The term Black and Tans refers to the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force The term Black and Tans refers to the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force The term Black and Tans refers to the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force ' onMouseout='HidePop("64260")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/British_Army">British Army
The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
retaliates by shooting up a
Gaelic footballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "Football" , "Gaelic" or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
match at
Croke ParkCroke Park in Dublin, Ireland is the largest sports stadium in Ireland and the fourth largest stadium in Europe. It is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
. In the aftermath, Boland and Collins travel to England and successfully break de Valera out of prison.
Enraged to realize that Collins has overshadowed him, de Valera declares, "We'll see who's the big fella." He travels to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in order to raise funds. He also hopes to gain support from President
Woodrow WilsonThomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States. A leading intellectual of the Progressive Era, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
. Hoping to keep Collins in line, he also orders Boland to accompany him. However, this cripples Collins' ability to wage war against the British. After returning without any tangible results, de Valera expresses his belief that the IRA must fight a conventional war — like the Easter Rising — by attacking Dublin's
Customs HouseThe Custom House is a neoclassical 18th century building in Dublin, Ireland which houses the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government...
. The attack fails catastrophically, leaving six men dead and seventy captured. In the aftermath, Collins declares that the IRA can only hold out for another week. To his shock, however, the British soon call for a ceasefire.
Collins is forced by De Valera to leave for London as leader of the the negotiating. After reading the terms of the
Anglo-Irish TreatyThe Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the de facto Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of Independence...
, de Valera is enraged that he has not been consulted. Equally enraged, Collins accuses De Valera of deliberately trying to discredit him by sending him to the negotiatons in the first place. Meanwhile, the armed forces of the
Irish Free StateThe Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand....
- under Collins's command - take over command of
Dublin Castlethumb|400px|Dublin Castle, Upper Yard
The Bedford Tower of 1761 comprises the centrepiece of the Castle's principal Georgian courtyard, flanked by the gates of Fortitude and Justice...
as the Union Jack is lowered.
Despite de Valera's best efforts, the Dáil approves the Treaty by 64-57. In response, de Valera, Boland, and their supporters resign in protest. During a country-wide plebiscite over the Treaty, Collins makes speeches in support of the treaty, while de Valera rouses support against it and makes his infamous "Wading through Irish Blood" speech. In an ironic parallel to the beginning of the film, Collins is again assaulted during a speech and nearly killed by Anti-Treaty Republicans. In the aftermath, Collins asks Kitty Kiernan to marry him. Overjoyed, she accepts.
In June 1922, the
Irish peopleThe Irish people are a Western European ethnic group who originate in Ireland, in north western Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolgs, Tuatha Dé Danann and the Milesians The Irish...
vote to approve the Treaty. This, however, pushes the country into
civil warThe Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
. In the Battle of Dublin, the Anti-Treaty IRA is besieged inside the
Four CourtsThe Four Courts in Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's main courts building. The Four Courts are the location of the Supreme Court, High Court, Central Criminal Court and Dublin Circuit Court.-Gandon's Building:...
and driven from the city. Harry Boland is fatally shot by Free State soldiers while trying to swim across the Liffey. Hoping to peacefully end the war, Collins travels home to
County CorkCounty Cork is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the province of Munster, and was named after the city of Cork...
. He reaches out to de Valera, asking for a meeting. While travelling to what he thinks is a peace conference, Collins is ambushed and shot in the head by an Anti-Treaty
sniperA sniper is a highly trained marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles...
(Jonathan Rhys Meyers). A devastated Kitty is informed of his death while trying on her wedding gown.
The film ends with a
montageMontage most often refers to collage including photomontage and sound collage.Montage is a technique in film editing that can refer to:...
of actual footage from Michael Collins' funeral, accompanied by a
eulogyA eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services, however some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
commenting on the ironic fact he died in a failed effort to remove violence from Irish politics. A quote taken from a 1966 speech by Eamon de Valera is then superimposed.
"It is my considered opinion that in the fullness of time, history will record the greatness of Michael Collins, and it shall be forever recorded at my expense".
Cast
- Liam Neeson
William John "Liam" Neeson, OBE is an Irish actor, who has been a U.S. citizen since 2009. He is well known for his roles as Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, Michael Collins in Michael Collins, Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Alfred Kinsey in Kinsey and Aslan in The...
as Michael CollinsMichael Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and MP for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations...
