northmallexile
02-10-2005, 06:27 PM
As the Irish Independent might put it. The reality might be more interesting.
The Silence Of Skylark
Il Silenzio Dell'Allodola
David Ballerini
Italy | 2004 | 96mins | 35mm | Colour and Black & White |Subtitled
Tuesday 11th | 9.00pm | Kino Cinema
The strength of the oppressed on the tyrants is their moral superiority - Bobby Sands
Bobby Sands, a young man from Northern Ireland, is taken prisoner for unspecified crimes. A sensitive poet and writer, the harsh and brutalizing environment of jail is a shock to his system. The authorities seek to strip him of both his dignity and of his status as a political prisoner but the prisoners unite and embark first on a 'dirty' protest and then on a hunger strike. This raises a storm of protest and international condemnation. As Bobby's condition deteriorates, events head towards their inevitable, fatal conclusion. However the more they attempt to dehumanize him the stronger he becomes in his resolve. His struggle, a beacon of inspiration; a shining example for others to follow.
While it's clear politically where the filmmaker's sympathies lie - parallels are drawn between the authorities here and the fascist states of the 1930s and 1940s - the Bobby Sands that inspires this film is not a product of hard-line politics. Franek lends Sands an intensity that grows through the film and is heightened by an inspired production design. This Sands is a Christ-like figure who achieves transcendence through art and beauty.
The Silence Of Skylark
Il Silenzio Dell'Allodola
David Ballerini
Italy | 2004 | 96mins | 35mm | Colour and Black & White |Subtitled
Tuesday 11th | 9.00pm | Kino Cinema
The strength of the oppressed on the tyrants is their moral superiority - Bobby Sands
Bobby Sands, a young man from Northern Ireland, is taken prisoner for unspecified crimes. A sensitive poet and writer, the harsh and brutalizing environment of jail is a shock to his system. The authorities seek to strip him of both his dignity and of his status as a political prisoner but the prisoners unite and embark first on a 'dirty' protest and then on a hunger strike. This raises a storm of protest and international condemnation. As Bobby's condition deteriorates, events head towards their inevitable, fatal conclusion. However the more they attempt to dehumanize him the stronger he becomes in his resolve. His struggle, a beacon of inspiration; a shining example for others to follow.
While it's clear politically where the filmmaker's sympathies lie - parallels are drawn between the authorities here and the fascist states of the 1930s and 1940s - the Bobby Sands that inspires this film is not a product of hard-line politics. Franek lends Sands an intensity that grows through the film and is heightened by an inspired production design. This Sands is a Christ-like figure who achieves transcendence through art and beauty.