Michael Collins
for violence and language.
Reviewed by: Ken James
STAFF WRITER
| Moral Rating: | Very Offensive |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
|
| Primary Audience: | Adults |
| Genre: | Biography War Thriller Drama |
| Length: | 2 hr. 13 min. |
| Year of Release: | 1996 |
| USA Release: |
October 11, 1996 |
Fictionalization and alterations to historical facts in the film
REVENGE, love replaces hatred—former israeli soldier and an ex-PLO fighter prove peace is possible-but only with Jesus Christ
Spies in the Bible
Prisons in the Bible
Should I save sex for marriage? Answer
Street walker / prostitute / whore
Death in the Bible
Learn about the IRA (Irish Republican Army) and other important topics in Ireland?—commentary
In the Name of the Father (1993)
The Devil’s Own (1997)
terrorism
torture
treason
wedding
truce
peace
| Featuring |
Liam Neeson … Michael Collins Julia Roberts … Kitty Kiernan Alan Rickman … Eamon de Valera Brendan Gleeson … Liam Tobin Aidan Quinn … Harry Boland Stephen Rea … Ned Broy Jonathan Rhys Meyers … Collins’ Assassin Charles Dance … Soames See all » |
| Director |
Neil Jordan |
| Producer | Warner Bros. Pictures, Geffen Pictures, Redmond Morris, Stephen Woolley |
| Distributor | Geffen Pictures |
“Ireland, 1916. His dreams inspired hope. His words inspired passion. His courage forged a nation’s destiny.”
If historical dramas are up your alley, you may be interested in “Michael Collins”. Reminiscent of “In the Name of the Father” and, more recently, “Braveheart,” “Michael Collins” (played by Liam Neeson of “Schindler’s List”) tells the story of a young man leading Ireland in their fight for independence from the British. Obviously influenced by his background, Irish-born director Neil Jordan sheds light on the bitter and brutal battles fought during the 1920s in Dublin, Ireland.
“Mick” Collins, Eamon DeValera (Alan Rickman), and Harry Boland (Aidan Quinn), lead a ring of Irish freedom fighters. They take upon themselves the incredible task of ousting British occupation from Ireland. Having ignored warnings given by the IRA to evacuate Dublin, many British officials assigned there are assassinated in cold blood. England dispatches more troops to occupy Dublin, leading to building animosity between the Brits and Irish.
Eventually, against incredible odds, Ireland is given a form of independence they had been desiring for centuries. However, the treaty, lacking many provisions greatly desired, does not satisfy all the Irishmen, quickly leading to a fierce and bloody civil war between the Irish.
Julia Roberts, who plays the part of a young lady loved by best friends and co-fighters Michael Collins and Harry Boland, is truly a downfall to the movie. Her Americanized persona and totally unconvincing accent brought down several of the scenes she played.
With much bloodshed, violence, profanity, and adult themes (nothing sexual), this movie is not for everyone, especially not kids and younger teens. It provides a somewhat one-sided and historically flawed view of Ireland’s past struggles.
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
Interestingly, you mention about profanity. It is generally felt that little bad language would have been used at that time, definitely not as much as was portrayed in the film. Indeed, Collins himself was a religious man—during the treaty negotiations he went to mass every morning to pray for guidance. It’s probable that he never actually slept with a woman and certainly wasn’t promiscuous, even if he related well to the opposite sex. The Catholic church at the time was completely against armed violence and many of the IRA volunteers were under threat of excommunication if they participated in a murder.