The Renegade

Just watched Black 47 tonight in West Belfast with a hushed audience. A story about injustice and famine and how comradeship can redeem the evil in man. A dark and emotional film which will make you cry - and whoop as some of the culprits are served justice by a man of the people.

This piece of the dark history about how the Ireland people was brutally treated by the British is like the Jewish Holocaust that have been repeatedly made into novels and films. My latest viewing of it was the TV series "Highlander" about how the Scotland people were so cruelly treated by the British. This 'Black '47" is one of the best films that I have viewed in late of this year. It's so thoughtful, dark, dreary, atrocious, cruel, bloody and sad; a mixture of unforgetable and undeniable heartless inhuman crime committed by the British Empire and its aristocratic society.

The whole film is well scripted, directed and performed by a bunch of A-list actors to support a not quite well known actor, James Frecheville, to play the leading "Fenny" role. There's no romantic moment at all in this film, only the horrible human sufferings. I just felt sad and numb when this film ended, but at the same time, would like to praise its seriousness of making this film.

Feeney (the persuasive, unexpectedly Australian James Frecheville) plays an Irish Ranger who returns from wars in Afghanistan to find his family caught in the cogs of the developing holocaust. Heaving around a head like an Easter Island statue decorated with weeds, Feeney soon encounters even worse outrages and, setting aside ideas of emigration, vows to pursue a war against the administrators and colonialist bandits. This is a must see...

What an amazing piece of film making on show here. Its essentially a Western set to the back drop of The Irish Potato famine. That this period has never really been depicted before really is sad,as its a time that should never be forgotten. Both the leads in James Frecheville as Feeney,and Hugo Weaving as Hannah are simply masterful. Whilst we may be used to Weaving putting in such a great roll Frecheville is a relative newcomer.But judging from the intensity that he brings to this part he will be around for a long time. This should be required viewing to anybody who studies English history. Bravo.

I liked. A very raw irish drama with strong moments and incredibly good images. The story was simple structed and was pretty basic but its based on true events and that makes it shocking. You have your unbeatable war hero who turns against those who actually praises him to be what he is and everything becomes messy. Then you have the police commissioner whose specialtiy is being a hunter who .. hunts him. But the historic truth behind it makes it extremely authentic. Director Lance Daly really successes in making it a believable drama and avoids every poor cliches to make it more cinematic. The acting worked as well. I really liked Hugo Weaving who shines in the leading role as the trouble commissioner who gets one last chance. James Frecheville delivers with a very silent but extremely raw performance, much in the tradition of Leonardo DiCaprio's Revenant turn. Good Supporting roles by Stephen Rea and especially Jim Broadbent who is in the second half of the movie but pretty much owns every scene he is in. Nice turn by newcomer Barry Keoghan was well.The cinematography was amazing, the scenery excellent (except for those painted village images, which were a bit irritating at times) . It has many shocking moments and some well edited action sequeces. A great mix that works most of the times. Good performances over all. Lovely irish music that adds a lot to the general mood. Very recommendable movie even if it had the one or other dry scene.