Movie Review: Belfast

Belfast was an incredible film to sit through that resonated with me on a surprisingly deep level which I wasn't expecting it to. 

Directed by Belfast-born actor and director Kenneth Branagh, the film plays host to a working class Protestant family living in the titular city during the civil disruption brought on by The Troubles. The film's core perspective is cast through the eyes of a nine year old lad called Buddy who along with his Ma, Pa, brother, Granny and Pop experience the highs and lows of living in a city being tested day in and day out through civil disruption.  The foundational narrative behind the film is brilliantly set up and is has a real emotional core layered all throughout. I love how the story is conveyed through the uncompromised perspective of young Buddy. He's played brilliantly by an amazing young actor Juda Hill who manages to convey an enthusiastic charm and in innocent aura in every scene he's in. The wide implication and tensions of The Troubles are filtered all throughout the film but by keeping the story weighed down to this one family's perspective all throughout; it grounds it to a personal element which allows the audience to empathise and relate with the themes at play easily. I love how much adoration it gives to the city of Belfast and the wonderful people that lived within it during this period. Buddy's family and friends are so close to one another and you feel the connection in every scene. It's easy to see how much love Kenneth has for his home town and the history behind it, he uses this narrative to paint a wonderous and uncompromised perspective of the city he grew up in and the people who left and stayed behind during it's hardships.

It's not just the narrative that is easy to appreciate. The thematic style of this film is fantastic to behold. Utilising a black and white style all throughout helps ground the film in the time period, the cinematography is superb too, it uses a lot of perspective shots and helps keep the movie feeling very personal which fits the narrative scope. I love how while the majority of the film uses black and white, that colour is used sparingly throughout to add gravity to certain scenes and it plays off a brilliant contrast to the themes and concepts Branagh is trying to convey. I also love the use of a mainly Irish cast for the films characters, it helps root the film even further in the setting and the actors are all putting in a amazing performance. As I noted earlier Juda Hill is the easy stand out, he carries the films narrative which his sweet and endearing personality and innocent perspective on everything. Dame Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds were also cemented their presence in every scene with some truly compelling performances.

The heart of Belfast is about reflecting the lives of the people of city during that time. The turmoil a lot of families faced in the wake of the religious conflict was very real and it played a big part in the future of the Irish to this very day. The reason the film resonated so much with me was down to the concept of leaving behind all you know in hope of a better life. It was a very real dilemma people faced in that city and it is a very real dilemma I face currently in my life. Leaving all you love behind to define a better future, it's a hard decision to make but the film reflects the beauty of these concepts in such a profound way and I related to it on such an intimate level.