Michael Collins [Blu-ray]

While recently on vacation in Dublin, we took an excursion to Belfast. Our guide explain the Protestant/British - Catholic conflict and recommended this movie for further information and education on the conflict. Segregation still exists today, in 2023 in Belfast between the Irish/Protestants(British rule) and the Irish/Catholics. A must see.

I've seen this before but rented it again while doing research. It's based on a true story, and so it gives you a sense of history, plus it's also exciting with tension and stakes. People put themselves through a lot of danger to make their part of the world better for themselves and everyone else who mattered to them, they didn't just march in the streets fist-pumping and shouting woke slogans - they risked their lives and many men died for this cause to free Ireland. Liam Neeson is excellent and has a powerful bearing in this role.

"Michael Collins" was a life long dream project for director Neil Jordan and when he finally got the chance to bring his version of the IRA leader and political martyr to the screen in 1996, the results were mixed at best. Part biography and part history lesson, the film comes off more as a gangster film with it's emphasis on violence, vendettas, betrayals, vengeance, assassinations and urban guerrilla warfare. That's not to say that it's bad, quite the contrary. Jordan's film is beautiful to look at but contains many alterations and inaccuracies that may leave some viewers puzzled. Warner Home Video(through it's Archive Collection) has now released "Michael Collins" on Blu-ray for the first time and the results are once again, simply spectacular. Released last week in time for not only the film's 20th Anniversary but the 100th Anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rebellion(where the film starts), Warner's has re-mastered the film in 2K from an interpositive taken from the original camera negative and this new Blu-ray transfer(Bitrate: 30.99) was supervised by director Neil Jordan. The results are a beautiful presentation from start to finish. Jordan used Oscar winning cinematographer Chris Menges("The Killing Fields", "The Mission") to photograph the many Dublin locales where the majority of the film takes place and his use of desaturated, rather than bright colors gives the film a more authentic look. The Dublin locations have never looked so dreary and foreboding, resulting in a certain sadness throughout the film. This may have been Jordan's intent all along in his version of Ireland's War of Independence(1919-1922). However, whenever the film moves outside of Dublin the Irish countryside looks simply beautiful with it's lush green fields looking especially eye popping on Blu-ray. There are no vertical lines, specks, damaged or torn frames and anyone purchasing this new Blu-ray will be pleased with the results. The acting is top notch with Liam Neeson giving one of his best performances in his role as the charismatic but doomed Michael Collins. He gets great support from Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea and the late Alan Rickman. That being said, Julia Roberts is badly miscast as Kitty Kiernan, the woman who loves(and becomes engaged to) Collins shortly before his death. To her credit, she doesn't have much to do in the film except to act as a love interest to two of the main characters. The Audio(English DTS-HD MA 5.1; Dolby Digital 5.1 for Japanese and Dolby Digital 2.0 for German and Spanish) is clear and free of any noise artifacts(hiss, pop, crackle, etc.) but viewers may want to use the individual subtitles as some of the dialogue is hard to understand when spoken by some of the actors. As mentioned above, Jordan made many alterations to the real events depicted and even some inaccuracies none more so than to Stephen Rea's character(Eamon "Ned" Broy) who is tortured and killed in the film but in reality lived until 1972. Those negatives aside, "Michael Collins" is an engrossing film from start to finish and the Warner Archive Collection has given it new life on Blu-ray. "Michael Collins" is 132 minutes(Aspect ratio: 1.78:1) and contains the following subtitles: English SDH, German SDH, Spanish, Japanese, Czech, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Thai and Turkish. Special features include: (1) Commentary by Director Neil Jordan, (2) "The South Bank Show" documentary hosted by Melvyn Bragg with a Neil Jordan Interview(51:11 minutes), (3) Deleted Scenes and (4) the Theatrical Trailer. The Blu-ray disc itself is housed in a solid standard Blu-ray case(not an eco-cutout case). "Michael Collins" is an absorbing and important film of historical events that are even more relevant today than when they actually occurred over a hundred years ago. It comes highly recommended.

