Review of Belfast (the movie). I don’t review many movies but I have been wanting to see this for more than a year. After spending time in Belfast last month on my vacation, I decided it was time to watch it. I was not disappointed. The story is told primarily from the view point of a nine year old boy named Buddy who is coming of age in 1969-70 at the beginning of the period in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles. At its heart it is a story of a poor, working-class, loving protestant family living in a mixed (both Catholic and Protestant), inner city neighborhood trying to survive in violent times. There is a wistful yearning to attempt to maintain the past sense of community while greater forces are bringing it to an end. The film focuses on the actions of Protestant gangs who were moving to purge these mixed-neighborhoods of Catholics. Because it is told via the young boy, you only hear bits and pieces, just as he would only hear, explaining the causes of the growing violence in the neighborhood. In the end, Buddy’s grandfather dies and Buddy’s parents decide to leave Belfast to escape the violence. His Grandmother remains. Throughout the movie Buddy is trying to woo the smartest girl in his class, a Catholic, using the advice of his Grandfather. In the end he innocently asks his father if he, a protestant, could be happily married to a Catholic. His father tells him that it was certainly possible, ending the movie on a hopeful note.
The film is in black and white which to me makes it much more nostalgic. To some extent the story depicts the youth of director Kenneth Branagh and the movie is dedicated to those who left, those who stayed, and those who lost their lives in the Troubles. Caitriona Balfe, of Outlander fame and one of my favorites, plays Buddy’s strong mother who until the very end wants to stay in the neighborhood. The soundtrack is done by one of the greats of all time, Van Morrison, and adds so much to the story. This is a wonderful film. Perhaps the only negative is that you have to listen very closely to understand some of the dialogue because of the Irish accent.
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