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Product Description

The inspirational epic tale of the legendary patriot heralded as the father of modern ireland. Includes filmographies and production notes. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 02/14/2006 Starring: Liam Neeson Aidan Quinn Run time: 133 minutes Rating: R

Irish writer-director Neil Jordan followed up his surprise hit The Crying Game with this controversial biography of IRA leader Michael Collins (Liam Neeson), one of the most important political leaders of the 20th century. The film follows Collins as he matures from guerrilla leader to national hero and statesman. Jordan's take on Collins is that he was set up by Irish president Eamon De Valera (Alan Rickman), who was jealous of Collins's legendary popularity. De Valera puts Collins in the position of negotiating a peace treaty that would never satisfy the Irish hero's hard-core followers. When the IRA leader returns with a first-step compromise, De Valera undercuts Collins's popularity by refusing to support the revised treaty. And the civil war continues for decades. Michael Collins occasionally loses focus and momentum, but is the kind of exciting historical drama that deserves to be called "sweeping." It is also one of the most beautifully photographed films in years: cinematographer Chris Menges uses color and texture to set moods and accent emotions. The movie also stars Aidan Quinn, Julia Roberts, and Stephen Rea. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

• A tremendously important, albeit somewhat problematic movie.
  "Some people are what the times demand, and life without them seems impossible," Michael Collins's associate Joe O'Reilly (Ian Hart) says at the beginning of this movie. "But he's dead. And life *is* possible. He made it possible."
  
  Much more than a comment on Collins's assassination, these lines instantly set the tone for Neil Jordan's controversial biography of "The Big Fellow," one of Irish history's most divisive personalities: the first modern terrorist leader, who invented urban warfare but also went to London to negotiate the 1921 agreement creating the Irish Free State which, realizing its widespread unacceptability, would-be President Eamon de Valera (reportedly) hadn't wanted to bring home personally, and which Collins himself prophetically referred to as his "death warrant."
  
  Michael Collins was born in 1890 in West Cork, a farmer's son, and introduced to the quest for Irish sovereignty by his schoolmaster, a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, which Collins soon joined as well and in whose ranks he began to rise during his nine years as a London clerk (1905-14). Returning to Ireland, he participated in the unsuccessful 1916 "Easter Rising" and, in the barely six remaining years of his life, created the Irish Republican Army as an organized terrorist group with the single aim of ending British rule, and with a small assassination command directly answering to Collins himself, nicknamed "The Twelve Apostles." After the 1921 treaty had polarized Irish politics to the point of civil war, leaving Collins and de Valera on opposite sides (the most divisive issue being the required oath of allegiance to the British crown; not, as indicated here, Partition), Michael Collins was shot in an ambush near his home in County Cork; ironically in a place known as Beal na mBlath ("Mouth of Flowers").
  
  Several years in the making, Neil Jordan's movie likely was made possible only by the (short-lived) 1995 ceasefire in Northern Ireland. Ambitiously conceived and according to Jordan himself his most important film, it sets out to explore the manifold contradictions within Collins's personality; stopping short, however, of showing him to ever personally commit murder or other acts of violence - which is amply exhibited otherwise - and ultimately espousing the side of those who wish Collins to be remembered more for his contributions to Irish sovereignty than for his acts of terrorism.
  
  Liam Neeson stars in the title role, for which he is a perfect match: physically (both in height and, to some extent, even in facial features) and also because, like Collins, he was born in rural County Cork, and brought an intuitive understanding to the part no outsider could have had. And he gives a tour-de-force performance, one of his best ever, bringing to life a man who could be ruthless and charming, proud and humble, exuberant and desperate, often within mere minutes of one another. Alan Rickman likewise brings his extraordinary talent to the role of Eamon de Valera - although I would have wished the script had allowed him to more fully display the multiple facets of this politician who, far more than merely Michael Collins's rival, was one of 20th century Ireland's most important statesmen, drafter of the 1936 constitution which equates national and territorial unity (a claim only modified after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and still not uniformly abandoned) and establishes the primacy of both the Gaelic language and Catholicism; and founder of Fianna Fail, one of modern Ireland's major political parties. Nevertheless he comes across here, and certainly through no fault of Rickman's, as much more devious, coldblooded and sometimes even small-minded than he probably was. Problematic is also Jordan's choice to have Collins and de Valera communicate, the night before Collins's assassination, through an intermediary who is later seen as the assassin himself: If Jordan, as he insists, indeed didn't intend to suggest that de Valera had anything to do with Collins's death, this plot device - not grounded in fact anyway - is easily misinterpreted.
  
  As important as Collins's interaction with de Valera is that with his best-friend-turned-foe Harry Boland (Aidan Quinn, who likewise gives a tremendous performance, although it's a pity to see him type-cast yet again as the honorable man turned bitter after losing out to an ostensibly more charismatic rival) and their - real-life! - love triangle with Kitty Kiernan (Julia Roberts, whose badly coached Irish accent detracts from her performance's other merits). Although Jordan again takes liberties with historic facts here - most notably, Boland didn't die in the sewers but was shot in a hotel room - Neeson and Quinn have incredible on-screen chemistry; and the slow change of their relationship, ground to shreds between political intrigue and rivalry for the hand of the same woman in a development both are unable (and ultimately unwilling) to prevent, is one of the film's greatest strengths.
  
  Lastly, Stephen Rea deserves mention for his wonderfully unassuming portrayal of Ned Broy, the intelligence operative who finds Collins so "persuasive" that his assignment as his "shadow" eventually makes him turn the tables on his British superiors and secretly provide Collins with information, while simultaneously preventing his capture (and who, far from being tortured and killed as shown here, would go on to head the Irish gardai).
  
  Commercially "Michael Collins" undoubtedly suffered from the comparison with "Braveheart" which, released only a year prior, while likewise not shying from the graphic display of violence, takes an even grander, unapologetically epic approach to a rebel leader's life. Moreover, some of Collins's lines sound eerily familiar to those who had heard William Wallace declare his desire for "a home, and a family ... but it's all for nothing if we don't have freedom." (Similarly, Collins tells Boland that he wants "peace and quiet ... so much [he'd] die for it," and when challenged "You mean you'd kill for it first," he responds, "No, not first. Last.") But financial bottom line and directorial liberties aside, this is a tremendously important movie, well worth watching by anybody interested in Ireland's recent history.
  
  Also recommended:
  The Big Fellow
  A Memoir
  1916: The Easter Rising
  Battle of the Boyne 1690
  Irish Freedom: The History of Nationalism in Ireland
  The Crying Game (Collector's Edition)
  Cal
  In the Name of the Father
  The Boxer (Collector's Edition)
  The Making of Ireland: A History...more info
• An excellent visual biography.
  Not being Irish, and being ignorant of the true history of the IRA and the conflict between England and Ireland, I cannot hope to offer any guidance as to the historical accuracy of this movie, nor its bias (or lack of it), but if you watch the documentary on this DVD you will see that the Director (Neil Jordan) himself says that some of the incidents in the movie were slightly changed. However that is to be expected of most movies that try to present history in an entertaining way.
  
  And entertaining it is. Divorced from the reality from which it is based, the movie makes excellent drama; you have the classical David and Goliath scenario here with the British Empire being brought to its knees by a handful of very amateur assassins. I thought Liam Neelson was great as Collins and so was the 'supporting' cast, with the exception of Julia Roberts. I don't think you can help but make comparisons between this movie and Braveheart. While I was watching it, I imagined Collins being the modern day Irish equivalent of that old Scottish hero.
  
  As other reviewers have mentioned, if you want to know more about the history of this struggle, it would be best to hit the history books rather than the play button. But if you want an entertaining film that gives you a rough idea of who Michael Collins was and what he stood for; this is as good a film as any.
  ...more info
• Braveheart for the Irish
  Like Braveheart, Michael Collins captures all the passion and drama of the struggle for freedom and independence from an oppressive ruler (in both cases, the British.) Also like Braveheart, this movie tends to excessively glorify the hero and demonize the villains. Of course, it achieves the effect of distinguishing the good guys from the bad, giving the audience a (clear) side to pick.
  
  It is beautifully shot, well-scripted and suspenseful. It's also fairly accurate historically, the costumes and sets are spot-on, and there is adequate (and appropriate) lightheartedness. The battle scenes are riveting and the movie is loaded with (true) cloak-and-dagger bits. The love triangle between Michael Collins (Liam Neeson), Kitty Kiernan (Julia Roberts) and Harry Boland (Aidan Quinn), though somewhat indispensable to the "Big Fella's" story, muddles things in spots. Neil Jordan managed to make the romance fit in the story without forcing it or resorting to too much sappiness.
  
  For the most part, the acting is very good. Neeson plays the "Big Fella" about as well as one could imagine. Stephen Rea is nothing short of awesome and shows why he is, unfortunately, one of the most under-appreciated actors around. The rest of the cast performs adequately or better.
  
