Civil War Theme in Irish Cinema - Assignment Example

Civil War Theme in Irish Cinema Civil War Theme in Irish Cinema War and independence are two words that are inseparable from the Irish cinema. It is mainly because of the endeavor the Irish made in order to achieve independence from the British. It took them more than 700 years to win independence and during all these years the Irish worked effortlessly to achieve their objective of gaining independence from the British colonialism. The Irish had always been under the influence of the British, and all the significant events in the history of Ireland are deeply connected with the civil war that occurred between 1919 and 1921. Jimmy’s Hall is one of the movies that explore the theme of civil war although the film focuses on an era that took place a decade after the war. The film is an attempt to make the audience realize that even after the civil war people in Ireland found it hard to interact socially and joyfully live in the Irish society. The film shows a man called James Gralton who belonged to a poor farming background and had migrated to the US when he was a young man. However, he came back to Ireland after the truce between the Irish and the British had been signed. James Gralton wanted to return to his country so that he could live with his compatriots. Living in the US had made him only more patriotic, and he longed to return to his homeland where he was raised as a child. When he returned, he was surprised to see that his town was burned down, and the area where he used to play as a kid showed signs of abuse and ill-treatment of people (Golding, 2014). It was then that he decided to rebuild the area and turn it into a place where everyone could come and socially interact with one another. The film shows James Gralton as a person who earnestly wanted to do something for his compatriots. He felt disheartened that his countrymen had to suffer so much while he was in the US. He legally felt obliged to help them from their misery and wanted the Irish to live for the present rather than ponder about what happened in the past. James Gralton realized that the civil war had terrorized the Irish, and he wanted to lessen that impact of war into the mind of people (Golding, 2014). Jimmy’s hall shows the character of James Gralton rebuild one of his family estates so that the place could be utilized for the Irish to learn music, dancing, poetry and socially interact on a day to day basis. However, there were challenges that James Gralton faced. The war was over, but the presence could still be felt. The movie shows how the church tries to interfere with James Gralton attempt to bring peace and prosperity to his people (Golding, 2014). The interference of the church reminds audience of the pre-civil war era. The church had the highest authority in Britain before the civil war days. Any order passed by the church would have to be followed by the authority and the public. There was no authority that could deny the church or resist their orders (Naim, 2014). Many orders were passed against the interest of the Irish people and the some churches in Britain declared it illegal for the Irish people to wage war against the English people. Some churches also forbade Irish people from gathering in social places as they feared conspiracy against Britain (Redekop, 2003). The movie shows the church trying to stop James Gralton from inviting people to his family estate in order to learn music, poetry and make interactions with each other. The film is attempting to show the fear leading to a controversy just like in the pre-civil war days. The film also shows the audience that although the war was over the policy remained the same. People in Ireland still felt that they were being ruled. The Irish were not free, and there were agencies that were monitoring each of their moves. The church is shown as one of those agencies in the movie (Golding, 2014). The film shows the 1932 unemployment riots in different parts of Ireland against the welfare provisions provided to the workers and other unemployed people. Unemployment has always been closely connected with civil wars and the civil war in Ireland was no exception. The film shows the revolt of some workers against the government that was very typical of the Irish people in that era (Golding, 2014). Many of them were unemployed and little very little compensation. In return, they revolted against the government so that the government could reverse their policies and provide better welfare provision for them (Shaw, 2007). The part where the Irish people revolt against the government is shown very well in the movie and shows the audience an important aspect of the pre and post civil war era. The film shows the destruction of James Gralton’s estate that was a center of learning for the people affected by war. Once again, this is a very common theme found in Irish films. It shows a person making a struggle and then the struggle is put to an end by an ever opposing authority. However, James Gralton was able to win support after his estate was pulled down. He received support from trade unions and other labor parties who were finding relief from the activities started by James Gralton. It is precisely what happened before the civil war started (Golding, 2014). Most trade unions had revolted against the government and time and time again Irish movies have covered this topic. The trade unions played a very significant role in the civil war as they were the working class of people who threatened to go on a strike. Audience is reminded of the same type of threat when they stood up in favor of James Gralton. The trade union was not willing to listen to anything, and they wanted their hero free from the realm of the authority. It again reminds the audience of the persistence of the members of the trade union at the time of the civil war. These people were unwilling to compromise when they had gone on a strike. They wanted to see an Ireland that was free from the rule of the British. It was the same case when the authority had got hold of James Gralton (Boyce, 2002). People found guilty were either sentenced to serve their time in prison, deported and in some case were hanged to death. James Gralton was deported as he was found. There were many people who were deported from Ireland and Britain if they committed treason, and no questions were to be asked. James Gralton was committed to spreading propaganda, and he was not allowed to question the authority. The theme of migration and deportation is prevalent in the film as there was no return for James Gralton back to his beloved country. He is an example of those men who struggled for their country, but were not recognized by their state or authority (Boyce, 2002). A civil war is a crucial theme in the Irish cinema. The Irish have spent a significant amount of time under the British, and all the significant events took place during that period. There are stories of war, and there are stories of torture for the Irish people under the rule of the British. There are also stories of hero born who tried to pull people out of their miseries. The story of James Gralton was one of those stories that reminded people of the civil war and the injustice that happened to the Irish people. List of References Boyce, D. G., 2002. Ireland in Transition, 1867-1921. 4th ed. London: Psychology Press. Golding, S. W., 2014. Life After Kes. 1st ed. Essex: Andrews UK Limited. Naim, M., 2014. The End of Power: From Boardrooms to Battlefields and Churches to States. 2nd ed. New York: Basic Books. Redekop, B. W., 2003. Power, Authority, and the Anabaptist Tradition. 5th ed. Mason: JHU Press. Shaw, G. M., 2007. The Welfare Debate. 3rd ed. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group. Read More