Historically accurate, politically great and cinematically powerful

Rating: 10/10 (1 August 2018)

Ken Loach does what he does best - give a dramatic cinematic experience, that combines his political worldview and historic accuracy into something that ticks all the boxes.
As a socialist as well, it's especially brilliant to see the portrayal of the two currents out of the Irish Independence Movement - a labor-oriented, socialist, revolutionary current and the bourgeois nationalist movement. The "family feud" isn't really a family feud at all but a debate between these two currents. We can see the today the result of this battle.
The scenery is beautiful, the costumes, and the brilliant acting performances only help create a more immersive story. There is depth in the characters, and the ability for them to be both opportunistic, principled and shift in their orientation to some of the main questions of the time.
Ken Loach has done a brilliant job in creating a historical work of art - his realism in his films is picture perfect in this film and really sets the bar for any future films covering the Irish Independence Movement.