The concept of national identity is one of the most interesting in the field of media study as it is both shaping and shaped by it. However, the question of why and how film and national identity are related is the focus of this case study concerning "The Wind That Shakes The Barley" (TWTSB). With the help of the film this paper aims to depict the complexity of national identity in the contemporary globalised media. Especially the contrast between the textual and the contextual side will be taken into account to establish a critical representation of the British.
There will be different questions addressed; starting with the development of national identity with its relation to media on a more theoretical basis. Secondly, the case study will be analysed with regards to the Anglo-Irish relationship. Although the film appears to be in favour of the Irish revolution in the War of Independence it is the contextual side which highlights the complexity and actuality of the British representation. Therefore, the last chapter will show how director Ken Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty use the Irish perspective to criticise their own national history. Here, Irish national identity is constructed via an outsider’s perspective. Hence, national identity is re-constructed to depict rather global issues of oppressing working classes by the ruling class.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Background: National identity and its relation to film
2. 1. National identity
2.2. The heritage film
3. Case Study: The Wind That Shakes the Barley
3.1. Textual Side
3.2 Contextual side
3.3. TWTSB as heritage film
3.4. Social realist film
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines the complex interplay between national identity and cinematic representation, focusing on the film The Wind That Shakes the Barley. By analyzing the film’s textual content alongside its production context, the study aims to explore how Ken Loach and Paul Laverty utilize the Irish War of Independence to critique imperial power structures, the British ruling class, and the construction of national history from an outsider's perspective.
- The theoretical development of national identity in relation to film and media.
- An analysis of the contrast between textual representations and contextual production conditions.
- An evaluation of The Wind That Shakes the Barley as both a heritage film and a work of social realism.
- The exploration of how an "outsider" perspective (British director/Scottish writer) constructs Irish national identity.
- The critique of global imperial power and the oppression of the working class.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. Textual Side
The film portrays the two brothers Damien and Teddy O’Donovan in time of the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War in the 1920s. Set in the rural area around Cork, the fictional protagonists in TWTSTB get increasingly involved in the Irish Republican Army whose local section is lead by Teddy.
The title refers to a ballad by Robert Dwyer Joyce in the 19th century who was a poet and English literature professor. It tells the story of a rebel of Wexford who leaves his loved one in order to become part of the 1798 riots. The rebels used to carry barley with them for their long marches. Afterwards, the spots of corn in the hills marked the graves of the revolutionists. However, the barley became a symbol of the revolution against Britain which is taken up in the ballad and the film as well (Damrosch, 2854). It is no surprise the song is sung by the funeral of Michael who resists against British orders.
Starting with a hurling game, a traditional Gaelic ball sport, the film soon turns on a violent note by showing the disgracing and beating up of Michael. Although Damien is a doctor and plans to move to London for work he decides against this after watching the brutal behaviour of the British troops towards his friends and at the train station. In both situations, the Irish victims are clearly shown as innocent whereas the British seem to enjoy their violent behaviour.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter defines the focus on the relationship between film and national identity, specifically highlighting the case study of The Wind That Shakes the Barley as a tool to explore historical representation.
2. Theoretical Background: National identity and its relation to film: This section establishes the theoretical framework regarding how nations define themselves through media and examines the specific genre conventions of the heritage film.
3. Case Study: The Wind That Shakes the Barley: This chapter provides a detailed analysis of the film through both textual and contextual lenses, categorizing it as both a heritage and social realist film.
4. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the analysis, arguing that the film successfully criticizes imperial oppression by framing the Irish conflict within a broader, global socio-political context.
Keywords
National Identity, Film Studies, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Ken Loach, Irish War of Independence, Heritage Film, Social Realism, British Imperialism, Anglo-Irish Relations, Cultural Representation, Media Theory, Historical Film, Oppression, Working Class, Colonialism
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores how national identity is constructed and represented in media, specifically analyzing the film The Wind That Shakes the Barley in the context of the Anglo-Irish conflict.
What are the primary thematic fields addressed?
The study focuses on the intersection of cinema and history, the definition of national identity, the tropes of the heritage and social realist film genres, and the critique of imperial power.
What is the central research question?
The paper asks why and how film and national identity are related, specifically investigating how a British director and Scottish screenwriter construct a critical representation of British history through an Irish perspective.
Which methodology is applied in this analysis?
The author uses a two-fold approach: a textual analysis of the film's narrative and visual language, and a contextual analysis of the film's international production background.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section analyzes the plot and visual style (Textual Side), the international production companies (Contextual Side), and the film's classification as both a heritage film and a work of social realism.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include National Identity, Social Realism, Heritage Film, Irish War of Independence, and Anti-Imperialism.
How does the author interpret the role of the Irish language in the film?
The author argues that the Gaelic language functions as a cultural identifier and a secret language that distinguishes the Irish characters from their British counterparts.
Why is the film considered to be in a "global context" according to Ken Loach?
Loach views the film as a classic story of an imperial power attempting to safeguard its interests via tactical retreat, which serves as a universal example of occupation and oppression of the working class.
How does the film shift its perspective during the Irish Civil War?
The narrative moves from a "black and white" depiction of the struggle against the British to a more ambivalent portrayal of the internal conflict between the two brothers, representing the split within the Irish nation.
- Quote paper
- Jana Schäfer (Author), 2015, National Identity and the Anglo-Irish Representation in Ken Loach's "The Wind that Shakes the Barley", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/316575
