Whilst Kenneth Branagh’s successful acting career has seen him take on roles in films spanning from Harry Potter to Dunkirk, most recently he has turned away from being an actor, to being writer and director of Belfast. The stunning film gives a semi-autobiographical account of his childhood in the late 1960s when the violence of the Northern Irish Troubles took over the streets he was used to playing in.
The film tells the story of nine-year-old Buddy (Jude Hill), who lives in Belfast with his working-class Protestant family on a street shared with Catholics. The family sit at a crossroads, facing the agonising decision of whether to stay and live in growing danger or flee the only home they have ever known. Amidst moments of intense drama, the film takes the time to focus joyfully on other defining aspects of childhood. The focus on school life, toys, television and fun which Buddy enjoys contrast the growing hostilities his home is becoming engulfed in. To Buddy, sitting next to Catherine (Olive Tennant), the girl he loves at school seems just as important as dealing with threats to his life.
One of the most remarkable and eye-catching aspects of the film is the lens through which it is told. The majority of the film is in black and white, looking back upon a turbulent childhood, whilst powerful exceptions to this filter breathe colour into the screen, as Branagh pays homage to the power of the arts.
Eleven-year-old Jude Hill gives a warm and hilarious debut performance as the lead. Buddy’s grandparents (Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds) are a wonderfully familiar and loving couple, whilst his parents (Caitríona Balfe and Jamie Dornan) struggle with the already difficult realities of parenting and married life under financial strain. All of these actors portray a loving, familial struggle to protect their children as the conflict unfolds around them. Despite the amusing reservations of some critics, who suggested that Dornan was far too attractive to believably play the role, his performance as a gentle, desperate father and husband fits the film well. Colin Morgan on the other hand plays a convincing, yet slightly one-dimensional, villainous gang member, who pushes the family into facing the dangerous reality of staying in the city.
Belfast does not shy away from the shocking moments of violence breaking out in the terraced streets, which snap the viewer out of the warm sixties family life. Yet, Branagh’s film is still able to pay a touching, and powerful tribute to the city he loves; the intense drama is defined by the comical and loving story of the ordinary families and communities of this small city, Belfast. The film is a masterpiece, a refreshing cinematic experience that does not involve millions of pounds worth of CGIor graphics, and yet is profoundly gripping, funny and tear-jerking all at once.
5/5
Picture Credit: TheMovieDB