The Gentle Gunman (Vintage Classics) [Blu-ray] [2022]

Product Information

October 8, 2023 , Bradley Hadcroft , No Comment Grimmfest 2023 – Film Review – AUXILIO – The Power of Sin (2023) There have been a fair few films covering these two different time periods, from Ken Loach’s Palm d’Or winning The Wind that Shakes the Barely, to Jim Sheridan’s Danial Day Lewis vehicle In The Name of the Father and Yan Denamge’s underrated and agonisingly tense thriller ’71. Perhaps because both history and cinema tend to focus predominantly on these two key eras in Irish and Northern Irish history, it is easy to forget that Anglo Irish conflict and tension actually permeated throughout most of the 20th Century. Quite a few people may be surprised to learn, for example, that the IRA were operating in England during the Second World War. It is during this unusual time period that we find Basil Dearden’s 1951 nourish Ealing melodrama The Gentle Gunman taking place, shedding a light on an aspect of Northern Irish history that cinema doesn’t often choose to illuminate.

The trio of John Mills, Dirk Bogarde and Robert Beatty make for a winning combination in The Gentle Gunman, each bringing a unique presence, authority and forcefulness to the tale. Directed by Basil Dearden, it follows two Irish brothers working for the I.R.A. in wartime Britain (John Mills and Dirk Bogarde) confronting their local leader's ruthless methods. Mills is the moral compass, committed to acting and believing in what is right and wrong, whereas Bogarde's character is more youthful and has to contend with making ethical judgments between clashing sides. Beatty takes up the traditional villainous angle but is no less entertaining to observe. It's of the well-produced quality that we came to expect of the Basil Dearden/Michael Relph directing/producing team - crisp photography, great Irish locations, some exciting set-pieces, memorable character acting in support of a story that is made to motor along effectively. Unfortunately the script's origins as a stage play betray… Released in 1952 and starring two of the biggest box-office British actors of the time – John Mills and Dirk Bogarde – The Gentle Gunman is about the Irish Republican Army, and more specifically the “S-Plan” campaign (the “S” stood for sabotage) that it ran on the British mainland from early 1939 until mid-1940, to try to force the government to end the partition of Ulster. The film, based on a play of the same name by the Scottish dramatist Roger MacDougall – which had already been shown on BBC Television in 1950 – is laced with moral ambiguity, though the viewer might well question just how likely it was that such feelings would exist in a real terrorist of the type shown in the film. Weekend Box Office Results: Five Nights at Freddy’s Scores Monster Opening Link to Weekend Box Office Results: Five Nights at Freddy’s Scores Monster Opening Terry Sullivan (John Mills) had been a staunch member of the IRA. But we find him in London during World War Two, and his stance on the situation has changed. Meanwhile, his brother Matt (Dirk Bogarde) is still deep into the cause and striving to prove his loyalty.A tonally odd, dramatically stilted and misguided look at Anglo-Irish relations that's just about held together by the skilled direction of Basil Dearden and Gordon Dines' crisp, visually striking photography, this adaptation of Roger MacDougall's play is most interesting when the action relocates outside of the two prominent locations featured in the screenplay, showcasing some stunning Irish countryside and at certain points that feature the iconography of a gangster movie, recalling Dearden's work on crime noirs Pool of London and The Blue Lamp.

Dirk Bogarde and John Mills deliver fairly engaging performances (although both are let down by some rather ropey Irish accents, with Mill’s attempt especially bad, seemingly taking in a tour around the British Isles by way of Belfast). While both actors were big names at the time, Bogarde’s role certainly plays second fiddle to John Mill’s more commanding and dominant older brother. In fact, Bogarde’s performance in The Gentle Gunman feels rather restrained, his character coming across as ineffectual and subdued for most of the running time, certainly standing in marked contrast to his more violent and belligerent turn in The Blue Lamp. Robert Beatty, playing committed IRA commander Shinto, arguably makes the biggest impression out of the central three characters, playing his role with a steely sense of cold determination. Dirk Bogarde wasn’t even trying with that Irish accent, but I forgive him because he’s so handsome. In 1941, in wartime U.K., two Irish brothers working for the I.R.A. come against their local leader's ruthless methods. It is easy to see why Dirk Bogarde went on to such a well-respected career, when he was turning in performances like Matt in The Gentle Gunman. His youthful passion and the burn of injustice bring an intensity to scenes. But none more so than the penultimate sequence. Terry is trying to keep their comrades from completing a violent demonstration that would injure many innocent women and children in a residential street. Matt is almost helplessly watching events unfold. There is a group of children nearby, and when violence breaks out, he finally makes his choice. An Overview

Rate And Review

A photo gallery is also included. This offers several great behind the scenes stills – I only wish there could have been more! The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Please review our