Jimmy's Hall

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.

This certainly isn't Loach's finest film, and certainly not his best film that portrays Irish life in the 20th century. However, it is important for a number of historical reasons.

This film is naturally quite critical of the church's stranglehold on Irish life and policy. Jim Norton's role in portraying this is invaluable, after all who better to portray a controlling, traditionalist,angry priest than Bishop Brennan himself? Indeed, Jim's character in this film completely mirrors his character in Father Ted... but believe me, that is NOT a criticism.

While the movie may be slow-paced and seemingly dull at certain inter-sections, it's importance for history cannot be discounted. Not so long ago, it would have been sacrilege to watch this film due to it's unsubtle portrayal of the church's sometimes intrusive influence on Ireland, in fact some probably would still consider it to be so. It also deals with the rise of Fascism in Ireland in the early 20th century, something that is almost absent from cinema.

The movie deserves more credit and should have a larger influence than it appears to have. Give it a chance, some may call it propaganda... it's not. Give it a watch.

In the States we didn't get much Irish history in our schools, particularly post-Rebellion history. Had no idea of the politics involved regarding the Socialist/Catholic Church alliance during the Depression, which is the basis of this film. We are influenced to root for the people versus this alliance, which seems to be the correct rooting interest. Jimmy comes back to his hometown after 10 years in exile, and takes up the same cause which got him deported in the first place. Once again the same forces that were against him are still in place, resulting in a duplication of events. Can't imagine how any moviegoer could fault him or his motives and the plot plays along with these sentiments.

That said, the story bogs down in the second half of the film, making the staunchest advocate fidgety and anxious for some movement. It seems longer than the 1hr 49min advertised, but does not impinge on the gorgeous photography and the marvelous acting. Barry Ward as Jimmy was good, Simone Kirby was even better and Jim Norton as Fr. Sheridan was outstanding. I recommend "Jimmy's Hall", especially if you went to school in the U.S. - I guarantee you will be enlightened.

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.

At his best Ken Loach makes films that are as emotionally engaging as any in world cinema and while he has on occasions disappointed, every Ken Loach film is worth seeking out. "Jimmy's Hall" sees him return, in some respects, to the territory he explored in "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" and it is one of his very best films. Again we are back in Ireland but 10 years after the end of the Civil War. Old wounds haven't healed, (they still haven't healed completely to this day), and like "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" the divisions here are much more political than social and almost as violent.

It deals with the very specific conflict between those who opposed the Treaty, those who supported it and the dominating Catholic Church when one, Jimmy Gralton, returns from 10 years exile in America and reopens a community hall that was the source of all his trouble in the first place, against the express wishes of 'Holy Mother Church' and those who backed it.

As scripted by Paul Laverty it is, of course, a deeply political film but Loach is the most humanist of political film-makers; consequently it is also a deeply moving (and, at times, very funny) picture. At its centre is a magnificent performance from Barry Ward as Gralton and he is backed beautifully by Jim Norton and Andrew Scott representing the clergy as well as a host of wonderfully naturalistic Irish actors, some professional, some not. Loach may now be in this seventies but this feels as fresh and as relevant as anything he did fifty years ago. I think it's the equal to both "Land and Freedom" and "The Wind that Shakes the Barley".