  All that said, its weaknesses are fairly apparent. One, Mr. Jordan surely could have found an Irish actress to play Kitty Kiernan. Instead, we're subjected to Julia Roberts' lousy Irish accent. At that time Michael Collins came out, Roberts was in a lot of movies and picking her - a Yankee, no less - for this part seemed as yet another instance of having her forced upon the viewing public. Two, the movie oversimplifies issues regarding the Irish struggle for independence. Of course, a movie is not necessarily the venue in which to explain all sides to an issue, but if you knew nothing of Irish history and saw this film, you'd think that Ireland's troubles solely resulted from the arbitrary actions of her oppressive English overlords.
  
  Michael Collins is a fantastic movie, one of my all-time favorites. Even with its flaws, it's a classic....more info
• Mostly Accurate; Entirely Inspirational
  This movie was the best I've ever seen concerning The Troubles in Ireland. I would have enjoyed more of the film covering the Easter Revolution, but it did a wonderful job of mixing entertainment with history. Although nearly all of the film was fairly well grounded on fact, I was disappointed in Julia Roberts uninspiring performance. However Liam Nelson more than compinsated with his masterful job and played Michael Collins exactley the way I would of imagined him to be. This was an all-around wonderful movie capable of educating the uninformed and inspiring the knowledgeable....more info
• Good but slightly flawed bio on "The Big Fella"
  As Michael Collins is going to be one of the three individuals in the Irish independence movement from the Easter Rising to the formation of the Irish Free state that I'll be examining in my senior seminar paper next semester, I refreshed myself in rewatching this movie. Director Neil Jordan (The Crying Game) paints a vivid portrait of the history of the final and crucial Irish Revolution against the British Empire and the man who made it possible, Michael Collins, "The Big Fella," (1890-1922). If one was to make the comparison of the Pen, Voice and the Sword made on the three main people who united Italy (Mazzini, Cavour, and Garibaldi), Collins was Ireland's Garibaldi, but also its Christ.

  The movie begins with 29 April 1916, the last day of the Easter Rising, where the undermanned Irish surrendered to superior British artillery. Collins and his friend Harry Boland are captured and fortunately avoid the fate of others like Sean MacDiarmida, and socialist intellectual James Connolly, the latter who is badly wounded and is executed strapped to a chair. Eamon de Valera, future president of Ireland many times over, has his sentence commuted, partially because of his New York birth.

  Collins learns from the mistakes of the Rising and with the help of Harry and Joe O'Reilly, sets about creating a band of assassins who use intelligence, wear the uniform as the ordinary man on the street, and the element of surprise to gun down members of the Royal Irish Constabulary and G-Men. Both groups are considered collaborators with the British, traitors to Irish independence. Before long, British elite police auxiliaries, the notoriously brutal Black and Tans are sent in, and they too become targets for the IRA.

  There is a standout scene reminiscent of the final scene in the Godfather, where Collins' gunmen take out members of the Cairo Gang, British intelligence specialists who operated in the Middle East and were sent to deal with the IRA, quickly followed by the infamous massacre at a football game, where 14 people, including footballer Sam Hogan, were gunned down by the British searching for Sinn Feiners, and over a hundred wounded. Bloody Sunday indeed! While not condoning the British treatment of the Irish, it shows how retaliatory violence leads to the deaths of the innocent. But as history has shown, there was no other way for the Irish, except by fighting.

  Many aspects or themes from Tim Pat Coogan's biography on Collins have either been altered or not emphasized, which is understandable for a movie with limited running time. For example, Ned Broy, the G-man who secretly helps Collins, survived instead of being tortured and killed. Three Irishmen were tortured and executed the day before, and Jordan clearly decided to use their deaths and Broy as a composite character. Another is the band of assassins Collins uses to carry out his hits. Coogan's book refers to them as the Twelve Apostles, which using a Christ-like metaphor to Collins as the saviour of Ireland. That isn't alluded to here, which is unfortunate. And the action slows down in the final quarter hour, a contrast to the first two hours.

  The leads do well, Liam Neeson (Collins), Aidan Quinn (Harry Boland), Julia Roberts (Kitty), Alan Rickman (de Valera), and Ian Hart (Joe O'Reilly). The latter two would be reunited in the first Harry Potter movie as Professor Snape and Quirrel, respectively.

  Those who know the story of Michael Collins will know how the story ends, but there is cutting back and forth of scenes of Kitty trying out her wedding dress to the final ambush, with Sinead O'Connor haunting rendition of the traditional "She Moved From The Fair" making it all the more poignant. And de Valera is portrayed as someone who wants independence but with strategic violence, not the bloodbath Collins spreads, and but in the end, a Machiavellian manipulator. Indeed, he did say that Collins legacy came at the cost of de Valera's own standing, and that is definitely true in this movie....more info

• A Solid 4
  This movie was one of the suggestions I selected from an Amazon "page I just created" list. Having an Irish background, I am sad to say I did not know who Michael Collins was before I purchased this movie. So I took a look at it from both an educational and entertainment point of view. In the end I felt it did both, educate and entertain.
  
  Overall I thought the casting was just OK. I liked Liam Neeson and Aidan Quinn, however I didn't care for Julia Roberts as the Kitty Kiernan character for some reason. I liked the story-line, but I am not sure as to the historical accuracy of this portrayal. The overall story seemed to have a few gaps in it.
  
  If you enjoy movies like The Patriot, Braveheart, and Gladiator and are looking for entertainment versus authenticity then this is a movie for you....more info
• Falls short.
  I wanted this to be a great movie but it definitely fell short. Rather
  than weaving an engrossing story I thought this was more of a series of
  scenes strung together for historical accuracy. Maybe it was the directing or maybe it was the way it was edited - it just seemed hollow. The acting fell short for me as well, which is disappointing with such a great cast. Too bad - lots of material to work with.
  
  ...more info
• Excellent
  This is a chaper in history that is not covered in our history books. Yet, it is the beginning of the period just before the "Celtic Tiger". ...more info
• A movie worth watching
  I badly wanted to see this movie when it came out in theatres, but I was home with my newborn boy so I settled for renting it months later. This film is spectacular - I love anything to do with Ireland as well as political figures so this was a treat for me. Liam Neeson is superb as the main character, Michael Collins, whom I had never heard of and learned about through watching this film. How historically accurate it is is debatable, but bear in mind this is just a movie. If you would like accurate historical facts, there are many books right here on amazon.com that provide just that. But this is just a movie, and as such, should be taken with a grain of salt.

  This is a downright good film about a brave and passionate Irishman who loves his country and independence and will fight for them until death. (Which, of course, is his fate.) Collins struggles against English imperialism as almost all Northern Irishmen do, the difference being that Collins has wit and an extra boost of courage and will.

  The cinematography is beautiful - very well done. The story moves along at a good pace and the rest of the actors are pretty good, too, except for Julia Roberts, whom I think should not have been in this film. Aidan Quinn is Collins' sidekick who seems to have a trivial role, but is good nonetheless.

  Is Collins a terrorist? Is his character as portrayed in this movie a hero or a bad guy? Who actually killed him? (We see a young boy kill Michael Collins, but who put him up to it?) The answers are arguable and you will not actually find them in this movie. However, my amazon friends, this is a very moving film and one worth seeing more than once. I recommend it highly!...more info

• Powerful Epic
  This powerful epic bounds you along with constant energy. The fast pace of this movie often makes it difficult to follow at times. Often this film feels like an action movie, and a slightly slower pace might have improved its production. One could also benefit from a healthy background of modern Irish History as well in order to follow the film better, and to see where it goes off the mark. Almost all historical epics like this take liberties with the interpretation of events. This movie certainly does so with a heavy hand at times.
  
  Neeson is first-rate as Michael Collins, no doubts about that. He portrays the energy and strength of the "Big Fellow" with great gusto. Its probably one of his best roles. Alan Rickman plays a very dark De Valera, and thats where the film gets into some difficulties. Implied here is that De Valara sought to destroy Collins. While this is exaggeration the film shows how divided Irish sentiment was over the creation of ther Irish Free-State in 1921-22. The film does a very good job at portraying these events in rapid, hectic fashion, which again can be difficult for the average viewer to follow.
  
  The British are as usual portrayed as Nazi's, or something quite close to that. The heavy hand with which the director shows the British side of the story is indeed unfortunate. Something more balanced in this regard would have made the film more mature in its outlook.
  
  All the actors save Julia Roberts put in fine perfomances. I don't know why the "American Beauty" is portraying an Irish femme in this film. A fair actress from Erin's shores surely could have done her role more justice. The production qaulity is first-rate, and while there is some distortion of history, the average viewer will certainly get an idea of the complexity of Irish history from seeing this good film. Some reading on The Irish War and the Irish Civil War of the 1920s would also help. Also, any biographical information on Michael Collins and De Valera is vital to following the story....more info
• Accurate and Entertaining.
  Well, of course, no historical movie is ever completely accurate but I think the film provides a legitimate view of who Michael Collins was and of the era in which he lived. I've always liked Liam Neeson, but I appreciated him about three times more after seeing this effort. His portrayal of the great hero was charismatic and riveting. As for Rickman, who plays de Valera, he's brilliant here although I don't think that I have ever seen him be average in anything. The sum of Michael Collins is far greater than its individual performances, however. The plot is brisk and it's difficult to take your eyes off the screen because even the special effects are memorable. ...more info
• Love the film, despise the DVD release.
  This review is not concerned with the film itself - but rather its presentation on DVD. First of all, the disc is packaged in the much maligned Warner Bros. cardboard snapcase - which is easily damaged and impossible to replace short of simply buying another copy of the title.
  
