A remarkable study on what divides a nation and a family.

Rating: 9/10 (9 January 2008)

This film is really split into two separate films. One is a grand story of war; how one can easily get swept up into it and can never escape, how it can change drastically people and how it can tear the closest relationships apart. The other is a hard-hitting political drama, filled with intense courtroom arguments and even more engaging debates among the community (in this case, among the leaders of the IRA). The story of war is utterly heartbreaking. We see Damien become quickly engaged as a leader of a war that he never wanted to be involved in, and the toll this war takes on him throughout his life.
We slowly realize that the war will never end; there will just be more and more killings, and those who are involved can never escape it. Even after the IRA receives everything they have asked for, after many debates of whether to compromise or not, some members are still unsatisfied and paranoid and they revolt setting off another war between fellow Irishmen. This is where we see the tearing of one of the strongest relationships known to man. Two loving brothers, who meant the world to each other at the beginning, are ripped apart onto opposite sides of this civil war. The parallel between Damien and Teddy's relationship from the beginning of the film to the end of the film is utterly fascinating. At the beginning we see them in a prison together, ready to be executed by each other's side. Damien says that his name is Teddy's so that they will torture him instead of Teddy, though the farce doesn't work.
At the end, we see Damien sitting in the same prison cell. The amazement of this is that Teddy is the one running the prison this time around, and it's Damien who is to be executed. The finale is one of the most gutwrenching and utterly heartbreaking scenes of cinematic history for me. I could barely stand to watch, and tears quickly rose to my eyes. Overall this is a phenomenal film, and easily one of the best of 2006. Cillian Murphy delivers a phenomenal performance that ranks among the best of the year. Padraic Delaney and Liam Cunningham also give quite the exceptional work. I should also mention the gorgeous cinematography which does a phenomenal job of setting the scene for this heartbreaking and vastly engaging political war drama.