Michael Collins (1996)

Director:

Neil Jordan

Writer:

Neil Jordan (written by)

Release Date:

11 October 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Thriller | War

Tagline:

Ireland, 1916. His dreams inspired hope. His words inspired passion. His courage forged a nation's destiny.

Plot:

Michael Collins plays a crucial role in the establishment of the Irish Free State in the 1920s, but becomes vilified by those hoping to create a completely independent Irish republic.

Plot Keywords:

Irish | Ireland | Irish Free State | Sinn Fein | Love

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Ian Hart	...	Joe O'Reilly
Julia Roberts	...	Kitty Kiernan
Richard Ingram	...	British Officer
Liam Neeson	...	Michael Collins
Aidan Quinn	...	Harry Boland
John Kenny	...	Patrick Pearse
Ronan McCairbre	...	Thomas MacDonagh
Jer O'Leary	...	Thomas Clarke (as Ger O'Leary)
Michael Dwyer	...	James Connolly
Martin Murphy	...	Captain Lee-Wilson
Alan Rickman	...	Eamon de Valera
Sean McGinley	...	Smith
Gary Whelan	...	Hoey
Frank O'Sullivan	...	Kavanagh
Stephen Rea	...	Ned Broy

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

UK | Ireland | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | USA:R (certificate #34375) | Canada:14A (TV rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (bw) | Ireland:12 (video rating) | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Broadstone, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Liam Neeson was 43 when this movie was made. The real-life Michael Collins was 31 when he died.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Harry Boland was in America when Michael returned to Ireland with the treaty, not in Dublin as shown in the movie.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Joe O'Reilly: [dictating a letter] You've got to think of him. The way he was... He was what the times demanded. And life without him seems impossible. But he's dead. And life is possible. He made it possible.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Agent for H.A.R.M. (#9.15)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

She Moved Through The Fair

A great movie

This movie is an excellent portrayal of the brutal and often non-conventional Irish freedom struggle. The movie has several great strengths. The biggest strength is Liam Neeson in his tour-de-force. His acting in this movie is as good as it gets. His personality changes subtly throughout the movie, becoming increasingly affected by the changes of the world around him. The supporting cast is also excellent, with Rickman in one of his best roles.

Cinematography is very nice, capturing everything from the hopelessness of the defeats in the ashy cities to the beauty of the Irish landscapes. The pacing is very good as well.

If you saw this movie with no opinion on the Irish history, you will have one when you leave the theater. This shows to me how powerful this movie is. After all, Michael Collin's tactics were not pretty, everything from car-bombings to mob-style executions. Yet we still care for him, we want him to succeed, even if he himself isn't sure he wants to.

Without it's politics, this movie is still excellent. It's a great piece of movie-making, it's involving, sad, funny and sometimes tense. One of the movies I consider classic.