The Wind that Shakes the Barely

It won the Palme d'Or 2006. This, for me at least, has in the past been a mixed blessing. Clearly there have been some great films that have won the Palme d'Or (La Dolce Vita and Elefant come to mind) but there have also been some terrible (L'Enfant comes to mind immediately).

Luckily, The Wind That Shakes the Barley is far closer to the greater winners than the terrible ones. I would suggest that the film won because it humanizes an insurgency while showing the brutality of the occupying force. I don't say this isn't a fair enough reason to provide the film with a wider audience.

The film itself, politics and awards aside, is a decent enough film. Worth checking out. It does a good job doing what I imagine the film was written to do, tell the story of the 1920's Irish rebellion/turmoil as well as make comparisons in the audience's mind about Iraq (and Afghanistan). Overall, a worthwhile film to see.