It's March 17th and we can now officially celebrate Ireland's British born patron saint and stock up on some flicks to get us in the spirit of Saint Patrick. For a culture enriched with such a storied and turbulent history, 'Irishness' is all too often portrayed on screen to the global market as a very primitive and one dimensional identity. It is quite strange considering, the small nation that boasts such a rich artistic tradition, which could rival any on the planet, is so lethargically diluted to idle cliched phrases and beer swilling Paddies. In spite of the annoying and exhausted stereotypes, there are still a number of movies which embody and adhere to the complexity of Irish identity. Yes, there are a cornucopia of films which depict Irish identity as shamefully opposite. Such inferior silver screen presentations include the likes of Gerard Butler in P.S. I Love You (2007) and the laughably geographically and socially inaccurate Leap Year (2010). If you come to Ireland expecting it to anyway be like the aforementioned, you will be extremely disappointed. This list's purpose is to encompass those movies, which will make you proud to don the green, white and orange today...
10. The Field (1990)
Based on legendary playwright John B. Keane's 1965 play of the same name, this picture under the directorial leadership of Jim Sheridan has become somewhat of a cult classic. At first glance, the story may appear rather simplistic but upon closer inspection it is quite the opposite. The film, which features an array of talented individuals to include Richard Harris, Brenda Fricker, John Hurt, Tom Berenger and Sean Bean, delves both implicitly and explicitly into a number of issues, which are still undoubtedly applicable to the contemporary western world. The substance of the story extends far beyond the confines of a bitterly desperate land dispute. Rather, it addresses matters associated with death suicide and involuntary mass emigration. Many nations of the present day could construe meaning behind the reliance on one particular industry, in this case agriculture. Despite the original text being tweaked to appeal to the cinema going modern audience, the many powerful performances by the superb cast still display the remnants of a past riddled by harsh external oppression.