  Secondly, it is a double-sided disc and the film is broken up into two parts. As it always is with films released on DVD in this manner (GETTYSBURG, SCHINDLER'S LIST) the break is quite sudden and disruptive to the movie-watching experience.
  
  It's a shame this title has not been re-released with these issues addressed. There are a multitude of films much longer than MICHAEL COLLINS that have fit onto one single-sided disc (LAWRENCE OF ARABIA and SEVEN SAMURAI spring to mind).
  
  Still, it's a budget priced title and - most significantly - the only manner in which to enjoy the film on DVD as the time of this writing.
  
  For the record, the fifty minute documentary that is included on the DVD is rather interesting and much appreciated.
  ...more info
• Miclael Collins is a fabulous movie!
  After watching this ,I ws sorry to have missed it when it was out on the big screen. The movie never lagged as it took you through the republican Movement in Ireland fromm 1916 10 1922. The acting is superb. If you don't enjoy it for it's message, you will enjoy a greataction flick!...more info
• Irish Revolution
  Very powerful movie for those who love Irish History in action. Again like Ryans Daughter, the producers cast an American in the movie. Julia Roberts of all people. Miss Roberts was so out of character it was sad. There could have been many British females more suitable for the part than Miss Roberts. Movie was a little long with some scenes redundant...more info
• Interesting but propagandist
  Ireland was in fact NOT a colony. Irish voters were six times over represented in the British Houses of Parliament. A colony cannot vote in home elections. The IRA were a separatist movement who were an offshoot of the IRB - puppets of the Catholic Nationalist movement created effectively by the Irish Catholic church.
  
  The film "Michael Collins" was in fact a an exercise in propaganda. The IRA were armed by Kaiser Wilhelm with money collected in the united states. $11M to buy guns collected by
  DeValera - a U.S. citizen. The home rule bill for Ireland was aleady passed so effectively home rule would have occurred immediately following the end of the great war. Redmonds
  Irish Parliamentary party represented the nationalist element and following the IRA's taking of power (the biggest mistake
  of any British government) 140,000 protestants were driven from their homes. The result being the escalation of antipathy and the permanent partition of Ireland. The architects of Irish Nationalism were in fact the Catholic Church.
  
  The Collins film also insinuated that "they would be sent to the Somme". Conscription didnt happen in Ireland - so that was another misrepresentation. To the Irish soldiers of the British Army who volunteered to fight for the liberty of Europe this film was a massive insult. Padraig Pearse was in fact preparing to put Kaiser Wilhelms nephew on a throne and proclaim him King of Ireland; draw your own conclusion as to what they intended to be the outcome of WWI.
  
  The Home Rulers were democratically represented and Collins was a terrorist. No doubt about it. You go into someones home and blown their brains out when they are not armed its murder. No amount of re-writing of history can say he wasnt a terrorist and they then caused a civil war and plunged Ireland into the dark ages until DeValeras death. DeValera was also the man who sent his condolences on the Death of Adolf Hitler. Again draw your own conclusions. If thats not the actions of twisted fanatics what is.
  
  Good film otherwise but please digest with a large pinch
  of salt. Good acting and brilliant performances all round
  - except of course Julia Robertson who needed some
  coaching with her accent.
  
  
  ...more info
• Eire gu Braugh.
  
  Liam Neeson is absolutely magnificent. The movie is heart-joltingly rivetting. If you are interested in 20th Century Irish History at all, you will want to see this movie....more info
• Michael Collins
  Anyone who knows the story of Michael Collins can appreciate this film. While it is not all inclusive to the trials he faced in the establishment of the Irish Republic, as well as the war against the British Occupation, it does cover the main players in the movement up to his assasination. I was rather disappointed that they did not elaborate more on the treaty talks with the British and the key players involved in the Irish envoy to London, as well as the people involved in the treaty talks for the British. Overall, the movie was very moving and very entertaining, however understanding the Irish movement will require further study by the individual....more info
• Great Movie
  Being a history buff I really enjoyed this movie. Definitely made me want to research more into the life of Michael Collins and the history of the IRA. Made me wonder what the difference was between him and the terrorists of today? Why revere him as a hero?...more info
• "The Man who Made Ireland"
  This is an excellent, action packed and well-made movie depicting the political/miltary life of IRA leader Michael Collins, played with great skill by Liam Neeson. It is a very enjoyable and quite accurate depiction of the political and military events surrounding the war for Irish freedom and subsequent civil war. Unfortunately the viewer has to put up with a sappy love sub-plot involving Julia Roberts butchering the Irish accent. It also helps to hold an advanced degree in Irish history to fully understand what's going on (i.e., the political conflict between Collins and Eammon De Valera). Still, if you're interested in Irish history, or just like historical fiction, it's worth the buy....more info
• Michael Collins
  Used this movie as a college assignment on Terrorism. Its gives a very accurate dipiction of the IRA beginnings and also how terrorists or freedom fighters, depending on which side you are on, end up choosing violence to further their goal....more info
• Michael Collins
  brilliant!
  I really think this is an excellent film and very well made.
  The special effects were really good and I'd reccomend this film to anyone interested in Irish history....more info
• Liam Neeson Shines as Collins
  This is a well produced and well written film that tells the story of Michael Collins and the Irish Rebellion and subsequent civil war with great historical accuracy and drama. Liam Neeson is unforgettable in a role he is absolutely perfectly cast in as Michael Collins. Most of the rest of the cast does very well with the exception of Julia Roberts who seems out of her league here but mercifully doesn't hinder the enjoyment of the film all that much.
  The tensions that erupt between Collins and Eamon De Valera (Alan Rickman)form the heart of the film. It is a chapter in Irish history that lends itself well to dramatic treatment and the film lives up to it's raw material.Nice work from director Neil Jordan....more info
• Another great Irish movie!
  Liam Neeson was terrific as Michael Collins. We already know how this story turns out but the acting glued me to the screen for the entire movie. I'm always glad to see Steven Rea and Brendan Gleeson show up in a movie, as they both make it seem very real and natural. This one totally satisfied my Irish movie craving....more info
• "Who'll Take My Place?" ~ The Art Of 20th Century Warfare And Doing The Unexpected
  The '96 release of `Michael Collins' chronicles the life and death of the famous, or infamous depending on your perspective, of the Irish freedom fighter Michael Collins. I can't vouch for the historicity of the events chronicled in this film since I know very little about the early years of the IRA, I can only judge it for its entertainment value and message.
  
  First, the cast is excellent with the likes of; Liam Neeson (as Michael Collins), Aidan Quinn, Alan Rickman, Stephen Rea and Julia Roberts. There's even a short appearance at the end of the film by Jonathan Rhys Meyers. With such a cast in place it's no wonder that the acting superior and highly believable. The storyline is also superior and perfectly captures the angst of a country in turmoil. It clearly and expertly shows that the problem is not simply black and white, England versus Ireland. This multi-faceted and layered plot also explores the divided loyalties and passions of a people in search of a cohesive vision of freedom.
  
  Factual or not `Michael Collins' is a stirring and emotional story that explores a form of warfare that is essential to understand in today's world, giving some clarification to the all important question, "Who is the patriot and who is the terrorist?...more info
• Not a terrorist
  I disagree with the person saying that "Ireland was not a colony". A tactic of imperial powers has historically been to legitimise their rule over a colony by officially annexing the territory into the state. That allows them to say afterwards that such a place is not a colony but part of the overall stste etc. England (the predecessor the Britain) conquered Ireland in 1169 because a traitor called Dermot McMurrough (also known as Dermot na Gal - Dermot of the Foreigners) invited them in during a power struggle with the High King of Ireland Rory O'Connor.
  
  I also object to the claim made by a user from Houston TX that Collins was a terrorist. Most countries on the map today would not exist today but for insurrection against an imperial power e.g. South and Central America broke away from Spain, the US broke away from Britain, African countries often only became independent after revolts. In the main, the Old IRA (1919-21) as distinct from the later IRA's (Anti-Treaty IRA, CIRA, RIRA, PIRA) did not target civilians. It is true that collaborators with the British government were targetted. However, the same was true in Vichy France where the French Resistance attacked collaborators with the regime. I think that a right to insurrection exists where a people are being oppressed....more info
• Excellent Movie
  I had never seen this movie and had ordered it for my boyfriend. While it has a slow start (I am not a huge fan of historically-based films) it draws you in and you connect strongly with the characters. I highly recommend it...just try to ignore Julia Roberts mediocre Irish accent!...more info
• Fact and Fiction
  I love this movie. Not just because Liam Neison is just so cool. The story line has a lot of fact and if you remove the love angle you have a peek into the Irish Rebellion....more info
• Why did the film downplay Micahel Collin's acts of terror?
  "Michael Collins" was a financial disaster and aesthetically left much to be desired.? Cinematographer Chris Menges may have admirably put together a beautiful looking film, but the overall quality is less than a typical made for TV production. Neil Jordan was not up to the task as the movie's director, and it seems that he lacks the background to tackle a serious historical project. I say this as an admirer of some of Jordan's other superb efforts. Liam Neeson did an adequate job as Collins, but mostly the talents of Alan Rickman, Aidan Quinn, Julia Roberts, and Stephen Rea were unable to overcome the weaknesses of a mediocre script.

