‘IT'S MUCH EASIER FOR THE
PRESS TO INDULGE IN
CHARACTER ASSASSINATION'
dy
Fresh from a Palme d’Or win Paul Laverty speaks to Miles Fielder about
republicanism and reactionaries.
fter The Wind Thu! Shakes the Barley won the
top prize at (‘annes last month — spokesman
Wong Kar-Wai and his co-jurors having voted unanimously — the British press weighed in with its verdict. While liberal publications generally admired the film. the reactionary newspapers were. unsurprisineg. scathing of director Ken Loacb and writer Paul Laverty's take on the Irish War of Independence. which is as sympathetic (though not simplistically so) to the Irish Republican viewpoint as it is critical of the British govermnent. Loach was compared to the Third Reich‘s propaganda filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl. while I.averty"s screenplay was likened to Mein Kain;le
‘I've been quite interested in reactions in the press on different sides of the water.‘ says Laverty. speaking down the phone line from Dublin. “()n the surface it looks absoluter barmy. but there‘s method to their madness. Not one of these guys has seen the film. and that's because they don‘t want to engage with the ideas in it. It‘s much easier for them to indulge in character assassination. And.” Laverty continues. 'I think the profile of the Palme d'()r is why Ken and myself came in for such a slagging. But such a prestigious platform really helps with the film‘s publicity.‘
Laverty and Loach have been working on The Il’iml Thur Shakes the Barley for ten years. from around the time they collaborated on their first of eight films together. Carla's Song. That film. featuring Robert Carlyle as a politically naive bus driver. was set in Laverty"s hometown. Glasgow. and also in Nicaragua.
where Laverty previously worked as a human rights lawyer. But they first met on I.oach‘s I995 Spanish (‘ivil War film. Lam] and Freedom. in which Laverty (who now lives in Madrid) had a bit part as a Militia man fighting Franco.
I.averty"s interest in this troubled period of Irish history goes back to his childhood. IIis mother is from Ireland and the family used to holiday there. on his Uncle Pat‘s farm in West Limerick. A s a ten-year- oId. Laverty remembers being enthralled by his cousin's grandfather‘s tales of the Black and Tans.
Laverty immersed himself in the subject as an adult. ‘I read dozens of history books. newspaper reports from the time. and letters written by the people involved. I tried to speak to people. too. but I think there's only one l()3-year-old guy left. so I spoke to their children. The great challenge was how to cover this enormoust complex time: how to grasp the history narrative. but show the intimate and the humane. There was so much material. at one point we considered trying to make two films. But we thought maybe we would only get one shot at it.‘
Having taken this one shot. Laverty and Loach put one in the hack of the net. 'All the Irish people who have so far seen the film. a mix of journalists and other writers. have been massiver supportive. There's been lots of debate. But.‘ he says. sounding a note of caution. 'I would consider the film a failure if it didn‘t ring true to people here.‘
Selected release from Fri 23 Jun. See review, page 44.
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THE BEST FILM 8 DVD RELEASES
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1|: Tell Them Who You Are Mark Wexler's deeply personal, moving portrait of his leftwing firebrand filmmaker father Haskell. See review. Fi/mhouse. Edinburgh from Fri 30 Jun.
* The Wind that Shakes the Barley Ken Loach's impressive dramatic interpretation of the roots of the Irish republican movement. Scottish writer Paul Laverty provides an excellent screenplay, which lifts the film above the more disappointing recent works by Loach. See interview, left and review. GFT. Glasgow and selected cinemas from Fri 23 Jun.
* Pretty Persuasion Interesting high school take on David Mamet's play Oleanna as filtered through the mind of a media-savvy 15-year-old girl. See review. Cineworld, Glasgow from Fri 23 Jun.
* cellne and Julie Go Boating Last chance to catch the very welcome re-release of this superb 1974 Jacques Rivette film. See review. Filrnhouse, Edinburgh (Thu 22 Jun only).
* Thank You For Smoking Funny satire about US spin- doctors. General release from Fri 76 Jun.
Ill Mildred Pierce One-off screening of wonderful 1945 Joan Crawford melodrama in memory of Shiona Wood. Filmhouse's Education Officer who died recently. See Rough Cuts. Filmhouse, Edinburgh (Sat 1 Jul only).
* The Pusher Trilogy Brilliant Danish crime DVD box set featuring Nicolas Winding Refn's astounding three film underworld epic. See interview. www.pusherthemovie.co.uk. Out now (Vertigo Films).
22 luv") Jill 200") THE LIST 43