From a standpoint of an admirer of Irish culture and history, I will try to say a few words about this film. Firstly I will go ahead and agree with the one of the previous reviews on the fact that the events portrayed in the film are most likely true. However, the very film seems like a poor propaganda, resembling a few pathetic Yugoslavian communist films. It most certainly lacks constructive plot. Sadly, even though the Irish were on the righteous side of this fight, after watching this, it might make you feel that they weren't and they just tried to make things right with this film. Dialogues lack drama but doubtlessly do not lack clichés. Clear proof of this is a case in which Brits raid rebels' homes and in this occasion manage to call them by every single derogatory name (mick bastard, fenian bastard, Irish prick,etc.)The director tried to adapt the tragic and heroic events from Irish history into a movie but failed hard to so. One time I watched Come and See (Idi i Smotri), a Belorussian film about WWII. This film left me with such strong impression that I wished to go out and kill a whole lot of Nazis. This is the kind of emotion that a good historical film should trigger. THIS FILM, HOWEVER, DOES THE VERY OPPOSITE. IT IS NOT WORTHY OF THIS BEAUTIFUL, POETIC TITLE WHICH WAS ACTUALLY TAKEN FROM AN OLD IRISH BALLAD. You might as well skip this one, don't throw away 2 hours of your life.

Best comedy I've ever seen in my life. From beginning to end I was practically on the floor from laughing. Whether it was when the general was cursing at the men, or when the mother was sining an Irish song, or when that young boy was all up in that cows business ;). I will always think of this movie when deciding what to recommend as a real rib tickler! 5/7, a perfect score for this movie.

The Wind that shakes the Barley is a film which was released in 2006 and directed by Ken Loach.The action takes place in Ireland in the 1920's and the main character is played by Cillian Murphy.It won the "Palme d'or" at the Cannes Festival.It's a war movie that mixes history and drama.Camera angles are very interesting :feelings are described by them. There was serious work behind this choice of viewing angles for the script.The message that the director wanted to convey is the war was terrible.It was terrible because of death but also because of betrayals into families or groups of friends. I think the movie was made to denounce the visions of youngs soldiers,how they were hurt,and to show the real violence and the impact of this war on people.To um up,you should see this movie even if you're sensitive because it's a classic.

English television and film director Ken Loach's nineteenth feature film which was written by Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty, is inspired by real events which took place in Ireland in the early 20th century. It premiered In competition at the 59th Cannes International Film Festival in 2006, was screened in the Masters section at the 31st Toronto International Film Festival in 2006, was shot on location in County Cork, Ireland and is an Ireland-UK-Germany-Italy-Spain co-production which was produced by producer Rebecca O'Brien. It tells the story about an Irishman and anatomy student named Damien O'Donovan who is only days away from going to work as a doctor at a hospital in London, England. Most of the men Damien has grown up with including his brother named Teddy have had enough of the way they are being treated by the British troops who has occupied their country, and is gathering a small army to drive the Brits out of Ireland. Damien thinks that they stand little chance against the British troops, but when he is waiting for his ride to England at the train station after having said goodbye to his friends he witnesses the driver of the train and his co-workers being assaulted by a group of British soldiers and decides to return to his friends, where he swears allegiance to the government of the Irish Republic, Dáil Éireann and joins them in their war for their nation's independence.Distinctly and subtly directed by European filmmaker Ken Loach, this finely paced and somewhat fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints though mostly from the two main characters viewpoints, draws a heartrending and involving portrayal of an oppressed Irish community who after watching a 17-year-old man named Micheail O'Sullivan being killed for saying his name in Irish decides to take up the fight against the British army and forms an Irish Republican Army. While notable for it's naturalistic milieu depictions, fine cinematography by English cinematographer Barry Ackroyd, production design by production designer Fergus Clegg and costume design by Irish costume designer Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh, this narrative-driven story about nationalism, unionism, capitalism, imperialism and choosing what one is for and against, depicts two interrelated studies of character about two brothers and how their relationship and personalities are changed by a war, and contains a fine score by composer George Fenton.This political, historic, conversational and gently romantic period war drama from the late 2000s which is set in a county of Ireland during the interwar period and the Irish War of Independence in the early 1920s, and where Irish republicans are threatened with immediate and terrible war unless they ratify a peace treaty which all though providing them with a Free State within the British Empire asks them to swear an oath of allegiance to the British crown which many of them regards as going against the oath they swore to their fatherland during the last election in 1919, is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, substantial character development, efficient continuity, incisive political conversations, scenes between Damien and his girlfriend named Sinead and the gripping acting performances by Irish actors Cillian Murphy, Pádraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham and Irish actress Orla Fitzgerald. A lingering, modestly literary and reverent homage to the Republic of Ireland which gained, among numerous other awards, the Palme d'Or at the 59th Cannes Film Festival in 2006.