  Why would any rational and decent person consider Michel Collins to be an Irish national hero? My most serious criticism deals with the less than frank handling of his career as a terrorist. Far too much time was spent on his later peacemaking efforts. Unfortunately, Collins will primarily go down in history for furthering the terrorist mindset that threatens modern day civilization.? Many terrorists throughout the world studied the work of Collins.? He is one of their Messiahs.? We should never forget that Collins murdered innocent people to achieve his political aims. Previous to Collins and a few others in the early part of the twentieth century, such activity was considered monstrous and unthinkable.

  Why did the makers of "Michael Collins" downplay the terrorist aspects of his past?? This question demands an answer especially after the horror of September 11.? The movie deserves only three stars.? Those who might wish to learn a bit more about terrorism might find "Michael Collins" worthy enough to invest a few hours of their time. If anything, this movie speaks volumes about those who desire to pretend that Collins was something other than a monster....more info

• i disagree with black and tan(and not just his name)
  Michael Collins could have afforded the move to America. His brother sent him the money to buy a ticket.
  
  I would have ranked this movie five stars, but I despise Julia Roberts. Also, I will agree with "Black and Tan" that it was not entirely factual....more info
• A Historical Figure Relevant to our National Tragedy
  While this is a tale of an Irish struggle for autonomy from perceived British tyranny. Michael Collins is a good primer into the mind of terrorists and worth viewing for people who want to understand why people do unthinkable things to make their point known. Terrorism is the tool of people to weak to engage in a war yet desire to have their pain and anger acknowleged by the mighty. While on a much smaller scale, it Michael Collins gives a perspective that is relevant to todays events. I thought about this movie many times since the Trade Center bombings. The film does not sympathize with those who commit random acts of violence and Michael Collins pays a great price for breaking from the hardcore wing of the IRA to create a first step compromise. The film is a good historical lesson, beautifully shot and is food for thought as we enter into our next epic chapter of American life....more info
• Tough story, well presented
  Shows how hard the irish struggle was and how brutal the Brits could be. They should have left Julia Roberts out of the story line though....more info
• The World's First Terrorist
  Michael Collins is a fine historical film that essentially captures the life and times of the Irish hero who founded the Irish Republican Army and became the first man since George Washington to force the British Empire to the negotiating table. The production values are very high and the acting is very good. There are a few liberties taken with historical accuracy but most of these are for dramatic effect and do not detract from the overall historical perspective of the film.
  
  The film has gained additional importance since 9/11 and for this reason should be viewed by all Americans concerned with our current conflict in the Middle East. There is no way of getting around the fact that Michael Collins was a terrorist and that he founded the first modern terror organization. The film can be used as a study of how terror can successfully be used to obtain political ends, in this case independence for Ireland. It also demonstrates just how difficult it is to defeat an insurrection of this kind, even for the greatest military power on Earth. The film thus becomes a very important warning for the American public, and policy makers in Washington, concerning our current war in Iraq. Collins is presented as a sympathetic character who most Americans will root for; certainly not a bad guy like Osama bin Laden. But remember, there are a large number of people in the world, especially in the Asia, for whom Osama is a sympathetic hero. Both he and Collins fight the same kind of war against similar enemies. Will Osama, like Collins, win in the end? I certainly hope not, but then I am speaking from the perspective of a 21st century American. And if I were an early 20th century Englishman or American, having just fought a bloody world war to make the world safe for democracy, I certainly might have regarded Collins as representing the antithesis of my values.
  
  So my advice is definitely to view Michael Collins. It is an excellent and exciting action film with a very sympathetic hero who was largely responsible for founding the Republic of Ireland. But then keep in mind that we are now engaged in a life and death struggle with enemies that have similar aims, use similar tactics, and, like Collins, will stop at nothing to achieve their ends.
  
  A little bit about my own background, I am a non-Irish American (unless you go back about 300 years) who has lived and traveled in Ireland and has close ties with that country. I have also read a great deal of Irish history. I think this gives me a different perspective on Ireland's conflict with the British Empire from someone who is either Irish or from a family recently immigrated from Ireland. Having read the other Amazon reviews of this movie, I am somewhat amused with those (few) who seem to have hated it. They seem to fall into two major categories. The first are the die-hard Sinn Fein-IRA types who cannot forgive Collin's compromise with the British. The other categories are those die-hard Unionists who cannot forgive the fact that Collins beat the British Empire! Get a grip guys! ...more info
• All of Irelands heroes are martyrs ...
  ...goes the saying in Ireland, and Collins was one of them. Liam Neeson is great. There is a dark, dreary and incredibly passionate atmosphere to the whole film that makes you understand the fury and vision of this man. A must for Ireland lovers....more info
• Michael Collins poor quality of a DVD
  To put it bluntly, the DVD freezes up many times throughout the movie. I've sent messages to the seller without any replies. I would not recommend making any purchases from this company.
  
  Z...more info
• Julia, please stay away from the accents....
  I think this movie can be summed up in two simple words: long and violent. But fascinating nonetheless. Neal Jordan takes a somewhat biased look at the life of Michael Collins, and I think he tried his damnest to keep to history. But something missed it's mark in the movie, I can't quite sum it up. It may have been a couple of cliches I could have done without. Example: an impending death. Cut to a loved one either wandering around ignorantly or rushing to the aid, although we know it's in vain. Collins' death scene, in particular, was ruined by cutting back to Julia Roberts trying on wedding dresses, and then suddenly staring in the mirror. SHE KNOWS. Or it may have been Julia's run of the mill performance with her VERY BAD irish accent. And surprisingly Aidan Quinn slipped quite a bit, though his acting was passable. Other than Ms. Roberts, the casting was stellar, Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea, and the always wonderful Alan Rickman. The extras aren't too bad, the always present biographies, and filmographies, and a nifty documentary on the real man himself. Wasn't disappointed, but wasn't overly impressed, either....more info
• michael collins
  this dvd brings michael collins back to life.a life that was remarkable.actually way beyond that.a great person. ...more info
• Michael Collins
  Again, we are pleased with the service in getting this DVD and also
  are pleased the DVD Michael Collins is good as it was in VHS.
  Thank you again........more info
• The Story of a Freedom Fighter
  Michael Collins was one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion that finally brought freedom to Ireland. He survived the 1916 Easter Rebellion. The film shows him addressing a crowd, saying they must stay united for independence. The police break up this meeting by beating Michael and the others; no First Amendment here. Michael learns to gather supplies from the enemy, and information from a secret source. Michael is able to infiltrate police headquarters to search their files! He decides to gather information on all of the secret police, and send them warning messages. The organizing continues. Michael helps De Valera escape from prison, and then travel to America to gain support from public opinion and President Wilson. The struggle continues against the Empire. The British stage reprisals at a sports stadium. [Does this look like it was taken from 'Gandhi'?]

  De Valera returns from America, and changes the tactics to open warfare; this results in more losses for these urban guerrillas. But De Valera is holding talks with the British; this escalation results in truce talks. Michael is sent to negotiate a treaty with the British. The Irish gain the Free State, but lose the northern counties. [After the Turkish Empire fell, Britain took over the Near East and its oil; Ireland has no oil.] Michael returned as the messenger with bad news. The realistic Michael knows this is a first step towards a Republic. The Treaty is accepted by a narrow margin; De Valera's faction walks out of Parliament in disgust. The Treaty is accepted by the people, and British forces leave in 1922. Those who refuse to accept the Treaty being the Troubles. [There is no mention of the conflicting classes involved.]

  De Valera's faction stages an armed takeover in parts of the country. This time it is the Irish Army who puts down the Rebellion, a repeat of the opening scenes. [The scene of the underground chase reminds me of 'The Third Man'.] Michael asks to meet De Valera to arrange an end to the fighting; but he must travel to West Cork, still under De Valera's control. A trap is set to ambush this convoy (the lead rider wasn't far enough in advance to send a warning). Michael is shot and killed; De Valera becomes the unopposed leader (no explanations why). After WW II and a weakened British Empire, Ireland becomes a Republic. The northern counties are still separated (so far).

