A piece of history I wasn't previously aware of

Rating: 7/10 (4 May 2003)

This movie tells the true story of "Bloody Sunday". On January 30, 1972, there was a civil rights March that took place in the Northern Ireland town of Derry. The protestors who were marching against internment were fired upon by English troops...27 were shot, killing 13 protestors. The protestors, led by Ivan Cooper, took great care to insure that it was a peaceful march. Yet, reminiscent of Kent State, the military was over zealous and fired on unarmed protestors. This film was shot with hand held cameras and had long takes, giving much the feel of a documentary...putting you right in the middle of the action. The majority of the film focused on the preparation of the March both by the protestors and the military, leading up to the big conflict at the end. Though I wouldn't call this a great film, I am really glad to have seen it since it is a piece of history I wasn't previously aware of. Although being very familiar with the civil rights movement in the United States, the story seemed very familiar to me.