While actor Cillian Murphy has been around since the mid 90's, he never hit my radar until 2002's "28 Days Later." His performance in that film immediately got my attention I've been keeping an eye on his career since. Roles in "Girl with a Pearl Earring", "Cold Mountain" and "Batman Begins" further proved his mettle. But it was in a little heard of film that recently came out on DVD, "The Wind That Shakes the Barley", that I believe Murphy turned in the role of a lifetime. I mention that "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" is a little heard of film in part because I believe the name might have confused moviegoers. Admittedly, before I saw the film I had no idea what it was about. It sounded a little like a farming movie… but instead turned out to be about the early days of the IRA (Irish Republican Army) and their long war with the British occupiers. Director Kevin Loach tells us the story through the eyes of two fictional brothers whose destinies are changed by the violent world around them.

Murphy plays Damien, a young medical student who has the unfortunate opportunity to see first hand just how horrible some of the British troops can be. Unable to shake the images, Damien turns from his chosen path as he decides to take up arms against Ireland's enemy. Determined to join the up and coming rebels, he contacts his brother Teddy (Padraic Delaney) who is already a well-respected member of the IRA.

What I found compelling about the film, on top of the incredible production value and performances by the entire cast was that despite whatever Loach's political leanings may be, he opted to make a film that did not entirely take sides. Most any story, whether it be written or filmed has a fairly definitive hero and villain, but in the case of '"The Wind That Shakes the Barley", we are instead shown the old adage that 'two wrongs do not make a right.' Here both the British army and the members of the IRA are shown to be equally vicious and brutal. No matter the cause, we learn that innocents still pay the price and not always for the greater good. It's much like the rebels in Iraq who are fighting against someone whom they are mislead into believing is their enemy and innocents on both sides suffer atrocities.

"The Wind That Shakes the Barley" is an extremely powerful movie and one that deserves a much larger audience than it had initially. The recent DVD release of the film by IFC Films offers up a superlative transfer that allows the viewer to really appreciate all the work that went into the production design. There is also a very lengthy documentary about Loach's career as well as a fascinating feature length commentary by Loach and historical advisor Professor Donal O'Driscoll.

Directed by: Ken Loach
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delany,
Extras: Carry on Ken - A Look at the Work of Director Ken Loach, Feature Commentary with Director Ken Loach and Historical Advisor Professor Donal O'Driscoll
Specifications: Widescreen (1:66.1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: IFC
Release Date: 9/4/2007
Region 1
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
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We'll give The Wind That Shakes The Barley an A.