Jimmy's Hall

This movie opposes two different and opposed views of the world: that of Jimmy Gralton, who apart from wanting to open a dance hall, is also a left-wing idealist. Although Ken Loach makes not mystery of his sympathies in this movie, as usual he remains even-handed, lets the opposition have their say, and never makes the conservative side appear as ridiculous or stupid. In fact the heart of the movie is the confrontation between Jimmy Gralton and Father Sheridan, which despite the depth of conflict, is fundamentally based on a grudging mutual respect.

What, indeed, could be wrong with opening a dance hall and cultural center? Well in the thirties Ireland was recovering from years of bloody conflict, first the war for independence, followed by more years of civil war. Father Sheridan argues that now is the time for reconciliation, not for political agitation, and what he sees as communist propaganda. It is time for being Irish together, for listening to Irish music rather than "alien Jazz from deepest Africa".

Of course the Loach's sympathy (and ours) goes to the yearning of the young people who have no place to go, no prospects, no jobs, and who desperately want to find some joy, relief and self-expression. The movie may be a bit slow at times, but it is deeply moving.

This is the first time I see a Ken Loach a movie, and I was not disappointed.

All characters deliver solid to very good performances, the scenario is both subtle and not over- complicated, and the setting is enjoyable, as it offers a unique perspective on the 30's, seen from an agrarian Ireland.

It does have its weaknesses though. The movie starts with a good rhythm, a pace it sadly does not manage to keep. The last third of the movie feels needlessly slow and long.

Another problem is the way this movie seems to deliver a very subjective view of the opposition between the working class and politics.

Still very enjoyable and highly recommended.

During the uncertain times of late 1920's Ireland an arrival from New York upsets the life of a small rural community.

How did he do that? He set up a dance hall, how scandalous. Whilst by and large the locals embraced it and it provided them with a focal point there was opposition. The church led the way, and some local conservatives followed. By branding them as communists provided their arguments with some supposed gravity. What went on in that hall was open for all to see, yet it met with fierce opposition.

The film puts the two worlds into focus. One view is that change is reprehensible, things ought to stay as they are. The opposing view wants change, people to be free from oppression. The newcomer brought some new ideologies as well as lots of controversy.

Both sides are unchangeable in their positions, no one is prepared to backtrack and a clash is unavoidable. Can the idealist modernist challenge the ultra powerful church orthodoxy?

A mighty tale about old and new in the battlefield of ideas.

This story highlights the struggle for individual respect and liberty that has been going on since the reformation. Today, people often attach words communist or socialist to the struggle of the individual. This film reminds us of the other side of the story: greed and power are the feudal and capitalist side of the story.

One flaw in the movie is that people assume the struggle between Jimmy and the priest is communism versus the church. But Jimmy was not a communist. Jimmy was a grass-roots liberal who supported his community and occasionally spoke out against the concentration of power. The church represents this concentration of power and the struggle to maintain the concentration of power.

During the 1920's, a large percentage of the world's "Wealth" was tied up in speculative investments. Corrupt politicians sided with the land holders and the "Robber barons". By 1924, economic experts started to announce that unfettered greed would lead to an economic crisis in the USA and Europe. In 1929, the US stock-market crash vaporized much of the world's wealth and centralized power among an even smaller percentage of the population.

The movie includes a lot of history that most people in the US and UK who were born before 1977 already know. However, for most of the world, the Irish history and the extent of the struggle between the rich and poor during those times is new.

This struggle continues today. Instead of hereditary land owners, we have large banks and other institutions that "influence" most of the world's "capitalist" governments. The government favors for corporations and privatization of government services that starting in the late 1970's continues to this day and is responsible for the depression of 2008.

Without government support for those who were thrown into poverty, the 2008 depression would have been as bad as the 1929 depression. I think the writers were trying to remind us about the consequences of unfettered greed.

There are many movies made about oppression, but not nearly enough. In this story based on facts and one man's intention to give culture, song and dance to his small, impoverished community, it defies belief that this travesty of injustice occurred.

As usual, the Catholic Church, the overlords and the unjust legal system come together to destroy any chance a small community has of the vital birth-right of culture and harmony for those who need it most; an isolated county in Ireland.

As one man steps up, after having been deported once already for the grand crime of opening a hall where people can learn such basic things as song, dance, art, literature and boxing, after his ten first ten year deportation, the local youth who have nothing to look forward to in life, convince him to do so again.

This is a straightforward movie about a circumstance that defies belief, and yet it occurred. Worth the watch for anyone who understands that oppression and fascism is wrong and that normal people deserve joy, community and to fight back when their world makes no sense on account of simply wanting to life a life.