IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER (1993)

renTHE FILM

FILM DIRECTOR: Jim Sheridan

SCREENWRITER: Terry George, Jim Sheridan

FILM STARS: Daniel Day-Lewis, Pete Postlethwaite, Emma Thompson, John Lynch, Corin Redgrave, Beatie Edney, John Benfield, Paterson Joseph, Marie Jones, Gerard McSorley, Frank Harper, Mark Sheppard, Don Baker, Tom Wilkinson, Anthony Brophy

COUNTRY: Ireland / United Kingdom

THIS BOOK

AUTHOR: Gerry Conlon

TYPE: Memoir

PUBLISHER: Plume

THIS EDITION PUBLISHED: 1993

COUNTRY: USA

COVER: Paperback

THE ORIGINAL BOOK

ORIGINAL AUTHOR: As Above

YEAR FIRST PUBLISHED: 1990

ORIGINAL BOOK TITLE: Proved Innocent: The Story of Gerry Conlon of the Guildford Four

NOTES

GENRE: Drama

WORDS: This is one of those movies that is good but you don’t have to watch more than once, well, not unless, in this case, you are an ardent Irish republican or a moderate one with a masochistic streak.

Inevitably, and, perhaps, because of their need to examine a central event movies that often explore injustices and situations of injustice tend to be a little one note. Some transcend the situations to make universal statements but most offer a docudrama analysis of the situation. Nothing wrong with either though the former resonates more (with me) because you don’t have to have any skin in the game to relate. Often they have crusading journalists (or lawyers) at their core even if the (real) motives for journalists (and lawyers) varied so when they “crusade” I find them often risible.

This film is the latter … a look at an unjust situation in a one sided vacuum much like, but much better than, the similar Spotlight (2015) or Bombshell (2019). It is, perhaps, better because the injustice at the heart of the film is real and palpable and stunningly obvious.

Gerry Conlon, a young Irish man living in London, is wrongly sentenced to life in prison with his father after the IRA bombing of 1974. He spends the next 15 years trying to prove his innocence. His father’s lawyer, Gareth Peirce, who had been investigating the case discovers evidence which was withheld from the defence which leads to an appeal and the original verdicts being set aside as unsafe and unsatisfactory … which exonerates father, son and others convicted.

I note here that the film doesn’t make the lawyer (played by Emma Thompson) the central story though her role is central to the story. The real life lawyer in this story has “reportedly never watched the film and stated in 1995 that she was “an extremely unimportant participant in the story” but was “given a seemingly important status”” in the film.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gareth_Peirce

The film smartly gives context and history and touches on the relationship between Conlon and his father, the British occupation of Ireland, the nature of the IRA, the British judicial system, and the perception of the Irish by the British. Okay the film is manipulative but it will, also, rightly anger you. The injustice is palatable even it’s astounding a liberal democracy (though one not above pointing fingers) could act in such a way in (relatively) recent history. When backs are up against the wall and the State thinks it is acting in the “greater good”  the sharper the injustice. Of course then (as they would be now) the public was, largely, indifferent. The film then can act as a warning about the evils that await when legal procedure is not followed, laws are enacted quickly as a response to an event, accountability is lost and the presumption of innocence is eroded.

And that, is something as relevant today as it was in 1974.

Having said that the film does take liberties with the fact. To some of the Irish involved Conlon was no hero. A false confession of his involved other people who were also subsequently exonerated but Sheridan and George aren’t making a film about the events but people external to the event, here a father and his son. The courtroom scenes are also, to anyone who has seen a trial, a little laughable but a viewing public brough up on television courtroom dramas probably would not notice.

Jim Sheridan, always a strong director (My Left Foot (1989), The Field (1990), In America (2002) ) with a love of all subjects Irish could make this compelling in his sleep. And he does, though, again, do you need to see it twice?

Terry George also a writer ( The Boxer (1997)) and writer director (Some Mother’s Son (1996), Hart’s War (2002), Hotel Rwanda (2004) The Promise (2016) ) also makes straightforward well made thoughtful films often revolving on a “situation”

The lead is played by Daniel Day-Lewis and he is good though you can see him acting. He was going through his Irish period here (in three films with Sheridan – My Left Foot (1989), this film, and The Boxer (1997) as well as Eversmile, New Jersey (1989) ) which led Stephen Frears, the director of one of his first films, My Beautiful Laundrette (1985), to say “I knew Daniel before he was Irish.” (to be fair Day-Lewis’ father was half Irish and half English … though the Irish side was Irish protestant not not Catholic (like all the characters he played) and reasonably well heeled, again, unlike most of the characters he played).

I know it’s only acting but if allegations of cultural appropriation and culturally correct casting are to be maintained – if native Americans should play native Americans , if gay people should play gay roles, then, should Irish actors play Irish roles? I know this film predates the current malarkey but just about all the major Irish roles here are played by English actors (and there are no shortage of Irish actors) …. I don’t think it matters when you have someone as good as Pete Postlethwaite … I’m just saying.

These sort of films like Spotlight (2015) or Bombshell (2019) are geared to Oscars and prestige. In the Name of the Father was nominated for seven Oscars at the 66th Academy Awards, including Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis), Best Supporting Actor (Pete Postlethwaite), Best Supporting Actress (Emma Thompson), Best Director, and Best Picture though it failed to win anything. It was a box office hit.

I’m not sure I need to read the book. I would prefer to read a non-fiction account of the whole injustice rather than a memoir.

See the film, once.

Interestingly as an aside:

After his release from prison, Conlon had problems adjusting to civilian life, suffering two nervous breakdowns, attempting suicide, and becoming addicted to alcohol and other drugs. He eventually recovered and became a campaigner against various miscarriages of justice in the United Kingdom and around the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Conlon

and

Three police officers were charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice in the wake of the inquiry, but found not guilty in 1993.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guildford_Four_and_Maguire_Seven

I may not need to watch this film twice, but, clearly, a sequel would be interesting.

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