. Michael CiminoMichael Cimino is an American film director. He is often cited as an example of the meteoric rises and falls seen in Hollywood in the 1970s.-Origins:...
wrote a script and was involved in pre-production work on Michael Collins for over a year with Gabriel ByrneGabriel James Byrne is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, and writer, as well as an audiobook narrator. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined London’s Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne's screen début came in the Irish soap opera The Riordans and the spin-off...
attached to star in the early 1990s. Cimino was fired over budget concerns. Neil Jordan mentions in his film diary that Kevin CostnerKevin Michael Costner is an American actor, musician, producer, and director. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Oscars and a Golden Globe Award. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
had been interested in developing a movie about Collins and had visited Béal na mBláthBéal na mBláth , often incorrectly spelled Béal na Bláth is a tiny village in West Cork, Province of Munster, Ireland which is best known for being the location of the shooting of Michael Collins on 22 August 1922 during the Irish Civil War....
and the surrounding areas.
- Alan Rickman
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor. Rickman is best known for his performances in film as Hans Gruber in Die Hard and Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series, as well as extensive stage work...
as Eamon de ValeraÉamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in 20th century Ireland...
. A number of Irish actors auditioned for the part but Jordan felt they weren't able to find a real character and were playing a stereotype of de Valera. Jordan also met with John TurturroJohn Michael Turturro is an American actor, writer, and director best known for his performances in Barton Fink , Quiz Show , The Big Lebowski , and O Brother, Where Art Thou?...
about the role.
- Aidan Quinn
-Early life:Quinn was born in Rockford, Illinois to devoutly Catholic Irish parents. He was raised in Chicago and Rockford, as well as in Dublin and Birr, County Offaly in Ireland. His father was a professor in literature and his mother a homemaker. He has three brothers and a sister. His older...
as Harry BolandHarry Boland was an Irish nationalist of the early Twentieth century.-Early life:Boland was born in Phibsboro, Dublin on 27 April, 1887...
. Jordan initially envisioned Stephen ReaStephen Rea is an Irish actor, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his lead performance as Fergus in the 1992 film The Crying Game.-Early life:...
playing Boland, but then decided the role of Broy would give Rea more of a challenge. Matt DillonMatthew Raymond "Matt" Dillon is an American actor. He began acting in the late 1970s, gained fame as a teenage idol during the 1980s, and developed a successful career as a mature actor in the decades following, culminating in an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the movie...
and Adam BaldwinAdam Baldwin is an American actor, not related to the Baldwin brothers. He is known for his roles as Animal Mother in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Ricky Linderman in My Bodyguard, Knowle Rohrer in The X-Files, and Marcus Hamilton in Joss Whedon's Angel...
auditioned for this role.
- Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became well known during the early 1990s after starring in the romantic comedy Pretty Woman opposite Richard Gere, which grossed $463 million worldwide...
as Kitty KiernanCatherine Brigid Kiernan was an Irish woman best known as the fiancée of assassinated Irish revolutionary leader and Chairman of the Provisional Government Michael Collins.-Early life:...
. Another strong contender for the role of Kitty was Mary-Louise ParkerMary-Louise Parker is an American actress. Some of her roles include Fried Green Tomatoes, Boys on the Side, Proof, The West Wing, Angels in America, and her current lead role on Showtime's television series Weeds portraying Nancy Botwin.-Early life and 1980s:Parker was born in Fort Jackson, South...
.
- Brendan Gleeson
Brendan Gleeson is an Irish character actor. His best-known films include the Harry Potter films, Kingdom of Heaven, Beowulf, Troy, Gangs of New York, 28 Days Later, In Bruges, Braveheart, The General, Lake Placid, and the role of Michael Collins in The Treaty.-Early life:Gleeson was born in...
as Liam TobinMajor General Liam Tobin was an Irish statesman and officer in the Irish Army. During the Irish War of Independence, he served as an IRA intelligence officer for Michael Collins' Squad.-Early life:...
. Gleeson portrayed Michael Collins in TV movie The TreatyThe Treaty is a 1991 Irish historical television film directed by Jonathan Lewis.The film is about the Anglo-Irish Treaty that Michael Collins bargained for with the British government in 1921....
.
- Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea is an Irish actor, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his lead performance as Fergus in the 1992 film The Crying Game.-Early life:...
as Ned Broy.
- Ian Hart
Ian Hart is an English stage, television and film actor.-Early life:Hart, the grandson of Irish immigrants, was one of three siblings raised in a Catholic family...
as Joe O'Reilly.
- Charles Dance
Charles Dance, OBE is an English actor, screenwriter and director. Dance typically plays assertive bureaucrats or villains....
as Soames.
- Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Collin's Assassin.