  This film condenses the story of the Irish Revolution down to the interplay between a few personalities. The political and economic issues are skipped over, but this would make it educational rather than entertaining. The lack of a happy ending suggests a commercial failure. Those who know the history of those times can say how accurate this film is. Did Michael Collins have the support of those who wanted normal trade relations with Britain? Did De Valera represent the farmers? Was their rivalry comparable to Hamilton and Burr? The aftermath of WW II saw many liberated colonial countries where similar troubles recurred....more info

• Clarification
  Recently I have read reviews on this film on amazon which made me laugh out loud. this film has no similarities to 9/11 whatsoever. Michael Collins was in no way a terrorist as all his actions were aimed at the British occupational troops and not the Irish people. In fact if certain people had consulted their history books before writing, they would see that it was in fact the British(the supposed bastion of democracy of the time) who comitted the various attrocities such as the cold blooded murder of 12 innocent people on November 21, 1920 who had no connection to the "war of independence ". It was only later that the IRA moved into terriorism. The sub-sequent attrocities carried out on innocent people in the UK and the North would never have been advocated or supported by the original founders of the organisation. So folks please stop with these ignorant and laughable reviews. Oh and by the way, I really enjoyed the movie and thourhaghlly recommend it. ...more info
• Great movie, poor, poor, poor dvd
  Have to flip the disc to see the last 15 minutes? give me a break. Wait for the special release. I should've....more info
• recommended before traveling to Ireland
  I watched this movie in preparation for a trip to Dublin, per a recommendation from the Rick Steve's series to assist in understanding recent history of Ireland. While we were in Dublin, we met two teenage girls who said they were required to watch the movie in school for the same reason....more info
• Soul stirring
  In an episode of the 1980's cop drama "Miami Vice," Liam Neeson put in an appearance as an IRA terrorist-or at least I think he did if memory serves me correctly. Perhaps his depiction of an Irish tough on television laid the foundation for his work in Neil Jordan's 1996 bio pic "Michael Collins." The 1990s saw several films about the "Troubles," the word often used to describe the unremitting conflict in Northern Ireland, arrive in theaters. Maybe the hopes of a lasting peace in the troubled region during the last decade, as the IRA agreed to lay down their arms on several occasions, inspired Hollywood. I don't know. Whatever the case, armchair fans of Ireland had plenty to look at in the Cineplex for a few years. While I haven't seen most of these films, I have seen "Michael Collins" several times over the last eight years, and it is difficult to imagine any of these other pictures surpassing this one in any way, shape, or form. Jordan's picture is an inspired piece of work, a beautiful yet politically complex look at how the IRA came to function as an urban guerilla operation in their efforts to secure a unified Ireland free of British oversight and influence.
  
  The film starts on a dramatic tone as Irish rebels battle British troops in the Easter Uprising of 1916. This rebellion fails despite the fact that most of England's resources are tied up in the war raging on the continent. Most of the upstarts-including Michael Collins (Neeson), Harry Boland (Aidan Quinn), and Eamon de Valera (Alan Rickman)-march off to lengthy prison sentences. The perceived ringleaders aren't as lucky: the British line up most of these chaps against the wall and gun them down. Eamon de Valera is one of the few higher ups to survive in large part because he was born in America. With their leadership decimated, Collins and his associates await their release dates so they can continue the fight with the British. It doesn't take long for the rebels to reconstitute a command structure once they get out, but the failed revolt has left its mark on many of the participants. Two schools of strategy emerge concerning future operations for freedom. De Valera and others seek to once again arise and duke it out with the English just as they did in 1916. Collins knows this option will lead to another loss and further prison sentences. He supports taking the war underground by resorting to guerilla warfare in the streets and alleys of Ireland. By striking and then hiding, Collins believes the Irish movement has a much better chance of forcing the British to the bargaining table.
  
  Collins gets his chance to launch a bloody campaign against the British when the Irish leadership heads off to jail again. With the assistance of Harry Boland, he persuades groups of young toughs to raid armories for weapons. He also manages to acquire the secret loyalty of an Irish cop working for the British, Ned Broy (Stephen Rea), to allow him access to the mountains of police files on Irish resistance groups. With an inside view of what the English will do before they even do it, Collins's campaigns of violence become amazingly effective. His boys wipe out a special detachment of Brits sent in to quell unrest. They assassinate police officers and officials. Collins is generally safe from the authorities due to a host of reasons, the least of which include his support from the people and the fact that the cops have no clue what he looks like. How the British didn't know Michael Collins on sight considering he spent time in jail is something I can't explain, but nonetheless his terror missions serve their purpose. The British seek a resolution to the conflict, and Eamon de Valera charges Collins with the task of acting as the Irish emissary. This decision is an adroit political move on de Valera's part, and one that has lasting and violent consequences for the future of Ireland.
  
  I liked everything about "Michael Collins" even though the movie suffers under the onerous burden of two key problems. First, the entire subplot involving Harry Boland, Collins, and an Irish lass named Kitty Kiernan (Julia Roberts) tends to grate. I'm sure the studio insisted on putting a romance theme in the movie in order to sell more tickets and to temper the strident political message, but doing so detracts from the power of the film. Second, historical accuracy occasionally flies out the window in lieu of dramatic license. Witness the sporting event where the British drive an armored car onto the field and promptly gun down the athletes and fire into the crowd. The documentary on the film appended to the DVD discusses this depiction in some depth, and even Jordan admits the event didn't happen exactly the way he portrayed it. But what's good works wonders. Neeson is magnificent as the revolutionary both brutal in his outrages and horrified at the results. Rickman plays de Valera with a sinister silkiness. These two actors are so good at what they do that Rea and Quinn often fade into the background. The locations and set pieces look authentic.
  
  Unfortunately, the extras don't live up to the film. You get a trailer and the aforementioned documentary (which does run for nearly an hour, at least) and that's it. I would have taken the DVD release of this film as an excuse to add a bunch of information about the Irish struggle for independence. C'est la vie, I guess. Whatever the case, the movie is definitely worth the price of the DVD. "Michael Collins" is a film I watch whenever I get the chance, and I will continue to do so well into the future.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ...more info
• Something else altogether!
  I'd usually steer well clear of films with alot of death in them (half because it turns my stomach, and half because it's so fake) but Michael Collins has to be an exception. This film is just so *real* in some parts. You can credibly believe the cruelty being doled out by both sides - neither Irish or English side is idolized as being the righteous one - and the pure shock will have you shaking just as much as the characters on screen.

  The relationships here are beautiful, whether they're platonic (Michael's dealings with Harry, his best friend, and De Valera who in certain places would have you believe that they are like brothers) or romantic (with Kitty Keirnan) and the reactions of the actors are fantastic - especially De Valera (Alan Rickman)

  However, if you're looking for historical accuracy... read the history first. The film takes plenty of liberties, to the extent of having one attack in Croke Park (Pairc Ui Crochaigh) that never actually happened and inaccuracies in the manner of some deaths.

  And good gracious, someone kill Julia Robert's voice coach!

  If you'd like to sit down with a moving film that never lets up, Michael Collins is perfect ^^;;...more info

• Beautiful Cinematography Highlights This Biography
  I didn't know if the film was distorting history but someone who knows the story of Michael Collins assured me this was a pretty accurate portrayal of him in here, which makes this film go even higher in my ratings, because it's definitely entertaining and is spectacularly photographed.
  
  There is more blue color in here - beautiful blue - than in any movie I've ever seen. It looks just gorgeous on DVD. I would be anxious to see what a sharp Blu-Ray transfer would look like.
  
  Liam Neeson's charismatic portrayal of Collins keeps you riveted to the screen, even though it's a fairly long movie. Julia Roberts and Alan Rickman seemed a bit miscast. Being American and British, respectively, they weren't quite believable as Irishmen, perhaps because I'm used to hearing them as they normally talk. I also don't like to hear the Lord's name in vain so often as what was in here, but the Irish......well.
  
  Whatever, this is a very interesting story with a nice combination of drama, action and romance. Very much recommended regardless of anyone's stance on Irish-English relations...more info
• Michael Collins
  This movie is not for the tender hearted, and if you are you will ball your eyes out about how evil violence is when done on other people. the cost of freedom is to high and so many lives are taken by murder and hatred. War is just evil and there is no justification or excuse for such violence. if you can learn from this movie not to hate and get involved in violence then you understood the movie correctly. i hate hatred and murder not matter what and it is sad this stuff really happened. This movie is based on true history and fact when it comes to ireland becoming indpendent from england and how evil and brutal the english really are and how the irish including myself were affected by that cruelty so badly that it caused a whole war in ireland against the british nazi occupation of the emerald isle. this is true to the heart. England had never been in ireland or involved with ireland there would have been no IRA. England created the violence in ireland not the other way around. Eamon de valera said and i quote "better to die as martyrs for freedom than to be the ones who make martyrs like the english" ' He did not have the stomach for violence and hatred but he had more heart about how to handle the situation. He admitted it was his downfall and felt guilty of michael collins his great friend's death. Hopefully God willing we can learn from this movie and from Jesus Christ's own words is to "love your enemies and do righteousness (good) towards them"
  there is no love and righteousness when you murder people.
  Rabbi Nachman from the Soviet Union said "Our best weapon that G'd gave us is prayer not guns"...more info
• Clearly depicts how power and jealously
  destroy friendships when visions for freedom compete. If you want to know how it was then this is a good movie to get started with....more info
• The Irish
  Fairly stark review of the struggles of the Irish and their push for independence from the British. Seems to be a good movie and a good history lesson. I did a lot of internet research after watching this movie and found virtually all the facts to be accurate. I've already seen it again. A good buy....more info
• An Introduction to a Time of Troubles
  "Michael Collins" tells the story of one of Ireland's great patriots, who as a young man had a part in the Easter Rising of 1916, and then battled the British guerilla-style up through the establishment of the Free State before being murdered himself.

