Land and Freedom - Ken Loach

 <sup>Land and Freedom is a film from 1995 by Ken Loach.  It narrates the life of an unemployed worker and member of the Communist Party of Great Britain. He decides to leave Liverpool and go fight for the republican side in Spain, during the civil war. The film went on to win several awards.

It draws strong comparisons to George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia, who was also a volunteer for the same side in the war, as well as Ernest Hemingway.

It's an extremely engaging film, looking at the political differences between the Soviet-backed forces and the anarchist forces -- the POUM. David, the main character, initially went to fight for the former, but coincidentally fought for the latter (of which he hadn't heard about) -- either way, fundamentally he wanted to fight against the fascists so he could be doing something he believed in -- his socialists beliefs -- and prevent the spread of fascism to the rest of Europe. 

He ends up getting confused about the 2 different sides, who're meant to be fighting for the same thing, yet at the time, not really realising the dangers of Stalinism and the Soviet-backed forces, despite them having access to reliable arms, etc. There is an extremely compelling scene in the film between the POUM members discussing whether or not to collectivise land, what is the revolution about, and again Loach goes a step further than just showing a fight against the fascists but a social revolution in the making. This really shows the differences between real communism and Stalinism and thus the film also serves as an educational resource. My favourite film by Loach thus far.


You can watch the whole film, legally, on YouTube:</sup>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH9J48jlUE0

The Wind That Shakes the Barley - Ken Loach

 Ken Loach directs a war drama film set during 1919-1923: the Irish War of Independence and Civil War respectively. Two brothers (in real life, too) join the Irish Republican Army.

Released in 2006 this is the highest-grossing Irish independent film ever. It's difficult to say something when it's all been said elsewhere.

I think the most important thing is that I'll say it's good -- and that it is, it's a solid film: acting, performance, plot, and production The theme of two men fighting for different values running throughout the film is what makes it interesting, and more than a blockbuster -- for which it isn't. 

Loach's work centres around social realism, and that's the most important aspect of this drama. 

The film poses the questions: was the Irish a social revolution as opposed to a nationalist revolution? Here's what Loach says:

"Every time a colony wants independence, the questions on the agenda are: a) how do you get the imperialists out, and b) what kind of society do you build? There are usually the bourgeois nationalists who say, 'Let's just change the flag and keep everything as it was.' Then there are the revolutionaries who say, 'Let's change the property laws.' It's always a critical moment.

I can't recommend this film and Ken Loach's work enough.