- John Kenny
John Kenny is a British trombonist, actor, composer and multi-faceted performer of contemporary solo repertoire, modern jazz and early music...
as Patrick PearsePatrick Henry Pearse was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist and political activist who was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916...
- Ronan McCairbre as Thomas MacDonagh
Thomas MacDonagh was an Irish nationalist, poet, playwright, and a leader of the 1916 Easter Rising.-Early Life:...
- Jer O'Leary as Tom Clarke (Irish republican)
Thomas James Clarke was an Irish revolutionary leader and arguably the person most responsible for the 1916 Easter Rising.-Early life:...
- Michael Dwyer
Michael Dwyer was a Society of the United Irishmen leader in the 1798 rebellion. He later fought a guerilla campaign against the British Army in the Wicklow Mountains from 1798-1803.-Early life:...
as James ConnollyJames Connolly was an Irish socialist leader. He was born in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh, Scotland, to Irish immigrant parents. He left school for working life at the age of 11, but despite this he would become one of the leading Marxist theorists of his day. Though proud of his Irish background...
- Owen O'Neill as Rory O'Connor (Irish republican)
Rory O'Connor was an Irish republican activist. He is best remembered for his role in the Irish Civil War 1922-1923, which led to his execution.-Background:...
- Gerard McSorley
Gerard McSorley is a theatre, television and film actor.He was born in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and after attending a Christian Brothers school in his hometown he attended St. Columb's College in Derry. He then attended Queen's University, Belfast, where he was taught by among...
as Cathal BrughaCathal Brugha was an Irish revolutionary and politician, active in the Easter Rising, Irish War of Independence, and the Irish Civil War and was the first Ceann Comhairle, or Speaker, of Dáil Éireann.-Background:Brugha was born in Dublin of mixed Irish Catholic and Irish Protestant parentage...
- Liam De Staic as Austin Stack
Austin Stack was an Irish revolutionary.Austin Stack was born in Ballymullen, Tralee, County Kerry. He was educated at the Christian Brothers School in Tralee. At the age of fourteen he left school and became a clerk in a solicitor's office. A gifted Gaelic footballer, he captained the Kerry...
- Owen Roe as Arthur Griffith
Arthur Griffith was the founder and third leader of Sinn Féin. He served as President of Dáil Éireann from January to August 1922, and was head of the Irish delegation at the negotiations in London that produced the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.-Early life:Arthur Griffith was born at 61 Upper...
- Paul Bennett
Paul Bennett may refer to:*Paul Bennett , author and typographer*Paul Bennett , Canadian football player*Paul Bennett , English soccer player...
as W.T. CosgraveWilliam Thomas Cosgrave , known generally as W.T. Cosgrave, was an Irish politician who succeeded Michael Collins as Chairman of the Irish Provisional Government from August to December 1922. He served as the first President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1932.-Early...
Production
The film was scripted and directed by
Neil JordanNeil Jordan is an Irish filmmaker and novelist. He won an Academy Award for The Crying Game.-Early life:Jordan was born in County Sligo. He was educated at St. Paul's College, Raheny...
. The soundtrack was written by
Elliot GoldenthalElliot Goldenthal is an American composer of contemporary classical music. He was a student of Aaron Copland and John Corigliano, and is best known for his distinctive style and ability to blend various musical styles and techniques in original and inventive ways.-Biography:Elliot Goldenthal was...
. The film was an
international co-productionIn filmmaking, an international co-production is a film made by production companies from different countries. Due to the expense of filmmaking, many films made outside the United States are international co-productions...
between companies in
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
and the USA. It received generally positive reviews, but was mildly criticized for some historical inaccuracies. With a budget estimated at between around $25 million, receiving 10% to 12% of its budget from the
Irish Film BoardThe Irish Film Board is Ireland’s national film agency and major funding production company. It has been recommended to be abolished by An Bord Snip Nua.- History :History 1980 - 2004FORMATIVE YEARS...
, the film was one of the most expensive films ever produced in Ireland. While still filming, the breakdown of the IRA ceasefire caused the film's release to be delayed from June to December which caused Warner Brothers executive Rob Friedman to pressure the director to reshoot the ending which focused on the love story between Collins and Kiernan in an attempt to downplay the breakdown of Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations.
Historical alterations
Although based on historical events, the film does contain some alterations and fictionalizations:
- In the scene in which Dáil Éireann
is the principal chamber of the Oireachtas . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the Single Transferable Vote . Its powers are similar to those of lower houses under many other bicameral parliamentary systems and it is...
is meeting in secret, Collins is referred to as the Minister for IntelligenceIntelligence refers to discrete information with currency and relevance, and the abstraction, evaluation, and understanding of such information for its accuracy and value...