  Liam Neeson does a fine job as Collins, but there are two BAD performances in the film which hurt its overall effectiveness. First, Julia Roberts does a terrible job as the woman Collins loves. Bad brogue and just bad attitude. Then Alan Rickman, who I thought did splendid work in "Sense and Sensibility" is perfectly horrid as Eamonn DaValera. The scene where he makes an imprint of his jail key is so ludicrous, it looked like camp. Also, the film suggests that DaValera had a hand in Collins' murder, which undercuts the importance of DaValera himself as an Irish patriot, long-time President of the country.

  Best for Neeson and daring escapes from the Black and Tans....more info

• Liam Neeson
  Liam Neeson is great as Michael Collins. I can't wait to read Collins' biography. Alan Rickman is great......more info
• A Very Good and Moving Film
  Excellent acting by Liam Neeson and Stephen Rea, but Julia Roberts and Alan Rickman lose their Irish accents at times and overact at others. Great recreations of Dublin of 80-85 years ago. Very moving scenes involving the Irish people fighting an oppressive British rule, although I would have liked Neil Jordan to have been historically accurate about the British violence in the stadium (a dozen persons killed and no armored vehicles) and not been ambiguous about de Valera being involved in Collins' death (since Jordan believes that he had nothing to do with it, according to an interview in a good documentary on the film, which is included on the DVD)....more info
• One of the few good films about Irish history
  Michael Cimino was one of many who tried to bring the story of Irish revolutionary Michael Collins to the screen and on the evidence of the mess he made of Salvatore HGiuliano's story in The Siclian (and the bizarre gay love triangle in his proposed version) it's a good job he didn't. Kevin Costner's attempts resulted in some equally simplistic scripts that enshrined cliche over history before Warners decided to drop his version in favor of Neil Jordan's long-planned film. Even if they were motivated more by the success of Interview With the Vampire than the material, they made the right choice: Michael Collins is easily one of Jordan's very best films and a strikingly intelligent piece of political cinema. There are changes for dramatic purposes, but these generally seem made for sound reasons and don't change the essential truth of the Irish Republican hero who became a scapegoat for de Valera's failure to gain a Republic and ended up being assassinated by his former colleagues in Ireland's forgotten and bloody civil war.
  
  Clocking in at little over 130 minutes, Jordan keeps a sense of momentum that occasionally loses the odd detail that would be helpful to audiences unfamiliar with Irish history (such as the way the popular hatred towards the rebels who fought in the Easter Rising was turned around by the disastrous decision of the British to execute its leaders) but which still manages to find room for character as well, personalizing the tragedy surprisingly effectively. One of the last historical epics to use real sets and real extras instead of CGI, the film feels grounded in reality while still being an enthralling and cinematic political thriller. Sinead O'Connor's screaming over the assassination scene is unhelpful, but even that can't destroy the film.
  
  Keeping his promise to cast Liam Neeson despite heavy lobbying from Michael Collins lookalike Kenneth Branagh (who lacks the presence necessary for the part), Jordan gets good rather than great performances from his leads, although Alan Rickman nails de Valera's reptilian and hesitant delivery and Ian Hart impresses as one of Collins' lieutenants. The unwelcome presence of Julia Roberts threatens to turn the film into Hollywood but thankfully her extremely limited abilities aren't stretched to breaking point. Probably the only film about the IRA that protestants and Brits can see without bringing Molotov cocktails to the cinema, it's release fell foul of America's constant denial of the complexities of the situation, Ireland's denial of the civil war and the rest of the world's horror at the IRA breaking their ceasefire without warning and killing a little girl in the process. Rarely revived, it's definitely worth rediscovering.
  
  The DVD comes with an excellent South Bank Show that fills in many of the film's historical gaps, including archive footage of Collins himself (who really was a dead ringer for Branagh), although it is irritatingly a flipper disc.
  
  ...more info
• THE IRISH "BRAVEHEART": LENGTHY BUT ENGROSSING
  Passionate screenplay and breathtaking cinematography, supported by Goldenthal's top notch background score: this film truly surprised me.

  Plot-wise, you will learn a lot about the Irish rebellion against the British. The story, I found on some googling, has some crevices (e.g., Ned Broy was NOT murdered by the Tans as shown in the movie, in reality he survived the whole thing and went on to become the first head of the Gardai, the unarmed Irish police force.)

  Yet, the superbly executed plotline unravels with an exciting pace, and is easy to follow. I was riveted.

  Acting-wise, tight convincing performances all around, seems they couldn't have selected anyone better than Liam Neeson to portray Collins, although Julia Roberts was a bit expendable (and what's with that ill-achieved Irish accent!) Alan Rickman as de Valera was stunning as usual.

  Despite its length, the film does full justice to the inspiration character of Collins. Recommended!...more info

• Michael Collins Was A Pragmatic Man
  Since few Americans know who the Irish Republican hero Michael Collins was, I guess it's pointless to go too far into the fact that now and again this film departed from reality for the sake of drama. Still, I enjoy Neil Jordan's movies and this was no exception. The man Michael Collins in the film of the same name comes off well here, far less of a terrorist than a freedom fighter turned statesman, basically the way he is regarded in Ireland to this day, and Eamon De Valera (just Google him and save time) is presented as a villain and a spiteful, petty man, willing to use his power to settle personal differences. Maybe that's true he did. In any event, this is a motion picture that barely made a ripple in America but was received by most of my family in Ireland with about the same surge of grateful joy that Braveheart got in Scotland. Its depiction of the violent Irish struggle for political autonomy was well told and frequently presented scenes of lasting impact. Collins' bravado, good humor, ingenious strategic savvy and ultimately his pragmatism in doing what needed to be done in his meetings with former enemies is all covered here, as is his treacherous murder at the hands of his own one-time comrades in the IRA. Had more of Ireland's people been as broad-minded as Michael Collins, the history of their island in the century just passed might have been far less tragic....more info
• Film review??????
  To the person from the states who has reviewed this film stating Ireland was not a colony, Collins was a terrorist etc. Your claims about the German cash etc relate only to the opening few minutes of the film. Most of what is viewed comes after the end of WW1. To call Collins a terrorist would be like calling Mandella, or even George Washington terrorists. All rebelled against the government in power. I think that the Irish soldiers who fought in WW1 (my great grandfather was one) for the British did so as much out of hunger as for any other reason.
  
  The film itself is great. Yes there are some inaccuracies (the character of Broy was based on 3 informants of whom Broy was one) but it is watchable and generally gives a good impression of Britsh rule and the uprising....more info
• Utter nonsense
  This film really is appalingly bad!Badly researched,badly scripted and badly cast.If you want an utterly bias account of the easter rising,buy this,if you don't want a completely bias account,read a history book!AVOID!!!...more info
• Pleasantly pleased
  This film came in perfect condition and in a very timely manner. I got it the very next day. I couldn't have been happier. I needed this movie for a class project.
  ...more info
• Historically inaccurate, mediocre-to-bad acting
  This movie, while somewhat interesting, was so historically inaccurate and lopsided it's laughable. Alan Rickman's performance as Eamonn de Valera deserves particular mention; there's simply no way such a weak-minded man could possibly have served as taoiseach or president of Ireland. There's inadvertent humor in Julia Roberts's attempt at an Irish accent (and where are the strong Irish women so prominent in history?). If you want to watch a movie about the Irish struggle for independence, watch "The Treaty" -- it is more interesting and more historically accurate, and it has better acting....more info
• i like the movie but this dvd was a rip-off
  I saw this movie a few years ago & enjoyed it so I chose it for my final in a class that analyzed 'historical' movies. When I got this dvd, the main menu was non-existant [it goes straight to the movie], side B was blank & I had no special features. I was unable to see the last 10 sceens of the film or any special features b/c side B was blank. Sure I could return it but that doesn't really solve the problem that I had a 10 page paper where I could not analyze the end of the movie.
  ...more info
• Good factual based SERIOUSLY MISLEADING film
  The film was enjoyable. However, it failed to point out in
  its material anywhere due to its propagandist tone ..
  
  1. The Home Rule Bill was already passed in 1912 which was
  suspended due to the calamatous great war. So effectively
  Collins' actions were pointless as Ireland would have had
  home government without the 80 subsequent years of Bloodshed
  caused by the stream of propaganda aimed at self justification.
  
  2. Collins only returned to Ireland as he was due to be
  conscripted having been living in London for 12 years. It
  was alleged that he could have gone to live with his brother
  in Chicago .. could he have afforded the ticket to go ?
  
  3. Ireland was NOT a colony but part of the UK so effectively
  the implications of Irish "separation" from Britain were
  wide ranging. There have been similar nationalist movements
  since from Wales, Scotland etc.
  
  4. The film "implied" there was conscription in Ireland
  - there wasnt at any point.
  
  5. The film "implied" there wasnt a democratic process -
  there was.
  
  6. It failed to point out that the guns supplied to the
  pro-crown loyalists and similarly the nationalists came
  from the Kaiser in an attempt to keep Britian out of the
  First World war. So the current situation in Ireland
  was not forced by the IRA but more as a consequence of a tired
  nation just wanting to settle a thorn in its side. Ireland
  wasnt being oppressed in any way.
  
  7. Ireland was part of Britain (see note 3.) and is still
  represented on the Union Flag.
  
  8. It failed to point out that the incident in the
  gaelic football match was a direct knee jerk response to
  the murder of the "alleged" Cairo gang who it was never
  proved were anything other army officers.
  
