Black '47, written and directed by Lance Daly - 9 out of 10

Black '47, written and directed by Lance Daly
9 out of 10


Black '47 is a wonderful, gripping, thrilling, splendidly acted drama.

In fact, it is incredibly superior to action movies that benefit from so much publicity, like the famed Fast and Furious series, without making the same splash.
The period of the film is set during the Great Famine, when so many people have died and others have decided to leave Ireland.

The Übermensch, Superman of this film is Feeney.
He is portrayed by a wonderful, strong, skilled, balanced, young, promising actor, James Frencheville, who has been fabulous in another great motion picture:

Animal Kingdom 

In Black '47 he is an Irish Ranger, apparently a defector from the British Army.
When he returns home to Ireland, he finds what is left of his family living in destitution.

His mother had died, for she had refused to humiliate herself by accepting to take the charity that took form of the offensive soup offered to the occupied Irish.
The authorities and some of their local sympathizers have been involved in atrocities.

The hero tries to prevent some of these monsters as they destroy the roof over the head of his remaining relatives.
He shouts to his dear ones to get out and obey these villains, as they come out a teenager is killed and Feeney is pushed to the ground.

When he would return later, aft escaping his captors, he would find all the dear ones frozen to death, two children included.
If we consider this immense tragedy, the scale of the abuse inflicted upon the Irish starving population, the revenge that is to come is appropriate.

What is essential for an action movie, it is also credible, for if the protagonist succeeds in most of his actions, he still has a share of faults, problems, rifles that do not fire and especially a finale that is not the one we ever get in Hollywood mainstream fare.
As he is tied, the ranger is facing an officer who looks at his weapon which looks like a machete.

The extremely well trained and skilled hero pushes the machete into his neck and then kills or incapacitates all the soldiers on the premises.
Since his exploits have impressed superior officers, a hunting party is sent to trace him, led by Pope and including  Hannah and Hobson.

Hannah is played by the magnificent Hugo Weaving, an outstanding performer whose dramatic work extends from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert to Matrix and many other parts.
Barry Keoghan has an important contribution as Hobson and this actor has had a tremendous activity already: 

Dunkirk and The Killing of a Sacred Deer are only the most recent examples.

Cornered by his followers, Feeney faces Hannah, but does not shoot him, just kicks him in the head and looks at Hobson who has him in his rifle's sight.
The hero's gun would not fire!

There is a very narrow escape, after which Hobson is aghast at the starving people gathered outside the gates which prevent them from getting food that is plentiful on these premises and he is killed.
The vicious, despicable Lord Kilmichael aka the always- phenomenal Jim Broadbent would pay dearly for this, after he is taken prisoner by the intrepid Superman of the film.

Eventually, Hannah stops being on the wrong side of the conflict - albeit I have read recently The masterpiece Troubles by the genius J. G. Farrell, where I was on the side of the hero of that narrative- an ex British officer...
Hannah and Feeney fight together against the oppressors, but alas with limited success given what happens at the end.

I will not disclose it, only add that the ending is just another argument for this fantastic film.
It is exceptional and would deserve some Oscars, although it is doubtful that the Academy will pay it much attention.