Paul Greengrass’s docu-style film on the 1972 massacre in Derry, Northern Ireland, where poorly prepared British military forces shot 13 dead (twice that injured) during a political march protesting the lack of Civil Rights in this heavily Catholic town, perhaps inadvertently, plays as if hindsight wasn’t needed to foretell the tragic outcome. As if both sides to some extent knew things would go wrong, but wanted them to go wrong ‘their way.’ Filmed by D.P. Ivan Strasburg, in hand-held guerilla style, it moves back & forth between sides with brusque editing and clipped fade-outs that leave us hanging. (Like they'd been watching bits of Gillo Pontecorvo’s THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS/’66 before going to bed during the shoot, but didn’t learn anything. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2008/05/battle-of-algiers-1965.html) Greengrass also gains and loses points, especially for American viewers, casting well-known PBS types. Easier to keep track of, but hard not to be constantly pulled out of the story trying to remember where you’ve seen some of these actors before. A major, if unintended, I.R.A. recruitment tool in its day, this largely avoidable incident remains all but unknown Stateside. Flaws and all, worthwhile for that.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: Look sharp for the movie marque seen near the top with SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY/’71 listed as second feature. Entirely possible, it's the only light moment in the pic.
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