Rarely does a movie have as much historic accuracy, political insight, character development, and dramatic action as does this film.The film covers 6 highly chaotic and transitional years in Ireland, from the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin to the 1922 assassination of Michael Collins in Cork County.Many Americans, even if they are of Irish ancestry, know little of Irish history, particularly the relationship between Ireland and England. Since the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I there has been domination of the Irish people by the English government. After almost 400 years of domination, the rise of the Irish Republic was an amazing accomplishment. Much of that accomplishment must be attributed to Michael Collins, the founder of the Irish Republic Army, and the master strategist in the first 6 years of the rebellion. The film takes us through the final hours of the Easter Rising where the English military suppresses one of the first uprisings and challenges to their authority. The film shows the firing squad executions, one by one, of the leaders of the uprising. The film takes us to the guerilla tactics of Michael Collins, with an emphasis on killing the English leadership in Ireland. As the English send more and more ruthless enforcers of England's power, the IRA carefully kills them and creates chaos in their administration. Michael becomes a national hero but his first diplomatic mission is in some ways a set up. This leads to the political intrigue within the film.The character of Eamon De Valera, the man who was repeatedly elected President of Ireland, is indeed complex as the film demonstrates. De Valera sends Collins to negotiate with the British under the explanation that Collins has earned this priviledge andthat the English wish to know who is so they can negotiate face to face. Michael is not able to negotiate for the independence of all of Ireland, primarily because the English wished to hold Northern Ireland where the majority of English protestant settlers had lived for generations after generations. However, De Valera refuses to accept a partial victory, undermining Collins' leadership and popularity with many of the Irish people. Very crafty thinking and manipulating were involved in this sequence of events. Was De Valera actually that Machiavellian? The film would indicate so.The acting is superb, with Lian Neeson, Alan Rickman, Stephen Rea, Ian Hart, Aiden Quinn, and Jonathan Rhys Meyer offering first class performances. Julia Roberts takes an understated back seat which serves the film well. Neeson is indeed highly powerful as the robust manly decisive Collins, a man who goes from being a street fighting terrorist to a hero and statesman. Rickman is super as De Valera. He plays De Valera as calculating, never revealing his whole hand, and extremely strategic. Especially strategic was De Valera's trip to the USA to gain funds and support from Irish Americans. Ian Hart plays Collins' right hand assistant through thick and thin. Hart is superb here. Aiden Quinn plays Harry Boland, a friend of Collins' who competes with him for Julia Robert's affection and then turns on him during the Irish Civil War. A young brash handsome Jonathan Rhys Meyer plays the young assassing who kills Collins as he comes to Cork to negotiate with De Valera. There is so much history to relate that the director and writers wisely de-emphasized the romantic in favor of the historic.The scenes of Ireland are superb, the cinematography of urban Ireland was exceptional. A very fine film.

I have seen this film before and following a recent visit to Ireland felt I should watch it again. The DVD included an interview between Melvyn Bragg and the director Neil Jordan and this gave a helpful addition and objective comparison of the film and historic events. Liam Neeson is excellent as Collins (although Kenneth Branagh might have been better cast in terms of appearance, he and Collins look very much alike), also Aidan Quinn as Harry Boland and Alan Rickman as Eamon de Valera. Julia Roberts as Collins' fiance Kitty Kiernan is sadly miscast and the story is distorted to add unnecessary tension to their relationship. Michael Collins was a complex character: capable of using urban violence to achieve Irish Independence but also wanting the violence to be over so that lives could be rebuilt in peace. He was killed by his own side when they could not accept the North/South agreement. The film gives some idea of the complicated issues of that time.

I have just ordered a further copy of this engrossing epic, having owned and givenaway an earlier copy. It is too good not to have in any film collection - and evenbetter if you have any interest in the subject matter.Although a bit free with some facts (understandable within the restrictions ofproducing an entertainment), it is noneless a fine and utterly involving take on atumultuous dangerous time in the history of these islands. The cast is excellent,and I don't accept the frequent criticism of Julia Roberts as Kitty Kiernan. Thatwoman WAS beautiful and the book containing the letters that passed between herand Collins gives mournful weight to the love that existed between them. Robertspossesses the quiet yet firm beauty and character necessary for the role.The evocation of time and place is wonderfully well done and although the demonisation of the G-men (scowling, brutal & violent - to offset the actions ofCollins and his freedom forces, no doubt) was a bit wearing, it certainly aidedthe need to portray the unforgiving nature of two determined mindsets with littlecommon ground for making peace.I confess to a personal interest in the material on show here. Look closely at thepiece of paper that "Ned Broy" is burning in the Vaughn Hotel fireplace and you'lljust see "92 Lower Baggot Street..." before it is devoured by flames. It was theaddress in which my father's first cousin - a courts martial officer - was shot dead in front of his wife by a team of Collins' gunmen led by Joe Leonard.I only recently discovered this piece of family history and it certainly bringsthis top notch film to vivid albeit disturbing life for this particular viewer -tho' the 14 victims of that original Bloody Sunday were reduced to a handful inthe movie.Interestingly, the address still survives as a popular small hotel.

I will begin by saying that I would give the film on it's own a rating of 5 Stars, as it is a well made film about Irish history with a star studded cast. Overall, it keeps close to the true version of events, with some deviations for cinematic reasons.However, I deducted 2 Stars due to the way it is represented on DVD format. My biggest gripe with it is that it is on a dual disk format, meaning that it is necessary to take the dvd out and turn it over and put it back into the player during the film. The need to do this interrupts the film and one's enjoyment while watching it. What makes it worse is the fact that the film is not overly long and is shorter than some films which for some reason fit onto 1 dvd without having to turn it over.The only good thing about the dvd release apart from getting to re-watch a great film, is the inclusion of a documentary from the South Bank Show which deals with historical fact and shows archive footage of the 'Big Fella' himself.

Having not known much of the turmoil experienced of the 1916 revolution in Ireland this was to me an excellent film portraying one of the leading members. Hard to believe what they all had to endure in Ireland and this film provided a great story with an excellent produced film portraying a taste of the times, personalities and ups and downs of the revolution. Liam Neeson was outstanding and the action was chilling and real. Not a documentary but a great story that I enjoyed.

Simply a view of the other side. I watched this after a visit to Dublin. We all know our history, or think we do. This is the other sides, for want of another way of saying it. Liam Neeson is excellent in his portrayal of a man thrust to the front against his own wish. In reality a man we would call a Terrorist , but with this film we get some idea of his assessment of life lived in an occupied country.