In a Romeo And Juliet type way, it is a taboo for them to even be seen together, let alone rekindle a romance. Although the relationship is cool and distant at first, eventually they realize that they still need each other, after all these years. Not only that, but as mentioned before he has been seeing the wife of an imprisoned IRA officer. That alone, in his mind, is reason enough to get rid of the boxer. The unstable peace is shattered when Harry, disobeying Joe's orders, sets off a bomb during a crucial boxing match.
Chaos begins anew, and just like that the truce is destroyed.
Daniel Day-Lewis gives a fine performance as Danny, while Emily Watson, who was so amazing in Breaking The Waves , is solid as Maggie. The performance of the film, however, belongs to Gerard McSorley, who makes his character one of the most hissable villains in a while. The scenes between these two are tense and fully involving. Unfortunately, the romance between Danny and Maggie seems somewhat forced, and the bittersweet ending seems a bit too rushed. Nonetheless, the film is a fascinating study of the human character, of those tired of the numbing horrors of battle, and of those willing to put everything on the line for a cause they believe in.