1. The Field (1990)
A stellar cast invigorates Jim Sheridan's film about a field. Only in Ireland could there be so many ructions about a field! Bull McCabe rents a field of a widow that is his pride and joy. He tries to buy the field from the widow but she puts it through to public auction as Bull's son has been harassing her unbeknownst to his father, but the widow blames Bull. Bull goes into the pub and decrees that no man dare bid against him for the field. Bull has had a tragic past - his son Seamie killed himself when he was 13. His wife blames Bull and hasn't spoken to him in 18 years. An American called Peter, whose ancestors are from the region, arrives in the village and is embroiled in a tussle with Bull over ownership of the field at auction. Bull simply does not have the moolah to compete with the flashy Peter. McCabe confronts Peter and smashes his head against a rock, thereby killing him. This is in the presence of his son Tadgh who runs off to be with the tinker's daughter. Upon retrieving a dead donkey from the lake, Peter's corpse is uncovered and the game is up for Bull, but not after more hideous tragedy is heaped upon him. The Field boasts an excellent cast - particularly Richard Harris as Bull McCabe - more of a force of nature than a mere man. My mother immerses herself in Irish culture. She will only watch a film, read a book or listen to a song if it is Irish. When I told her the nature of this assignment, she immediately said "The Field! The Field!", I think my mother is not the only Irish person who loves The Field, it is a spectacular feat of film making that seems to resonate deeply with many people. Irish people love 'the craic' but they also have a taste for the tragic due to Ireland's long and tortuous history - tragedy was the norm for many Irish people. The Field was adapted from a stage play by John B Keane - the vast majority of Irish people will be familiar with the play and the film. The idea of Tom Berenger's character Peter building an American style mall on the beautiful, craggy Irish coast is a ludicrous one, but I don't think Peter has a big role in the film which largely concerns itself with Bull's intransigence and intractable belief that his field is the be all and end all and must be conserved. The cinematography of the film is beautiful - it was shot in County Galway and Ireland has never looked so beautiful yet imposing. Veteran Irish actress Brenda Fricker, when she wasn't pacing the wards in long running BBC drama Casualty, was known to give Oscar worthy performances in Irish films (My Left Foot) and her turn as Bull's embittered wife is excellent. I do however think that the ending is a little too harrowing and tragic, even for me and I dig cinematic tragedy.