  9. Sinn Fein never won the 1918 elections. They were ballot
  box rigged and the opposition were intimidated into not
  standing against them by murder and so forth. Only Sinn Feins
  bully boys had guns.
  
  10. It failed to point out COMPLETELY the unionist perspective.
  
  11. The main issue in the insurgents being executed was
  that they themselves agreed to being treated more harshly
  on the grounds that their men be given clemency.
  
  12. The executions of 14 leaders of the 1916 rising were
  fair and square. Their actions as traitors to their government
  could have seriously damaged morale in the coming battle
  of the Somme and they were most likely executed for that
  reason alone, not out of spite as it seemed to imply.
  
  13. It also failed to point out that the 11 million dollars
  raised in the united states by DeValera to arm and pay these
  men salary during the unfolding events.
  
  14. No mention whatsoever of the Irish Nationalist party
  and the fact that Irish MP's were several times over
  represented in Westminster.
  
  Good film .. but extremely one sided. Written from the
  Nationalist perspective.
  ...more info
• Mish-mash of genres kills story
  First of all, a few misunderstandings which a few previous reviewers highlighted:
  
  The Old IRA of the War of Independence were not 'terrorists', as you may find out by looking up definitions of terrorism. Guerrilla wars may involve terrorist actions; however, the war is not directed against the population (naturally enough, because they are supporting the movement) but against the force of occupation. There is (contrary to the assertions of some posters here) no comparison to be drawn with September 11. However, this film blurs these obvious distinctions.
  
  Collins was never, as Jordan misleadingly implies and indeed declares, the leader or creator of the IRA, neither was he the inventor of modern guerrilla warfare. His role in the Irish war of liberation was certainly considerable, but considering the nature of the guerrilla campaign in Ireland, one man was never likely to control it.
  
  This film cannot decide whether it is a 'biopic', a drama or a thriller, and the story, burdened with this indecision, becomes sloppy, confused and sometimes ridiculous. Jordan appears to think that the period of 1919-21 is directly analagous to the later war in Northern Ireland. He seems to suffer under the apprehension that he cannot sympathise with the IRA who fought one of the 20th century's most notorious terrorist gangs, the Auxiliaries/Black and Tans, because to do so would be to sympathise with the modern-day Provisional IRA. On the other hand, he sympathises with his protagonist.
  
  Much of the story's confused feel is owing to this; some also to the fact that he also feels that the antagonist demanded of a drama cannot be English. Hence the raw deal served out to de Valera. It has been suggested that making de Valera's character so despicable eliminates the chance that both Collins's and de Valera's characters would become more complex in relation to the other's. If de Valera is a one-dimensional villain, so Collins too remains static, never generating much sympathy in spite of Liam Neeson's admirable attempts. Similarly, characters such as Harry Boland and Cathal Brugha are mere ciphers of Collins and de Valera's conflict.
  
  The decision to exclude negotiations with the British, possibly necessary in view of Jordan's decision to prevent anyone other than de Valera becoming an antagonist, is a serious gap in the audience's understanding of the issues involved. (You can't just say: "Ah Mick, you signed the treaty! You accepted partition!" and leave it at that.)
  
  Jordan's portrayal of the decision by Collins to accept the treaty as a heroic attempt to promote peace merely adds to the confusion. He apparently has no problem in using English heavy artillery against his compatriots (and on the order of the British government, let us not forget), but when they fight back, it is a dreadful crime, laden with furtive connivings and hints of murder. Jordan's claim that he did not intend to link de Valera with Collins's death is unconvincing. If the character termed 'Collins' Assassin' is seen acting with de Valera's permission and under his orders, what conclusion does he expect the audience to draw?
  
  There is a frantic energy to the direction which engages the attention, and occasionally the admiration. It raises the speculation that had Jordan (evidently following genre conventions, but not sure which one to stick with) made a decision as to what kind of film he was making, and perhaps decided not to try to explain 20th century Irish history in the gaps between intelligence intrigue and an appalling love story, we might have had a decent film. As it is, the good scenes are too few and far between to make it worth watching, unless some nice cinematography can be said to rescue it....more info
• Michael Collins
  Used? Book literally like new! Fast and professional handling. Thanks....more info
• Politics is a blood sport!
  "Michael Collins" was unfortunately, a flash in the pan of a theatre movie, at least in America it was!..And that is in the main, enormously regrettable, because it's a king size story, about a king size character, Michael Collins, the founder of the Irish Republic Army..The big fellow, played brilliantly by Liam Neeson, as chief architect of murder and mayhem, single-handedly brought the British Empire to the bargaining table, through some "hard ball" tactics, to at least consider the possibilty that Ireland might become something more than just an unwanted, red-headed stepchild to England!..Collins was a natural born rebel rouser, and evoked the ethos of the typical Irishman, could sing, entertain, spin a good yarn, or shoot you in cold blood, depending upon your politics..Collins organized the precursor to the Irish Republic Army, and carried a bounty of 10,000 pounds on his head, dead or alive..The bad news for the Crown was, there were no legible, recent photos of Collins in stock, meaning Collins for a time, manuevered in secret, as a ghost, or a sphinx..Politics as everyone knows, is a blood-sport, and betrayal from within is always inevitable..And Collins' chief and chief rival was Eamon de Lavera, the guarded, somewhat jealous, intellectual President of the Republic of Ireland..de Lavera always sent Michael and his boys, the twelve apostles, out to do the tasteless dirty work, that de Lavera couldn't stomach himself..Collins' greatness and stature emanated from his passionate belief in his cause, and was probably outwitted by de Lavera in the end, much like Sonny Corleone was outsmarted in "The Godfather," done in by excessive passion!..And "Michael Collins" the movie, is very much the gangster's tale, a grandiose, sweeping epic with mega-sets, and rich, period costuming..Neil Jordan, the director of "Michael Collins" deserves enormous credit for coordinating such an ambitious project, and making it succeed on so many levels..The dialogue and mood of "Michael Collins" is intense, and Kubrick in scope..Jordan deserves more credit for his exhaustive efforts in this feature than for any of his other earlier, more well known works..By all means, rent or purchase "Michael Collins", you will be entertained and educated, but moreso transported to the time and place of this historically relevant saga!...more info
• Shallow and inaccurate
  Set just after the 1916 Easter Rebellion in Dublin, Neil Jordan's film follows the life and times of Irish revolutionary Michael Collins (Liam Neeson), detailing his relationships with Kitty Kearnan (Julia Roberts), Harry Boland (Aidan Quinn), and Eamon de Valera (Alan Rickman). It essentially covers the period leading up to the Civil War in Ireland, and ultimately Collins' untimely death.
  It must be said the movie proves to be an opportunity missed, considering the budget and all involved. While it is usual for historical epics to have inaccuracies, "Michael Collins" is rather a disaster. After a very self conscious opening scene, the film seems to loose it's way and trods a distinctly uneven and incomprehensible path. It tries to hard to be all things: epic war film, romantic movie, and politically descisive. It fails on all counts, essentially because it is biased towards one side of the argument, and ridicules the other. The script seems to make no attempt at exploring the intricacies of the politics involved which led to Civil War, and the picture ends up like something a not very knowledgable schoolboy would write in primary school. Despite Liam Neeson's historonics, the casting in disasterous - particulary Aidan Quinn as an americanised Harry Boland, and Julia Roberts resembling a cross between Maureen O'Hara and Tinkerbell. What ultimately comes across from the acting is a cast who just want to pick up their pay check as quickly as possible and move as swiftly as they can onto their next, more serious, production.
  The film is particulary offensive to those brave men and women who would not accept half measures, and took the view that the Anglo Irish Treaty was not the Republic of Easter Week 1916. Certain historical figures are missing, especially Arthur Griffith and Cathal Brugha (although Gerard McSorely appears in a brief scene with a "mcsorely" wig on his head which looks like something one would find in the middle of a cow field.

  The Boland familly in general were outraged by the production, and the film did extremely well in Ireland, but flopped like a pan cake outside our four green fields.
  It also suffers from the tendency to point to the indigenous population saying "Isn't this cool, we're all so important on this production. Yes I played such and such in the movie". I myself turned down any part of it with utter contempt, as I have taken the view that regardless of what side one was on during the Civil War, all concerned were heroes with no villins. Was Robert E. Lee any less in greatness then Grant? Both men are held with equal respect by the American populace.
  RTE produced a much rounded and interesting production "The Treaty" which deals with the period in a more mature, intelligent way. The great Brendan Gleason appears as Collins, and the equally excellent Barry McGovern as de Valera.
  "Michael Collins" is a total fiasco and an embarrasement...more info

• It has its good moments
  I would almost give it 4 stars, but there are some things which can't be excused. First of all, if you are interested in Irish history- rent it. Of course it will give you a biased viewpoint on Michael Collins- its hollywood. But if you study Irish history, you will find that care went into this film from the details- notice the pin that Alan Rickman as Eamon De Valera wears to show he speaks and supports Irish/Gaelic language. Real footage plays at the end (I won't give it away for you) with music that will make your heart swell whether you supported Collins or not. From the very beginning, the movie has the feel of the times. Excellent uniforms, costumes, scenery. Great lines delivered by Rickman and Neeson. Neeson and Rickman portray the parts of Collins and De Valera- in appearance, in mannerisms, in speech- excellently. Stephen Reyes also gave an excellent performance, for however brief his part, he delivers a believable character. Downfall- Julia Roberts, not entirely her fault though. Her Irish accent (also attempted in "Mary Reilly") made me cringe. This movie should be about Ireland's struggle, not romance-caught-amidst-the-war. Are we supposed to care about her choice between two men (and are we surprised that she chooses Collins?). It doesn't blend in with the storyline well at all. That's entertainment, I guess. And there's one scene with Roberts, Neeson, a rose and a bed, which flashes between violence and then back to Robert's dialogue to her love. It is one of the worst scenes in a movie I've ever seen. I don't know whether to laugh through the melodrama or fast forward it.