. In fact, he was the Dáil Minister for FinanceThe Minister for Finance is the title held by the Irish government minister responsible for all financial and monetary matters. The office-holder controls the Department of Finance and is considered one of the most important members of the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Finance is...
and the Director of Intelligence for the IRAThe Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
; the roles had no formal link, and neither position had control over the other.
- Harry Boland
Harry Boland was an Irish nationalist of the early Twentieth century.-Early life:Boland was born in Phibsboro, Dublin on 27 April, 1887...
did not die in the manner suggested by the film. He was shot in a skirmish with Irish Free State soldiers in The Grand Hotel, SkerriesSkerries is the plural of skerry, meaning a small rocky island.Skerries may refer to a number of geographical locations:-Ireland:*Skerries, Dublin, a seaside town in Ireland*The Skerries, Northern Ireland...
, North Co. Dublin during the Battle of DublinThe Battle of Dublin, a week of street fighting in Dublin, the capital of Southern Ireland, from 28 June to 5 July 1922, marked the beginning of the Irish Civil War 1922–23...
. The hotel has since been demolished but a plaque was put where the building used to be. His last words in the film - "Have they got Mick Collins yet?" - are however, based on a well-known tradition.
- In the film, Collins heads the delegation to London
[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
that negotiates the Anglo-Irish TreatyThe Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the de facto Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of Independence...
; in reality, it was led by Arthur GriffithArthur Griffith was the founder and third leader of Sinn Féin. He served as President of Dáil Éireann from January to August 1922, and was head of the Irish delegation at the negotiations in London that produced the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.-Early life:Arthur Griffith was born at 61 Upper...
, with Collins as his deputy.
- The character of Edward "Ned" Broy of the Dublin Metropolitan Police
The Dublin Metropolitan Police was the police force of Dublin, Ireland, from 1836 to 1925, when it amalgamated into the new Garda Síochána....
is a composite of many different police officers. The real Broy was a member of G Division, an intelligence branch of the Dublin Metropolitan Police, based not in Dublin Castle - as in the film - but in Marlborough Street. Michael Collins' main agent in Dublin Castle was David NeliganDavid Neligan , known by his soubriquet "The Spy in the Castle", was an important figure involved in the Irish War of Independence 1919-1921, and subsequently became Director of Intelligence for the National Army after the Irish Civil War -Early life:David Neligan was born at Templeglantine,...
. Like Broy, he also survived the conflict and later headed the Irish Special Branch. In the film the character is killed during Bloody SundayBloody Sunday was a day of violence in Dublin on 21 November 1920, during the Irish War of Independence. In total, 31 people were killed – fourteen British, fourteen Irish civilians and three republican prisoners....
.
- In the film Collins is told that Frank Thornton was shot in West Cork, a week before his own trip to Cork. Thornton however was wounded in an ambush outside Clonmel County Tipperary, a day before Collins himself was killed.
- The film is ambiguous in the scene involving Collins's assassination, only showing the assassin asking de Valera if he has a message for Collins. It then cuts to the assassin returning to meet Collins and telling him where de Valera will meet him the next day. Neil Jordan denies on the DVD documentary that it was his intention to portray De Valera having anything to do with Collins' murder.
- In the scene depicting the events of Bloody Sunday, an armoured car drives onto the pitch at Croke Park and mows down GAA player Michael Hogan with its machine gun before firing into the crowd. In real life the armoured car remained outside the gates of Croke Park as it would not fit through the archway and it only fired warning shots in the air over the crowd fleeing from the initial shooting by a mixed group of Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital. The cities of Derry and Belfast had special divisions within the RIC. The...
, Dublin Metropolitan PoliceThe Dublin Metropolitan Police was the police force of Dublin, Ireland, from 1836 to 1925, when it amalgamated into the new Garda Síochána....
, and Auxiliary DivisionThe Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary , generally known as the Auxiliaries or Auxies, was a paramilitary organization within the RIC during the Irish War of Independence.-Recruitment and organization:...
officers, who were responsible for the twelve fatalities and numerous casualties in the grounds. On the DVD commentary, Neil Jordan said he could not figure out a way of showing the reality of the event without making the British Army look like "bad guys".
- The film depicts a carload of hardline northern unionist detectives sent to "deal" with Collins and the IRA being blown up in Dublin Castle
thumb|400px|Dublin Castle, Upper Yard
The Bedford Tower of 1761 comprises the centrepiece of the Castle's principal Georgian courtyard, flanked by the gates of Fortitude and Justice...
