Black '47 (2018) Reviews

• Dark history piece. Great to look at

  Alexander_Blanchett2018-02-21

  I liked. A very raw irish drama with strong moments and incredibly good images. The story was simple structed and was pretty basic but its based on true events and that makes it shocking. You have your unbeatable war hero who turns against those who actually praises him to be what he is and everything becomes messy. Then you have the police commissioner whose specialtiy is being a hunter who .. hunts him. But the historic truth behind it makes it extremely authentic. Director Lance Daly really successes in making it a believable drama and avoids every poor cliches to make it more cinematic. The acting worked as well. I really liked Hugo Weaving who shines in the leading role as the trouble commissioner who gets one last chance. James Frecheville delivers with a very silent but extremely raw performance, much in the tradition of Leonardo DiCaprio's Revenant turn. Good Supporting roles by Stephen Rea and especially Jim Broadbent who is in the second half of the movie but pretty much owns every scene he is in. Nice turn by newcomer Barry Keoghan was well.The cinematography was amazing, the scenery excellent (except for those painted village images, which were a bit irritating at times) . It has many shocking moments and some well edited action sequeces. A great mix that works most of the times. Good performances over all. Lovely irish music that adds a lot to the general mood. Very recommendable movie even if it had the one or other dry scene.

• fantastic Irish western

  eugenequinn2018-08-30

  I really enjoyed this film which tells the story of An Irish Ranger who returns home after fighting for the empire abroad to find that his homeland is destroyed and family killed by the very forces he was defending. he sets out on a revenge journey which is set to the back drop of the famine in the west of Ireland. I like the fact that lance does not bow to a Hollywood production and instead depicts a very real narrative. It is dark and the performances are brilliant. The photography is class and you feel you are moving within the scenes along with the characters..hope to see the movie translate to overseas audiences. THumbs up.

• Brilliant! Powerful! Emotional.

  dannymorrisondanny2018-08-31

  Just watched Black 47 tonight in West Belfast with a hushed audience. A story about injustice and famine and how comradeship can redeem the evil in man. A dark and emotional film which will make you cry - and whoop as some of the culprits are served justice by a man of the people.

• An Irish Masterpiece

  mick-staines2018-09-05

  Feeney (the persuasive, unexpectedly Australian James Frecheville) plays an Irish Ranger who returns from wars in Afghanistan to find his family caught in the cogs of the developing holocaust. Heaving around a head like an Easter Island statue decorated with weeds, Feeney soon encounters even worse outrages and, setting aside ideas of emigration, vows to pursue a war against the administrators and colonialist bandits. This is a must see...

• Historical film based in the irish famine delivered in the style of the great westerns.

  pcossie2018-08-20

  Best irish film since "the field " .fantastic leading man and great turn from stephen rea and extended cast ,beautiful use of the irish language ,