Watching Belfast

[Bobbisox1]

Not sure, it’s quite slow yet hard hitting, I feel for those who lived through the troubles, the hatred on both sides is scary

[sandyRoe]

I haven't seen it yet. I think Branagh would have led a very different life if his parents hadn't taken the family out of N Ireland.

[Hopkirk]

You could put an Irishman in solitary confinement, and he'd still get into an argument.

[FatticusInch]

I found it a little underwhelming, expected more.

[Maydup]

I enjoyed it and found it quite impactful especially once I got into it and used to the pace.

[jennyjoan]

I haven't seen it but sister has seen trailers and some time ago she was just saying (in the trailer Protestants protested with banging bin lids - that never ever happened - it was Catholic all the time that banged the bin lids to warn other Catholics when they were getting raided with the soldiers. Ken Brannagh was only 9 when he left Belfast - so he hadn't a baldy clue what really went on. Fiction of his imagination.

Now would you like the real story - as I lived right in the next street where Bombay Street was burnt out and I was burnt out - only round to the lovely aunt two streets away. but LOL think you would all be bored.

[Ken4155]

I'm with Fatticus. It was almost set as a stage play, with what action there was, all seemingly taking place on the same street.

JJ; The film isn't a documentary of Branagh's childhood but is very loosely based on what little of the troubles he experienced.

[jennyjoan]

Ken I am very aware of that - but his experiences were not too true. his mother and father very quickly got him to England or wherever there was no troubles.

As Bobbi has said - just don't kknow how we got through it. When I see the real macoy on TV - I don't know how I managed to work - climb over barricades with ripped tights and went on into the Civil Service.

I recall a beautiful sunny day and I had to walk about 4 miles to get to work into my job in a beautiful rural area and after dodging the bullets etc - this oul lad was sitting in his garden with a hanky on his head with 4 knots on it to protect his head from the sun - and I am trying to dodge the bullets with a hanky on my head LOL - so strange. I'm going to myself is he and I on the same planet. yet we just 4 miles apart.

[Ken4155]

^
JJ; "His mother and father very quickly got him to England..." Which is basically what happens in the film, jj. It only covers a few months from the August riots of '69 to just after Christmas the same year.

[jennyjoan]

don't get me wrong - I too believed it was too "stage played" rather than a movie - I won't be in a rush to see it - as I've seen enough of Belfast troubles. No desire to see it at all.

[murraymints]

I loved it.. it is not meant to be a docufdrama about the bad times..or to reflect what actually happened..but shows the perspective of a very young boy at that time.. it was charming , endearing music was fabulous..and the unforgettable tag line for me ?...IT'S BIOLOGICAL ! you have to watch it to know of what I speak... great super smashing feel good film !

[Bobbisox1]

I’m afraid we gave up on it and concluded that we were pleased that we hadn’t paid Cinema money to watch bit, I found it hard to follow at times

[Ken4155]

MM, i sort of agree with you. Just that, having done 3 tours over there (albeit the first was in '73), i was hoping for a little more 'action'. As you say, it was about the young lad's perspective of what was happening right there on his own street.
I'm quite sure that if Mr Branagh wanted to make an action movie about the 'troubles, he'd do a really fine job. IMHO, of course:-)

[Redhelen72]

‘Belfast’ is partially based on a true story. The film is a fictitious account based on the personal experiences of director Kenneth Branagh, who was born and brought up in Belfast, Northern Ireland before moving to Berkshire, England, in 1969. Branagh’s family moved to England for safety as their home country was witnessing the prime of sectarian turmoil, which is known as the Troubles. When the conflicts between the chiefly protestant unionists and the chiefly catholic nationalists rose, Branagh’s family found a home and security in England, but at the cost of ripping Branagh apart from his hometown.
Taken from The Cinemaholic

[Ringlet]

Redhelen, in spite of what Cinemaholic says, Kenneth Branagh was not born and brought up in Belfast.
He was born there, yes, in 1960, but he left Northern Ireland with his parents when he was 9 years in 1969. So the major influence on his life would have been English culture, not Northern Irish culture, and he would have experienced little or nothing of the Troubles, which began to escalate just as his family were leaving.

[Redhelen72]

ringlet - I left Scotland when I was 7 but I can assure you the Scottish culture played a massive part of my upbringing just as I imagine that the NI culture played a massive part in KB upbringing!
Just because you leave somewhere does not mean it no longer plays a part in your life especially if you still have family there.