In a Nutshell
A soldier returns home to a land now hostile to him. He carries a big knife to take revenge upon his enemies and captors. I know what you’re thinking… but don’t push it!
[imdb]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3208026/[/imdb]
Review
There is an air of familiarity regarding many aspects of Black 47 and many have drawn inevitable comparisons. Some even go so far as labelling it the “Irish Braveheart”. Certainly, the plot of revenge is nothing new and it is a tried and tested story in the world of cinema.
What is unique about Lance Daly’s film is its setting and something that cannot be denied is the shock one feels when learning that this is the first feature film to be set during the Irish Famine. The importance of depicting such a monumental and controversial event cannot be underestimated and Daly has chosen to afford us a fictional, avenging hero that we can witness these very true events through.
That avenging hero is Feeney (played quite ably by Australian actor James Frecheville), a soldier who has witnessed the horrors of war and has returned home to the horror of potato blight and forced starvation by cruel landlords and unsympathetic English Lords.
A Familiar Story of Revenge set Against the Irish Famine
Feeney has sworn revenge and on his trail is the ever impressive Hugo Weaving who plays disgraced British soldier Hannah. A character literally framed within mirrors during several sequences as if to emphasise his growing conflict with himself.
You cannot deny that Black 47 is a familiar story of revenge set against the Irish Famine and, whilst this may be the most accessible way to address the enormity of the period to a mass audience, I fear it may also be the film’s downfall.
As an action film there are some very interesting and exciting set pieces and, considering the film’s modest budget, one cannot help but be impressed by their execution and choreography. There are also some very interesting scenes that truly illustrate the true brutality and unsympathetic capitalism of the time and it was these scenes that I as a viewer was most drawn in.
A Missed Opportunity to Explore an Important Event in Irish History
The problem is that, despite Daly’s best intentions, these are not the focus of the film and are passed over very quickly in order to move the plot forward. In this respect, I could not help but view the film as a missed opportunity to explore such an important event in Irish history.
Whereas films such as Dead Man’s Shoes take the age old plot of revenge and bring something new to the genre, Black 47 ultimately does not. Feeney’s journey of revenge ends up feeling rather episodic as he travels from one place to another, killing and then moving on to his next intended target.
Therefore I left the film with a mix of feelings. I cannot deny that I admire Black 47’s intentions and its scope given the fore mentioned budget. However, as a viewer, I left the film feeling very uncommitted to the characters and, most importantly, disappointed that the film did not address such an important event head on.
Verdict
It is in the end a film of noble intention but one I fear that will not captivate enough to evoke discussion on a story that clearly needs to be told.
