Fact or Fiction? Who can tell...

Rating: 9/10 (25 November 2002)

'Bloody Sunday' is, if nothing else, a very powerful film and,
depending on which side you're on ideologically, can move you to
tears or incite you with rage. Is this film an accurate depiction of
the days events? I personally can't say for certain. Having read
enough contemporary Irish history, including Don Mullan's
"Eyewitness Bloody Sunday", I can say that both sides of the
conflict in Northern Ireland can conduct some very shady
operations and dealings when the moment suits them. A lot of
people have asked "Where was the IRA in this "no-go zone" that
they controlled?" Well according to the book they had been asked
by NICRA (Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association) to remain at
the Creggan Estate. Cooper and the rest of NICRA knew that the
march was banned and they didn't need the Provos to cause
anymore trouble. Also, at that point the Provos were at a nadir of
sorts in terms of numbers and support. There was a lot of hope
placed in the Civil Rights movement, and Bloody Sunday crushed
all chances of it really succeeding. The operation conducted by 1
Para was, I can only hope, a "grab & snatch" operation gone
terribly, terribly wrong.
I can only surmise that out of the some 10,000 people in the
march (not a few hundred as listed in other reviews) some were
either in the IRA if not most definitely IRA sympathisers. Do I
believe most of the marchers that were killed to be innocent
civilians? Yes. Should the "young hooligans" have thrown stones
at the RUC & British Armed Forces? Probably not. Did the IRA
shoot first or did 1 Para? I doubt that with all the confusion going
on, between CS gas & rubber bullets being fired anyone can tell
for certain. I don't think that the Widgery Report was anywhere
near right, or the current Saville Inquiry will get it 100% right either.
But these opinions are coming from a remove of 30 years and a
pretty large ocean.
As for the film itself. i liked it. James Nesbit gave a career defining
performance as far as I'm concerned, going from the height of one
emotion to the absolute depths of another. The Gerry Donaghy
character's accent was a little thick, to say the least. However he
played a good victim with Republican feelings. The jerky handheld
camera, which people either love or hate, worked well in this
movie. It gave a real sense of being "in the moment." Long story
short I'd give this film 3 1/2 stars out of 4.