Troubles You Can't Unsee (Movie Style)

This week, I've been given a reprieve from reading, especially nice considering I had to read three novels for class on Monday and I'm enjoying being around people too much to actually want to do my homework.

(What? You, Jamie? Valuing human beings over homework? Who have you become?)

Yes. It's true. My world has gone quite mad in the past couple weeks. I'm welcoming it along.

If you've been following along with my unending reading list but never had any intention of actually reading what I'm reading, maybe then you'll be interested in the movie list that I've endured (yes, endured) for my next class.

*Odd Man Out (1947)(Available on YouTube): Love story, mob story, escape story, tragedy. Predating The Troubles but postdating Irish conflict (does anything really predate Irish conflict? I mean other than the Jews, they take the scone for struggling people groups).
*Nothing Personal (1995): The "other side" of the story. The Troubles mob heads friends? Childhood mates torn apart by religion and faced with betrayal via murder? Confusion as to what is true and what is not. Unchilding.
*Hunger (2008): Not for the faint of heart. I had to watch this one in two parts, actually. Wept. It does a really powerful job of showing both sides. Not the Catholics and Protestants but the political prisoners (both C and P) against "the man." A determinedly quiet movie, but even more moving because of that. No clatter to distract from fully absorbing just what Hell is happening.
*Five Minutes of Heaven (2009): Not to be confused with 7 Minutes of Heaven. Story of violent juxtaposition of reconciliation and the desire to heal violence with more violence.
*A Belfast Story (2013): Can't yet comment. Haven't watched it yet.

Something you'll notice in both Irish (not solely Northern Irish) literature and film and art is the prevalence of women named Cathleen or Cathleen Ni Houlihan. She is representative of Ireland. Her treatment and person (take note of who is persecuting, to whom she shows kindness, what she is wearing, and her age) demonstrate the speaker's view of Ireland.
There are two Cathleens spread between those five (maybe three Cathleens. Haven't seen that fifth one yet) movies.

Can't tell you about either of them or I'll ruin the endings. Meet 'em yourselves.

It's funny. War movies (yes, The Troubles was a period of wretched civil war) don't usually mess with me all that much. I mean, I'm kind of a wimp (but is wimp really the right term there? Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I have a healthy, nonsociopathic response) when it comes to physically harming others, but my water works stay pretty well turned-off. I'm not playing with you. I found myself writhing in horror at some of the stuff those movies presented for my full visceral reaction.

Maybe it's the fact that I live here in Belfast. I know those streets, been on them even, go to Bible study in an East Belfast neighborhood identical to those involved.  I've read more than my fair share of Belfast literature, thinking, and politics. I've heard these people's stories and hearts. I know this city. I love this city.

And some of the stuff of The Troubles are still going on here.

So when I watch movies about it, really raw, cram-some-dirt-in-that-capped-knee movies, they get me.
It's not popcultural trash. Not fictional. Not some kind of entertainment conjured up for your sick pleasure. This was--and is--life.