. In fact, no killings of police took place in Dublin Castle and car-bombs were largely unknown at the time. Some commentators have contended that the filmmakers were trying to draw a connection between the Irish War of IndependenceThe Irish War of Independence was a guerrilla war mounted against the British government in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army . It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence, and ended with a truce in July 1921...
and the later Troubles, when car-bombs were common. Neil Jordan has also denied this.
- In the movie, the surrender at the end of the Easter Rising
The Easter Rising , was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic...
appears to take place outside the General Post OfficeThe General Post Office ' in Dublin is the headquarters of the Irish postal service An Post, and Dublin's principal post office...
, whereas it actually took place on Moore StreetMoore Street is a street in central Dublin, which intersects Henry Street . It is notable as the location of Dublin's oldest food market, Moore Street Market....
.
- Collins says "I would have followed him through hell..." in reference to de Valera; in reality, he was referring to James Connolly
James Connolly was an Irish socialist leader. He was born in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh, Scotland, to Irish immigrant parents. He left school for working life at the age of 11, but despite this he would become one of the leading Marxist theorists of his day. Though proud of his Irish background...
, comparing him to Pádraig Pearse:
-
- "Of Pearse and Connolly I admire the latter most. Connolly was a realist, Pearse the direct opposite ... I would have followed him [Connolly] through hell had such action been necessary. But I honestly doubt very much if I would have followed Pearse — not without some thought anyway."
- A statement in the film that the Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand....
was formed at the beginning of 1922, following the Dáilis the principal chamber of the Oireachtas . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the Single Transferable Vote . Its powers are similar to those of lower houses under many other bicameral parliamentary systems and it is...
's approval of the Treaty, even though the Irish Free State did not officially come into being until December 1922.
Neil JordanNeil Jordan is an Irish filmmaker and novelist. He won an Academy Award for The Crying Game.-Early life:Jordan was born in County Sligo. He was educated at St. Paul's College, Raheny...
defended his film by saying that it could not provide an entirely accurate account of events, given that it was a two-hour film that had to be understandable to an international audience who would not know the minutiae of
Irish historyThe history of Ireland began with the first known settlement in Ireland around 8000 BC, when hunter-gatherers arrived from continental Europe, probably via a land bridge. Few archaeological traces remain of this group, but their descendants and later Neolithic arrivals, particularly from the...
. The documentary on the DVD release of the film also discusses its fictional aspects.
Soundtrack
The
scoreElliot Goldenthal's score for Michael Collins, nominated for an Academy Award for "Best Original Dramatic Score", is at once sweeping and epic and, as with previous collaborations with Neil Jordan, fits the film comfortably....
was written by acclaimed composer
Elliot GoldenthalElliot Goldenthal is an American composer of contemporary classical music. He was a student of Aaron Copland and John Corigliano, and is best known for his distinctive style and ability to blend various musical styles and techniques in original and inventive ways.-Biography:Elliot Goldenthal was...
, and features performances by
Sinéad O'ConnorSinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter.-Early life:Sinéad O'Connor was born in Glenageary Dublin and was named after Sinéad de Valera, wife of Irish President Éamon de Valera and mother of the doctor presiding over the delivery, and Saint Bernadette of Lourdes...
.
Frank PattersonFrank Patterson was an internationally renowned Irish tenor following in the tradition of singers such as John McCormack and Josef Locke...
also performs with the Cafe Orchestra in the film and on the album.
Ratings
The
Irish Film CensorAlthough Ireland does not currently exercise much censorship in practice, the state has wide-ranging laws which allow censorship, and has specific laws covering films, advertisements, newspapers and magazines, as well as terrorism and pornography...
initially intended to give the film an over-15 Certificate, but later decided that it should be released with a PG certificate because of its historical importance. The censor issued a press statement defending his decision, claiming the film was a landmark in Irish cinema and that "because of the subject matter, parents should have the option of making their own decision as to whether their children should see the film or not". The video release was, however, given a 12 certificate.
Reception
The film became the top grossing film ever in Ireland upon its release, making
IR£The Irish pound or punt Éireannach was the currency of Ireland until 2002. Its ISO 4217 code was IEP, and the usual notation was the prefix £, or IR£ where confusion might have arisen with the pound sterling or other pounds...
4 million. In 2000 it was second only to
TitanicTitanic is a 1997 American romantic drama film directed, written, co-produced and co-edited by James Cameron about the sinking of the RMS Titanic. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson and Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater, two members of different social classes who fall in love aboard the...
in this category.
External links