Ireland's struggles to assert its own identity as a nation continue to this day. But few outside the country are aware of the history of that struggle. With Michael Collins, a crucial chapter in Irish history is brought to life for a new audience. But Warner Bros will be banking on the fact that this story of a freedom fighter will resonate beyond just those with an interest in Irish matters.
Sligo-born Neil Jordan wrote the first draft of his script for Michael Collins 13 years ago. Since then, with the success of The Crying Game and Interview with the Vampire, among others, he is now an A-list director, and able to command the kind of budget this epic demands. Interview's producers David Geffen and Stephen Woolley were also keen to keep the team that had made that film. So Michael Collins got the green light.
A bonus was the presence of Liam Neeson in the lead role. The rugged Irishman had been Jordan's choice from the start to play the charismatic Collins, even though, at the time, he was little known. But like Jordan, Neeson has, in the last decade, enjoyed an impressive rise through the industry to become, after his role in Schindler's List, one of the most respected actors in international cinema. Meanwhile, both actor and writer/director cherished the project for years, as Woolley explains: 'It was Neil and Liam's obsession right through the 80s and early 90s.'
Collins' story has all the elements a scriptwriter could want love, war, betrayal and tragedy. The clout Neeson and Jordan bring to the project (along with Woolley and Geffen) is further enhanced by the presence of Stephen Rea (The Crying Game), Aidan Quinn (Legends of the Fall), Alan Rickman and Julia Roberts in the cast. And yet the problems of a divided Ireland, caught between London and Dublin, are still very real, as the news bulletins frequently remind us.
Collins was born in the late 1800s in an Ireland where the English had ruled with a strong hand since the 12th century. In the aftermath of the 1916 Easter Uprising, under the revolutionary Eamon De Valera (Alan Rickman), Collins and his close friend Harry Boland (Aidan Quinn) found themselves at the forefront of the Irish independence movement.
Collins organised a secret force The Irish Volunteers which struck from nowhere at the occupying British army and police. Known as the Big Fella, Collins became the military genius of the republican movement, and for the first time, the Irish were taking control of the situation in their country. The British responded by sending in the Black and Tans, a brutal paramilitary force. De Valera went to America with Boland, to raise support, handing command to Collins. In their absence, Collins fell in love with Kitty Kiernan, who was also loved by his friend Boland.
Collins' initiatives brought the British to breaking point, and a truce was declared. Collins led the negotiations, which saw the establishment of the Irish Free State. However, the treaty also partitioned the country and required an oath of allegiance to the British crown. Though accepted by the Irish parliament, this treaty was rejected by De Valera and Boland, leading to a civil war between the pro- and anti-treaty forces. Collins was branded a traitor by his former comrades. After Boland was killed, Collins set off to try and negotiate a ceasefire, with tragic results.
The film was shot on location in Dublin (where a huge set was constructed), allowing the filmmakers access to the Section 35 tax incentives. Since filming began, the ceasefire in Northern Ireland has broken down, but the need to illuminate Ireland's past at a time of sectarian divisions, is greater than ever. Neeson for one, hopes that, like Schindler's List, Michael Collins will be not just a great film, but also an important lesson in history.
Nick Thomas
Prod cos: Geffen Pictures
Prod: Stephen Woolley
Dir/scr: Neil Jordan
Ph: Chris Menges
Prod des: Anthony Pratt
Music: Elliot Goldenthal
Eds: J Patrick Duffner, Tony Lawson
Cast: Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea, Alan Rickman, Julia Roberts
Running time: 132 mins
Int'l distribution: Warner Bros
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