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"Bloody Sunday" The greatest political film of all time is --- oops, has Butler has lost you already? You hate politics, don't you? (Who could blame you?) And to pay good money to watch a movie that lectures to you….no way! Just so you know: Butler thinks the Greatest Political Film is “ Battle of Algiers .” We're not talking about it today because it's in French, and Butler has promised himself he won't promote films with subtitles --- for now. But if you want to understand the difficulty we're having in Iraq --- oops, we're trying to keep this a politics-free zone, aren't we? Nope. Not going there. (If you feel the need to know what Butler thinks about politics, spirituality and religion, trot over to Beliefnet.com, and look for the “Swami Uptown” blog. But beware: Butler removes his white gloves in that space.) Okay. Now to sell you on the second-or-third best political movie --- certainly one of the best in English, anyway. Let's try this from another angle: What if Butler told you about a great action film? Good guys. Bad guys. Violence. And a really great song. Now that Butler has your attention, let's set the scene for “Bloody Sunday,” released in 2002 and directed by Paul Greengrass. ( Hollywood smartly picked up on his skills and hired him to direct “The Bourne Supremacy,” the action hit of this summer.) The backstory: We're in Derry , in Northern Ireland , in January of 1972. The British rule here, as they have for a century. They have recently initiated internment without trial --- they are determined to curb Irish unrest. The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association calls for a protest march on Sunday, January 30. It's to start in a Catholic suburb and end in the center of Protestant power. Now to the technique: Like the director of “ Battle of Algiers ,” Greengrass tends to use a handheld camera. You don't get to distance yourself: This movie is in your face. Maybe it's more accurate to say: It is your face. Because you are there. You are there in a documentary that starts as a study in heroism. Here is Ivan Cooper, an Irish (but Protestant) member of Parliament, rushing around to encourage friends to join the march and British soldiers to give him free passage. He's non-violent. But those soldiers --- they seem to want a fight. “Bloody Sunday” is the story of that fight. Hard to figure out which side starts it: Chaos prevails. Not hard to see who uses overpowering, unnecessary violence --- by day's end, the Brits have killed 13 innocent Irish civilians. And then, of course, comes the propaganda…because the Brits, don't you see, just had to defend themselves against these wild hooligans and agitators. You knew little or nothing about this incident? Wrong. You have heard --- endless times --- “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” by U2. If you've paid attention, you know it's a cry of agony: I can't believe the news today The movie takes that cry and amps it up. It won the Audience Award at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival and tied for the Golden Bear that year's Berlin Film Festival. It is guaranteed to have you on your feet --- yes, in your own home --- shaking with disbelief and rage. That, Butler suggests, is not an altogether bad thing. by Jesse Kornbluth, for HeadButler.com To order “Bloody Sunday” from Amazon.com, click here. Copyright 2004 by Head Butler Inc.
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