THE FIELD
Ireland, 1991, 105 minutes, Colour.
Richard Harris, John Hurt, Sean Bean, Brenda Fricker, Tom Berenger, Sean Mc Ginley, Frances Tomelty.
Directed by Jim Sheridan.
The Field is a powerful adaptation and opening out of a play by veteran John B. Keane. It is set in the early part of the 21st century, along the rugged Irish coast. The landscapes are beautiful but harsh.
The film also focuses on the Irish issue of the land. Richard Harris portrays the patriarch who claims a field owned by a widow (who is tormented for ten years by the mischievous action of the patriarch’s son and one of the locals). When the field comes up for auction, the patriarch is challenged by an Irish visitor, with interest in hydroelectric developments.
Richard Harris is at his best as Bull Mc Cabe – and received an Oscar nomination for this performance. He is supported by John Hurt as the toadying local and Sean Bean as his son. Bean went on to a significant international career as did Brenda Fricker who appears as Bull Mc Cabe’s wife. Tom Berenger is the American visitor.
The film retains much of the dialogue of the play and has some fine set speeches for Richard Harris – along the lines of an Irish King Lear. As with Lear, the film focuses on madness, obsession about ownership, the next generation, betrayal.
Director Jim Sheridan was to become famous in 1989 with his Oscar-nominated My Left Foot (with Oscar wins for Daniel Day Lewis and Brenda Fricker). He went on to make The Field, In the Name of the Father and The Boxer, focusing on Irish Troubles. He also made a semi-autobiographical film about his coming to America, called In America. He then made Get Rich or Die Tryin’, a portrait of American violence and gangsters and the music industry, featuring rap performer Fifty Cents.
1. The impact of the film? For Irish audiences? World audiences? Awards?
2. The work of J.B. Keane, the piece written for the theatre, Jim Sheridan doing the screenplay and opening out the film?
3. The strong cast, Richard Harris and his performance and Oscar nomination?
4. The language of the play, the rhetorical speeches, the transition to external locations and action? The visualising of the field? The fights, the climax at the edge of the cliff with the cattle?
5. The beauty of the Irish locations, the coast, the town, the re-creation of the period, cars, carts and bikes? The musical score and themes?
6. The title and the focus on the field? The explanation of the law of the land? The hard work in cultivating the field, issues of inheritance, bequeathing property to the next generation? Owners and rights? The history of the field, the Mc Cabe family and their contribution? Bull’s story about working the field, his father, his mother’s illness and still getting in the hay before getting the priest? Tidghe and his not being obsessed with the field, yet devoted to his father, his tormenting the widow to make her sell? The issues of law and morality as interpreted by Bull? The widow and her ownership, the ten years, Tidghe and Bird haunting her, creating fear, her decision to auction the field, leave the village? The hundred pound reserve? The auction and the American, claiming his Irish heritage, wanting to mine the limestone, build the hydroelectric plant, cover the field in concrete? The bid by Bull, a hundred and one pounds? The Yank losing his life for the field? The priest and his comment on the morality, the interdict for the village because of their behaviour, their lies to the police? The final destruction – and Tidghe not wanting the field?
7. The donkey episode, pushing it into the lake? Tidghe’s behaviour, Bull covering for him, the tinkers wanting the blood money, their pressuring Bull, discovering the body of the donkey? The parallel with the treatment of the American? Getting the crane, getting his body – and the iconic image of his hanging high on the crane?
8. Richard Harris’s portrait of Bull? The Mc Cabe family, his love for his sons, his boy hanging at the age of thirteen, his being haunted by this, blaming himself? The falling out with his wife, not speaking for eighteen years? His determination to do everything for Tidghe? Seeing him at work, the peat and the bogs, the sales, on the coast selling the peat? Trying to raise the money for the field? His vigorous eating, his sleeping in the house, with the other men, his authority and the followers? Bird and his use? Outside the church, not going in? The auction and his tactics with Bird? The dance in the hall, the intensity, his planning for Tidghe’s wedding, the matchmaking, the discussions? The dance and the collapse of the girl? His anger at the tinker girl – but dancing with her? His reaction to the American? The ‘no trespassing’ sign and his going to the police, to the priest – with the letter written on the presbytery paper?
9. The impact of his speech to the priest, the depth of feeling, Irish history, oppression, the land? His speech to his wife? His speech to Tidghe? The confrontation with the Yank on the lakeside? The fight, urging Tidghe on, his anger, killing the American, embracing him? His lies? His going to the church and being denounced?
10. Tidghe, his age, the death of his brother and his not knowing the details? Love for his mother? His drab life, hard work, tormenting the widow, the smoke, the haunting? The donkey and its death, going too far? The tinker girl, the attraction, her taunting him about obeying his father, always following his father? Drinking in the pub, with the other men? The friendship with Bird? The dance, his father planning his marriage, dancing and whirling the girl, the collapse? His relationship with the tinker girl, the affair? The fight with the Yank, his defeat, his father urging him on? His boasting to the girl – and the news getting around the village? The confrontation with Bull, his leaving with the girl? The news about his father and the cattle, hurrying to rescue the cattle, on the cliff edge – and his death? Lying on the beach?
11. Bull’s wife, her hard life, her work in the house, advice to her son, the burial of their son – not in holy ground because of his suicide? Her not talking to Bull? Her cooking for him, keeping house? The final speaking, her concern about Tidghe, wanting Bull to see the truth? Bull and his spade and wanting to bury his son in the cemetery?
12. Bird, his appearance, making mischief, slow-witted yet shrewd, a follower, always after money, his lies, his not wanting to be a snitch, his betrayal, his treatment by Bull, his working with Tidghe? The people in the village, the night of the fight, his watching? His being denounced by Bull?
13. The Yank, the car, his arrival, background, visiting the graves of his ancestor? His friendship with the priest? The discussion of the plans and the development? Visiting the field? Going to the auction, the bid? Going to dance? Going to look at the property, the fight, his besting Tidghe, killed by Bull? The picture of the Americans coming back to Ireland, Bull’s taunt that his family stayed during the famine while others left?
14. Flanagan, his running the pub, the law, the auction?
15. The men of the village, the auction, supporting Bull, their lies, going to church?
16. The widow, her fears, her decision about the auction, her leaving the town and the men’s taunts, Bull defending her?
17. The world of the tinkers, their life on the outskirts of the town, the girl and her provocative behaviour towards Tidghe, at the dance, dancing with Bull? Her taunting Tidghe? Their night together, leaving with him?
18. The priest, the role of the priest in the village, his friendship with the American? The discussions of the plan? The celebration of Mass, the men not going into the church? His final confrontation, his sermon, his disgust with the people, placing the church under interdict?
19. The build-up to the climax, Bull and his madness, the cattle on the cliff – Tidghe’s death? His wife at the cliff top? The last glimpse of him wading into the water?
20. Insight into the history of Ireland, the harshness of life, the oppression, the comment by the priest that religion was only a veneer over paganism? The violence, the ruggedness? In the light of the changes at the end of the 20th century?
