Belfast Movie

[jennyjoan]

We had a promo thingmajig on my TV tonight re the above movie.

Maybe it is good or bad but if it goes to Kenneth Brannagh's insights on the 1969 troubles - he should not have bothered his ar$se. He was a baby.

They should have come to me for the real Macoy as I lived through the troubles, was shot twice in the left leg - selling the Blessed Martin magazines one evening about the doors in May 1969 , shot that night by a passing car - 1969 was the year - if you were in the wrong time in the wrong place - you got it.

I worked for Civil Service and my mother was distracted as in my being a Catholic - I wouldn't get my job back.

At a certain age a month later LOL - limped on one leg up the road, got me bus into Belfast city centre, limped to another bus station to take me to Parliament Buildings to my job.

In the meantime throughout July 1969 (I have it in my diary), brother and girlfriend broke up - he was distracted at the breakup. He came home - (outside lavvy)- - got drunk - went to bed - fell down the stairs trying to go to the lavvy - fell through the glass door at the bottom of stairs - half an arm outside glass door and the other inside. I rushed down bare feet, (1969 nobody had any phones) - run over the glass and by a miracle - one of the "wealthy" people in the area had a phone - he rung 999 - my brother had 4 minutes to live when ambulance. He lost most of the power of his arm but tried to continue to work as a joiner.

That's Belfast for me.

But I hope the movie does ok for Sir Kenneth Brannagh - cos Ken - you hadn't a baldy

[Mamyalynne]

Seen a couple of clips, it looks good as it is seen through the eyes of young Buddy.

[jennyjoan]

ok Mamy - for Ken's sake I hope it does good

[Bobbisox1]

Wow JJ, that’s some reading , we met a couple from Holywood in Majorca and became firm friends, we went to stay with them , he was Catholic and she was Protestant , they never had children because of the troubles, they married at the height of them in 1969 but had to move many times because of the bigotry ( that’s why I detest bigots) the tales they told were terrible , she was manager at M&S in the province , he was retired , we’ve lost touch now , I’ve rang the number I had and it’s unobtainable , she always wanted to go and live at Cushenden when she retired, we’ve moved since then too, I often think about them

[elliemay1]

//The movie earned 9 nominations at the Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards, and also 7 nominations at the 2022 Golden Globes, with Kenneth Branagh winning for Best Screenplay for a Motion Picture.//

[Buenchico]

>>> Maybe it is good or bad but if it goes to Kenneth Brannagh's insights on the 1969 troubles - he should not have bothered his ar$se. He was a baby

That's the whole point of the film: it looks at the Belfast of 1969 through the eyes of a 9-year-old child. It's a semi-autobiographical movie and not intended to be a documentary about The Troubles. It's somewhat similar to the way that Hope and Glory (which garnered five nominations for Oscars in 1988) represented life in London during WWII through the eyes of a young boy.

[bednobs]

he's 61. i didnt realise you were so much older than thatjj, i always thought you were early/mid 60s

[Buenchico]

[jennyjoan]

bednobs - I'm exactly 101 years old now cos I feel it.

There are clips of fighting between women and the young soldiers in 1969 on my actual street - streets were absolutely destroyed with broken rocks, sticks, slates off roofs - I'm out working - this is what I came home to every day (my neighbours - they were madders) Absolutely disgusting.

My mother was very good to the English soldiers - kids that's all they were - cos she had 4 sons of her own and - she always said - they are some mother's son. hence we weren't that popular cos we didn't bang the bin lids and so forth.

What a time.

[jennyjoan]

ooops - meant to say about the wee clip - they showed Judi Dench as the granny - I love her - but sorry Judi she didn't fully grasp the Belfast accent. It's too hard as it is a hard accent too. I can hardly speak it and I live here.

I rewinded or rewound her speaking and she said kept saying Belfarst - when for us it is Bell-faaaast. Sorry Judi

[Maydup]

What a story JJ. Respect for you lovely lady.

I would stay well away from the film if I were you, too close to home.

For the rest of us, we might enjoy a glimpse into what it was like to grow up at that time, but it has rather too many well known actors in it, I’m a bit suspicious myself.

[ichkeria]

Great post Jenny

I’d like to see the film for sure, and I appreciate that it’s not intended as documentary realism but I think there’s a lot of stuff in it that world really irritate me. Branagh skedaddled from Belfast at the age of 9 and of course who can blame his family.
But there’s an interesting article on this in The Times by Nick Laird, who quotes Belfast poet the late Derek Mahon:
“. . . the hills are still the same / Grey-blue above Belfast. / Perhaps if I’d stayed behind / And lived it bomb by bomb / I might have grown up at last / And learnt what is meant by home.”

A film for tourists not locals. As he says

[jennyjoan]

well it is only out and of course I would like to see it but when the ould subtitles come out if it comes on to the DVD.

Knowing me - I'll see the flaws - I don't know how Ken could capture that in his wee mind at 9. and boy the family did right by leaving Belfast.

Wish my ma and pa could have got out - when I now watch clips on Youtube - I am astonished at what not only myself but everybody around went through.

[poorclare]

By 1969 it was not Blessed Martin's Magazine, it had
become Saint Martin's after he had been canonised.
My mother sold 500 of those magazines a month, a
friend brought them to Newry and she collected them
and brought them to Belfast and that was well before
'69.
I buy 2 dozen a month and send them to elderly
who are unable to get out and set them.
Happy reading

[jennyjoan]

As you say Blessed Martin became St Martin dePorres but he didn't save me that night but then again - I probably was very lucky in not being shot dead or other serious injuries. I thank God for that.

[Spicerack]

Nice of that Protestant to let you use the phone, jj. Fair play to him.

[poorclare]

Yes indeed JennyJoan, they dropped the dePorres, they
have also dropped the Questions and Answers ~ which
I liked.
I also worked in the Civil Service, prior to Covid several
of us would me up once every month but alas Covid and
I must admit old age has put a stop to that.
I am not into films so I shall not be watching Belfast.

Hope you have a pleasant evening.

[jennyjoan]

you too poorclare have a nice evening - with what's left of it.

[anneasquith]

I watched the film today. If you keep in mind it is NOT a documentary about the * troubles * then it’s an ok film.

I do know my dear friend born in Belfast who was advised ( by strangers)to leave the country after she finished her nurse training would hate it .

[jennyjoan]

Since this post has come up again.

Is that the Catholics of that time were only being raided very many times by soldiers/kids daily so they beat the bin lids to let others know. The protestants never rattled a spoon. So that was a great error. Again still haven't watched and don't think I ever will as the scenes would rankle

Ps. It was a wealthy Catholic had the phone. Lol