FIFTY
DEAD
MEN
WALKING
With
Jim
Sturgess,
Ben
Kingsley,
Natalie
Press,
Rose
McGowan,
Kevin
Zegers,
Tom
Collins,
William
Houston,
Conor
MacNeill
Written
by Kari
Skogland
(based
on the
book
by Nicholas
Davies
&
Martin
McGartland)
Directed
by Kari
Skogland
There
was
a time
when
the
deadly
IRA
/ British
Army
and
Catholic
/ Protestant
situation
in Northern
Ireland
made
frequent
turns
in screen
dramas.
This
look
back
at the
absolutely
futile
ripping
apart
of a
society
is based
on true
events.
Martin
(a young
man
not
sympathetic
to any
side,
yet
rebellious
against
the
Brits
occupying
his
area),
does
whatever
he can
to make
ends
meet
(which
mostly
involves
selling
of stolen
goods
–
something
upon
which
the
IRA
frowns
with
extreme
punishment).
The
dilemma
with
which
he is
faced
is the
fact
that
Catholic
men
can't
get
jobs,
forcing
many
to go
the
less
honest
route,
making
it dangerous
from
all
sides.
Then
Martin
is offered
a job
by a
British
agent
to act
as informer.
On the
one
hand
he can
be seen
as selling
out
his
people,
on the
other,
saving
innocent
lives
on both
sides.
But,
the
main
motivation
is being
paid
and
getting
a car,
making
it possible
to care
for
his
new
family
and
not
struggling.
When
actually
getting
so far
as to
be inducted
into
the
IRA,
and
trusted
by its
high
command,
things
go South
when
it seems
like
he is
found
out.
A tense,
energetic
film,
but
sometimes
a bit
depressing
(knowing
that
this
happened
not
long
ago,
and
can
easily
raise
its
ugly
head
again),
exploring
the
situation,
as well
as the
relationship
between
the
informant
and
his
handler,
the
viewer
feeling
for
both
of them
and
the
country
torn
apart.
While
set
in the
'80s,
the
movie
has
a very
'70s
look
and
feel
(which
may
be attributed
to the
fact
that
Ireland
was
left
behind
a bit
due
to its
biting
political
situation).
Unfortunately
this
particular
release
has
no extra
features.
A documentary
on the
real
characters
would've
been
welcome.
5
/ C
- Paul
Blom
0
1 2
3 4
5
6
-
A -
B -
C
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