The Writing on the Wall (1983) [N/A]
Featuring:
John Deehan, Brendan 'Archie' Jeeney, Paddy Doherty
Written by:
Armand Gatti
Directed by:
Armand Gatti
Release Date:
June 15, 1983
Original Title:
Nous étions tous des noms d'arbres
Genres:
Drama
Production Companies:
RTBF
Production Countries:
Belgium
Ratings / Certifications:
N/A
Runtime: 108
A youth workshop in Derry is mounting various projects, including a dramatized enquiry into the death of a soldier. But when a squaddie is shot on the doorstep, then real life intrudes in the shape of the police and security forces.
One of the those minor forgotten gems of cinema. Uneven and with a non-professional cast of mostly teenagers, has there ever been a more complex and insightful portrait of 'the troubles' in Northern Ireland. The death of a British soldier is treated with reverence, and the film goes in deep to look at cultural difference behind the conflict, using allegory to shine a light on the situation. Possibly started out as a community development theater piece it was a minor underground hit in Australia in the early 1980s. A good example of complex intelligent filmmaking that uses a complex idea of form to tell its story that packs a punch.
