With director Richard Attenborough at 83, we are not expecting an avant garde film. No, this is old-fashioned film-making which appeals to older audiences and those with a romantic vein. It boasts a good cast, a chance to see Shirley Mac Laine in her early 70s doing her acerbic thing and Christopher Plummer, nearer to 80, exerting his charm.

Actually, the plot is quite complicated. There are two time eras, the 1940s and the 1990s and there are two place settings, the Michigan and Belfast. The film moves from place to place, time to time with plenty of flashbacks. It is a bit like the cyclic indication of the title. We move around the ring and finally it is closed.

In the 1940s, three young men are great friends, enlist together after Pearl Harbour, train together and go on flying missions to Europe. At the centre of this circle is Ethel Ann (Mischa Barton) who loves one of the three, promising to love him forever. Caring for Ethel Ann, he asks one of his friends to look after her if anything should happen to him. This leads to some complications after the war and its effect on the older Ethel Ann (Shirley Mac Laine).

In the meantime in Belfast, people have to shelter from raids. The IRA is active and the British troops watchful. Then the good-time Americans come.

In the 1990s, the young Belfast fireman from the 1940s (Pete Postlethwaite) continues to dig on the mountainside at the edge of the city, helped by an exuberant young man (Martin Mc Cann) who finds Ethel Ann’s ring. As might be imagined, this opens up all the memories, probes into the secrets, especially for the only surviving pilot friend (Christopher Plummer) and Ethel Ann’s daughter, Marie (Neve Campbell). A vist to Belfast and an experience of terrorist bombs lead to some resolution of the events which have bedeviled the characters for almost fifty years.

Despite the time and place shifts, this is plain and classic storytelling. Definitely not for those with Tarantino sensibilities. An entertainment and some emotions for those who like the old-style films.

1.The appeal of the film? Old-fashioned filming? Older audiences: the story, the cast, history, war, memories?

2.The re-creation of the two periods, authentic atmosphere? The US in the 1940s, Michigan, the war, the flyers, their lifestyle? Combat, the crash? Ireland, leave for Americans, the raids, the IRA and the British army? The contrast with the 1990s, contemporary America? Homes, churches, restaurants? The Irish in the 1990s, Belfast, the mountain, the search on the mountain, the city, the IRA bombs?

3.The structure of the film, the interplay of the different periods, the flashbacks, especially for Ethel Ann?

4.The title, the literal focus on Ethel Ann’s ring, the cycle of events, of history, the circle of friends?

5.Ethel Ann and Jack, the opening of the film, the funeral, Ethel Ann outside smoking, her attitude, Jack and his overfly, Marie and her reaction, her angers? Ethel Ann unable to grieve? Tension in the house, Ethel Ann drinking? Her cold manner, her clashes with Marie? Marie trying to find out something about her father and her mother’s love for him?

6.Jack, his age, his history with his friends, with Ethel, Peter as his son, Marie and the tension with him?

7.Michael Quinlan, Belfast, his digging on the mountain, Jimmy Reilly and his coming up, helping with the excavations, the caution about the IRA watching? The finding of the parts? Jimmy finding the ring, his reaction, the humour of the phone call to Ethel Ann, her shock? Going to Michael’s house, the phone call? The later explanation about the importance of the ring, Michael Quinlan and his being tense, Jimmy at home, his grandmother? The IRA, the Ulster authorities, watching, interrogating Jimmy, punching him to make the interrogation look authentic? His fears?

8.The 1940s, the three friends, Ethel Ann and her place in the group, their spirit, the war, training, enlisting, the news of Pearl Harbour? Ethel Ann and her vivacity, not wanting her family to know? In love with Teddy, going out with him, the dancing? The build-up the wedding, their friend doing the ceremony even though not ordained? The ceremony itself, the ring? Teddy’s bequest to Chuck to look after Ethel Ann if he died? Wanting the separate flights? Their meeting in Ireland, the fight, Jack injuring himself, his infatuation with Eleanor? The photos? The build-up to the crash? The visualising of the flight, the fog, the crash? Michael and his hearing the crash, talking with Teddy, taking the ring before the explosion? His not communicating with Ethel Ann? In the shelter, the young IRA man? Eleanor, the women attacking her? The British and Michael’s gun? Laying the base for the future developments?

9.Ethel Ann, Shirley Mac Laine and her style, character, strong, her love for Teddy, the promise? The marriage? Jack, the phone call, Chuck giving her the news, his eye injury and her helping him, each helping the other, ten years passing before the marriage? The fact that there was no body? The wedding, Marie’s birth? The wall with Teddy’s mementoes, walling it up?

10.Jimmy and his leaving Ireland to escape the danger, going to the US, his exuberance, blurting out the secrets, Jack listening, Marie and her amazement? The story, the taking down of the wall? Marie leaving the house? Blaming Jack?

11.Jimmy and his return to Belfast, happy, bringing Ethel with him, the sharing with Eleanor, the photos? The bomb in the street, Ethel Ann and her watching the soldier, his death, her going out to him, staying with him? Jimmy running to the hill, seeing the IRA man, the authorities shooting him? Yet his triggering the second bomb? Jack, Michael and their going to Ethel Ann, Michael telling her the truth about the ring and Teddy’s bequest, wanting her to be free, moving away with Ethel before the explosion?

12.The mountain, Jack and Ethel Ann, the closing of the ring?