A wee look at Irish flicks at the library
March is Irish Heritage Month in the United States, and it’s safe to
say that Irish or not, we Americans love to celebrate St. Patrick’s
Day. And in the spirit of keeping it a safe holiday, why not
celebrate your Irishness -- or love of Irishness -- by sitting back
and enjoying one of the many terrific films that have come out of
Ireland?
The Abbey Theatre and the Dublin’s Project Arts Centre have been
home to countless wonderful actors and playwrights. This great pool
of talent has merged into a thriving Irish film industry, now
exporting their product worldwide.
It’s no secret that “The Quiet Man” and “Finian’s Rainbow” are not
beloved by the Irish themselves, given the quaint portraits of those
whimsical, wee people with accents as thick as peat. But the recent
growth of their indigenous film industry is correcting the Darby
O’Gill view of the Irish.
The epic film “Michael Collins” offers a good sense of the
beginning of modern Irish political problems.
Many more of the recent Irish films deal with current “troubles.”
“In the Name of the Father” and “The Boxer” both feature outstanding
performances by Daniel Day-Lewis. Helen Mirren is equally moving in
both “Some Mother’s Son,” about the hunger strike of prisoner Bobby
Sands, and “Cal,” a love story set against the divisions in Northern
Ireland. And for an extraordinary you-are-there experience, “Bloody
Sunday” presents an arresting view of the 1972 civil rights march
that ended in a massacre.
But Irish life is not always, or purely, political. There are some
wonderful films that deal with life in Ireland from a more personal
viewpoint, whether from the underground, gangster world (“The
General” and “Veronica Guerin”) or merely the tragic/comic world that
is life as it really is (“Intermission,” “Circle of Friends”).
There is the haunting story of the American who returns to uncover
the tragic story of his father in “This is My Father” with Aidan
Quinn and James Caan. Pierce Brosnan gives the performance of his
life in “Evelyn,” a film about an Irishman’s determination to gain
custody of his children, who are held in an orphanage by the state.
Leprechauns notwithstanding, there is a strong strain of whimsy in
the Irish character. So, if it is smiles and laughter you want, there
are “Waking Ned Devine,” “I Went Down,” “Summer Fling,” “The
Matchmaker” and “An Everlasting Piece,” none of which can be
summarized in one sentence for all the wacky characters and crazy
twists of plot.
It’s impossible to speak of Ireland without mentioning James
Joyce. The library has the films “Ulysses,” “A Portrait of the Artist
as a Young Man” and John Huston’s exquisite final film based on a
story from “The Dubliners,” “The Dead.”
And there’s more. If nonfiction (or documentary) films are your
preference, you can check out “The Irish in America: Long Journey
Home,” “In Search of Ancient Ireland,” “Ireland: A Writer’s Island,”
“An Irish Country Calendar” or “Portrait of Ireland.”
Whatever your taste or inclination, the library has a wealth of
Irish films to get you in the mood for Irish Heritage Month and its
most important day -- St. Patrick’s.
* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public
Library. This week’s column is by Sara Barnicle. All titles may be
reserved from home or office computers by accessing the catalog at
https://www.newportbeach library.org. For more information on the
Central Library or any of the branch locations, please contact the
Newport Beach Public Library at (949) 717-3800, option 2.
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