Kenneth Branagh’s Masterpiece

A recent movie, Belfast, hit the big screens in the US in November 2022. It was directed by well-known actor and director, Kenneth Branagh, who used his time during the pandemic to revisit his years growing up in Northern Ireland and to craft this masterpiece, which, some say, is his best work yet.

The Troubles

It’s based in Belfast in a period during ‘‘The Troubles”. It’s a city and a time that we four sisters know well. Today, Belfast is a very different city, but back then it was a scary place caught up in Northern Ireland’s conflict about belonging and governance. Shootings, bombings and killings of catholics and protestants were sadly commonplace, and the atmosphere was emotionally charged with deep political anger and mistrust.

The movie is set in Belfast in 1969, a particularly brutal year and the beginning of civil unrest and upheaval. Against the backdrop of The Troubles, it shows the wit, warmth and determination of an ordinary family with two young boys trying to survive and live an ordinary life. It would be easier to pack up and leave, and that’s the dilemma they face. But should they?

All-star Cast

Shot almost entirely in black and white and with an all-star cast of Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Ciarán Hinds and Catriona Balfe, the movie has received rave reviews at recent film festivals. But it’s the young boy, Buddy (Jude Hill), who will touch your heart. Add a soundtrack with songs from Belfast born Van Morrison, who also wrote the wonderful saxophone-based instrumentals for the score, and this movie is sure to be a winner.

What did you say?

Apparently, some Hollywood reviewers said the film should have come with subtitles. So you can imagine the reaction in Northern Ireland!. But the film itself deals with this best. When young Buddy laments that some new friends might not understand his accent, his grandfather says, “if they can’t understand you, they’re not listening and that’s their problem.”

Belfast is a tribute to the people who stayed, the people who left, and to those who still hold it close to their hearts. We loved seeing it.

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