A truly iconic film.
Film4 has just announced that iconic Irish-set film ’71 is showing on their channel on Tuesday night.
The British digital television channel took to Twitter to announce the news.
If you’ve got any fingernails left after Sorcerer on Friday, may we recommend ‘71, tomorrow at 11.50pm? Jack O’Connell is a young British soldier accidentally left behind on the streets of Belfast during The Troubles. pic.twitter.com/V2AhWjneai
— Film4 (@Film4) February 5, 2018
The film, set in the year 1971, follows Gary Hook (Jack O’Connell), one of a number of young English soldiers who are sent to keep the peace on the streets of Belfast.
Clueless about the politics of The Troubles, surrounded by escalating tensions and totally ill-served by his commanding officers, Hook is left to fend for himself in an unfamiliar, unforgiving city after a routine house search descends into a chaotic riot and he is separated from the rest of his unit.
As night comes down and the soldier attempts get back to the army base, Hook’s disorientating odyssey brings him into contact with Unionist and Republican paramilitary units, as well duplicitous forces stoking the flames of conflict, waging their own dirty war. Acclaimed TV director Yann Demange delivers a notable debut feature, an exhilarating action movie that has more in common with the work of Walter Hill or John Carpenter than it does with other depictions of The Troubles in recent British cinema.
’71 was released in 2014 and received a huge array of awards nominations following its release, as well as Demange claiming the Best Director gong at the British Independent Film Awards.
The film features O’Connell at his finest, and is well worth a watch to view his physical intensity, emotional authenticity and political acuity alone.
The film claimed a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score and it’s definitely not hard to see why.
’71 airs on Tuesday night on Film4 at 11.50pm.
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