Main Cast: James Nesbitt, Tim Pigott-Smith, Nicholas Farrell, Gerard McSorley, Kathy Kiera Clarke
Release Year: 2002
Country: IE/UK
Run Time: 107 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Paul Greengrass (The Theory of Flight) wrote and directed this powerful look at January 30, 1972 -- better known as "Bloody Sunday." Ivan Cooper (James Nesbitt) attempts to organize a peaceful protest after Protestant leaders imprison Catholics without a trial. His actions conflict with hard-line IRA members who have no interest in a "peaceful" response, as well as the military men responsible for keeping the peace who are led by Major General Robert Ford (Tim Pigott-Smith) and Brigadier Patrick Maclellan (Nicholas Farrell). By the end of the day, the military will fire on the protestors and kill 13 people. The events of this day still haunt the peace process in Ireland. Bloody Sunday was screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Review
Paul Greengrass' Bloody Sunday has been a film festival favorite, and received a good deal of critical praise, but despite the importance of the subject matter and the visceral power of Greengrass' filmmaking, the film is far from flawless. Greengrass has cited Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers as an inspiration for his film, the earlier film's influence is evident in Bloody Sunday's vérité style and his use of non-actors in many of the smaller roles. Greengrass' background as a documentarian is also evident in the film's use of handheld camera and a chaotically realistic sound mix. But the film's considered approach to its subject matter is too calm and thoughtful for agitprop, and the thinness of its characterizations makes it a failure as straight drama. In the film, the actual massacre is perpetrated, for the most part, on nameless, faceless characters, in the style of the opening battle sequence in Saving Private Ryan. But Spielberg's decision to begin his depiction of a huge war with carnage amid anonymous soldiers is much more understandable than Greengrass' decision not to differentiate among the 13 unfortunate victims of this much smaller-scaled tragedy. His decision to inflate the role of Ivan Cooper (James Nesbitt), the Protestant politician and civil rights leader who helped organize what was supposed to be a peaceful march that day, is questionable, particularly as it takes time away from the everyday residents of Derry who should be the film's real story. The film has an undeniable immediacy, and is still a powerful indictment of the British government's actions on that day, and in response to the incident. But one can't help but feel that it could have been something more. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
Allan Gildea - Kevin McCorry; Gerard Crossan - Eamonn McCann; Mary Moulds - Bernadette Devlin; Carmel McCallion - Bridget Bond; Declan Duddy - Gerry Donaghy; Joanne Lindsay - Mary Donaghy; Simon Mann - Colonel Wilford; Christopher Villiers - Major Steele; Mike Edwards - Soldier
Credit
Padraig O'neill - Art Director, Ros Hubbard - Casting, John Hubbard - Casting, Rhidian Bridge - Consultant/advisor, Colin Coull - Consultant/advisor, Simon Mann - Consultant/advisor, Paul Myler - Co-producer, Don Mullan - Co-producer, Dinah Collin - Costume Designer, Luke Johnston - First Assistant Director, Paul Greengrass - Director, Clare Douglas - Editor, Jim Sheridan - Executive Producer, Arthur Lappin - Executive Producer, Paul Trijbits - Executive Producer, Pippa Cross - Executive Producer, Tristan Whalley - Executive Producer, Rod Stoneman - Executive Producer, Dominic Muldowney - Composer (Music Score), John Paul Kelly - Production Designer, Ivan Strasburg - Cinematographer, Mark Redhead - Producer, Albert Bailey - Sound/Sound Designer, Pat Condren - Stunts Coordinator, Paul Greengrass - Screenwriter, Maurice Foley - Special Effects Coordinator, Danny Longhurst - Supervising Sound Editor
Bloody Sunday is a 2002 television film about the 1972 "Bloody Sunday" shootings in Derry, Northern Ireland. Although produced by Granada Television as a TV film, its cinematic potential was noted and it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 16 January, a few days before its screening on ITV on 20 January, and then in selected London cinemas from 25 January. The production was written and directed by Paul Greengrass. Though set in Derry city, the film was actually shot in Ballymun in North Dublin. However, some location scenes were shot in Derry City, in Guildhall Square and in Creggan on the actual route of the march of 1972.
The soundtrack contains only one piece of music, a live version of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" by U2 which plays over the closing credits.
Casting & Production
Cooper is played by James Nesbitt, himself a Protestant from Northern Ireland, and a number of the military characters were played by ex-members of the British army. Gerry Donaghy was played by Declan Duddy, nephew of Jackie Duddy, one of those killed on Bloody Sunday. Big Brother 2007 (UK) housemate Seány O'Kane was in the film as well.[1]
The film was critically acclaimed.[2] It won the Audience Award at Sundance and the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival (tied with Spirited Away), in addition to the Hitchcock d'Or best film prize at the Dinard Festival of British Cinema.[3]
Bloody Sunday appeared a week before another TV film on the same subject, entitled Sunday (shown by Channel 4). The makers of Sunday criticised Greengrass's film for concentrating on the leadership of the march and not the perspective of those who joined it.[citation needed]
