Bloody Sunday

Rating: 7/10 (27 January 2009)

Before The Bourne Supremacy, director Paul Greengrass made this historical drama based on a non-fiction book. Basically this is a documentary style film showing the events on January 30th, 1972, where a protest march through Londonderry for civil rights led by activist MP Ivan Cooper (BAFTA TV Award nominated James Nesbitt) turns into a disaster. I think it is when marchers start pelting the Parachute Regiment that they begin shooting at them, and they killed thirteen people, and wounded fourteen more. You see the action from both sides of the drama, from the protesters' point of view, and the members of the Regiment, including Major General Ford (Tim Pigott-Smith) and Brigadier MacLellan (Nicholas Farrell). Also starring Gerard McSorley as Chief Supt. Lagan, Kathy Kiera Clarke as Frances, Allan Gildea as Kevin McCorry, Gerard Crossan as Eamonn McCann and Mary Moulds as Bernadette Devlin. The only off-putting thing about this film is the frequent fades to black and no sound pauses going through the action, but besides this, a pretty powerful and provocative film. It won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Photography and Lighting, and it was nominated for Best Editing, Best Single Drama and Best Sound. Very good!