Dramatization in a Documentary Style

Rating: 7/10 (19 June 2009)

Director Paul Greengrass's retelling of the events in Derry, Northern Ireland on January 30, 1972, where an ostensibly peaceful march for civil rights ended in bloodshed.
The facts are that 13 protesters were shot and killed by a British Paratroop regiment brought into try and capture supposed hooligans using the march as cover. In the immediate aftermath the Army claimed they were fired upon and simply responded with appropriate force. The eyewitnesses including some members of the media tell a different story now corroborated by at least one of the soldiers indicating that there was little if any provocation. This is the perspective from which the story is told. It is also the consensus of the film makers that this event did much to escalate the "Troubles".
The film gives glimpses of individuals amongst both the protesters and British Army. Our main protagonist is one of the marches primary organizers Ivan Cooper (James Nesbitt) a Protestant and a Nationalist who strongly extolled non-violent protest. We also focus on one of the young protesters and several member of the British Army some of whom are more sympathetic than others.
The film employs a simple looking documentary style, with hand held cameras and no additional lighting. The color is de-saturated in what has become a short hand style of retelling historical events. The events in the story transpire over a 24 hour period.
The cast features some talented veteran actors alongside a large number of non-actors, including locals from Derry who were there on that day or in several instances relatives of some of the victims. Also many of the soldiers in the film were former soldiers, some having served in Northern Ireland and at least two of which were actual Paratroopers.