  Whatever your viewpoint on the war, this film can still be of benefit. I am always happy to see any movie on Irish history and culture, and Michael Collins is a figure in it, like it or not. The division between Collins and De Valera is well done by script and actors alike, and will give a better understanding of the main forces behind the strife in Northern Ireland to the present....more info

• Historian is wrong
  An excellent movie even if some important facts e.g. 1918 election which legitimised the Old IRA back then were omitted.
  
  We were a colony in the sense that we had never consented incorporation into the UK. The Irish Parliament that voted the Union through in 1800 was exclusively a Protestant one, the Catholic majority (80%) having been banned from it. Also, the parliament was bribed with money, land and titles to get it to vote for Union. And the Loyalist UVF also brought in arms and ammunition from Germany through the port of Larne, Co.Antrim, including over a million rounds of ammunition and 35,000 rifles. The difference being that the British army left them alone when the guns were being brought in but opened fire when the Irish Volunteers (previous name of the Old IRA) brought in arms - far fewer by the way. And anyway, the UVF was formed before the IRA to resist Home Rule by force, so it wasn't just our side that was setting up armies to resist UK law. Also, you say the Home Rulers were elected and that the IRA "seized power". In fact, in the 1918 elections (unfortunately not covered in the movie), the Home Rulers went from 73 MPs to 6, and SF took all the lost seats. So there was clearly a democratic mandate to break away from Britain.
  
  Collins was not a terrorist because the mark of a terrorist is the intentional targeting of innocent civilians, which he did not do. In fact after independence and during the Southern Civil War against the Anti-Treaty IRA, the Irish Government actually established security-forces to protect Southern Protestants, e.g. in Co.Louth. I reject your claim about 140,000 Protestants being driven out. 50,000 of those who left were in the British army or in the families of their soldiers and were relocated to Northern Ireland. After the US became independent, a lot of former Loyalists left for Canada. After colonies become independent, many of those formerly loyal to the old regime tend to leave the country. The same happened in the former Soviet states where millions of ethnic-Russians have moved to the Russian Federation, e.g. in Kazakhstan, the Russian population has fallen from over 50% to 30%. So this is not unique to Ireland. Many Protestants did leave Southern Ireland after partition, but in the main this was voluntary and based on a feeling of not being at home in a state where they would be in the minority, and because they were mainly Unionists who wanted to live in the part of Ireland remaining in the UK. If we were to follow your line of reasoning, does this mean that Northern Irish Catholics were well treated by the Belfast Parliament from 1922-72. as the Catholic population there has grown from 31% to 41%? Certainly most historians would strongly disagree, considering the gerrymandering, discrimination in housing, burning down of Catholic areas e.g. Bombay Street in the 1960's, and the continued ethnic-cleansing of Irish Catholics from places like Carrickfergus, Larne and Ahoghill in Co.Antrim. As late as 1993, Catholics were only 7% of the RUC (the police), and the Loyalist terror group the UDA, which has killed hundreds of Catholics, was a legal organisation until 1990. The British security forces in Northern Ireland colluded with Loyalist terror groups to murder Catholics, as shown in the Stevens Report. The Stevens Inquiry was commissioned by the British government but several attempts were made to sabotage the investigation, including arson.
  
  The primary reason for the decline in the Protestant population in the South is a consistent pattern of Protestants marrying Catholics, with the children having tended until recently to have been brought up as Catholics under the Ne Temere Decree of the Catholic Church requiring this. As the Catholic Church's influence has dissipated in recent years following scandals, the Protestant population is growing again. This graph http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/past/protestants_1861_1991.html#decline_roi
  illustrates the decline in the Southern Irish Protestant population, and contrasts with your assertions on 140,000 Protestants leaving the State shortly after independence. As shown, their % of the South's population started at 10% (300,000). 140,000 would constitute a 50% decline to 5%. However, the 5% figure was only reached around 1950. This does not support the theory of mass-expulsions in the years immediately proceeding 1921 and independence, therefore.
  
  Regarding Irish people who fought in WW1, most Catholics doing so did this because the Home Rule leader, John Redmond, argued it would influence Britain to look more favourably on the demand for 32 county Home Rule instead of partitioning Ireland, as well as Redmond's drawing of parallels between Ireland and Belgium - countries that were both trying to attain their freedom (from Germany in Belgium's case). Hence, in both senses, Catholics joining the British army felt they were fighting for the "freedom of small nations". They were certainly not fighting to preserve the oppressive British empire....more info
• Excellent cast - Excellent account
  I was unsure about this dvd because I am always unsure about "documentary" type films. The entire cast was commendable as was the direction by Jordan. My wife and I have read much Irish history in general and this film is worth viewing. Someone complained that you must turn the dvd over to see the final minutes. This is certainly not a detraction as such....more info
• Unspectacular
  I expected a little more from this movie but after 20 minutes of this movie, I realized it was just another dull british drama. Michael Collins is a good movie to see if you want to gain a little knowledge of Irish history. However, there is unfortunately little else of note that makes this movie worth sitting for two hours. Aside from the very talented Stephen Rea's work, the acting is terrible. Aidan Quinn seems to forget at times that he's supposed to have an Irish accent, and even when he remembers his accent sounds terrible. It is an important story, but difficult to translate to film, and Jordan did what he could with his resources. In the hands of a lesser writer/director, the film could have been disastrous. If you really have nothing else to do, it wouldn't hurt to watch this movie, but don't expect a masterpiece. Julia Roberts was a huge miscast in this film.. very poor choice. Someone tell this woman that she CANNOT do accents....more info
• An Excellent Historical Portrayal
  I found that this film was in all ways an amazing and accurate piece of work....more info
• Jordan and Neeson's crowning achievements.
  Digging back into their roots, director Neil Jordan and actor Liam Neeson have respectively delivered their most memorable and deep-cutting works to date. Michael Collins has nagging flaws, but in the sweep of the passionate filmmaking and performances, all else is moot. You will be carried forth by the conviction of the story.

  Neeson was simply born to play this role. An actor of tremendous power, Neeson is here given a role that's multi-dimensional enough for him to show his formidable chops. The Michael Collins character is alternately a boyish, dashing ladykiller and a tactician with a steel will, and just watching Neeson tackle the character's inner and outer demons is worth the price of the movie. He indeed projects the power and charisma of a great leader in his "our refusal" speech. There's more -- Aidan Quinn gives his best performance as friend-turned-enemy Harry Boland; Alan Rickman utilizes his deadpan comic timing and hidden deviance to perfection as Eamon de Valera; Stephen Rea is great as usual as English traitor Ned Broy. The one weak link is of course Julia Roberts, as Harry and Mick's love interest Kitty, with her bad Irish accent and vacant presence. She's paralyzed by the scope of the historical drama and comes off stiff as a result, injecting the character with neither warmth nor power, and none of her signature girlish exuberance. However, this was one case where the filmmaker's sacrifice of a character was to the benefit of the film. In directing the film, Jordan sliced down Kitty's importance and makes her mostly a footnote; the result is that we are now free to interpret Mick and Harry's split as a philosophical and political one, rather than the ol' romantic triangle. And for the better.

  The cinematography is terrific, and the script ranks among my favourite of the '90s. Jordan is deeply tapped into the behaviour and concerns of these characters, and he fills every minute with humour, danger, urgency, and personality. The writing translates onto the screen beautifully, giving the audience an insight into not only the sociological scape of the film, but also the psychological. And the pacing and editing never let up -- from the perfectly chosen "in medias res" opening to the brilliant "Bloody Sunday" assassination montage.

  A great neglected classic....more info

• A great film - should be watched by everyone
  This film has a real power to it, and presents a major historical figure in a way that is easy to appreciate. The acting and directing is superb and the film is very engrossing, and in some places extremely sad. I'd strongly recommend this. ...more info
• History and Politics of the Irish Republic
  Rarely does a movie have as much historic accuracy, political insight, character development, and dramatic action as does this film.
  
  The film covers 6 highly chaotic and transitional years in Ireland, from the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin to the 1922 assassination of Michael Collins in Cork County.
  
  Many Americans, even if they are of Irish ancestry, know little of Irish history, particularly the relationship between Ireland and England. Since the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I there has been domination of the Irish people by the English government. After almost 400 years of domination, the rise of the Irish Republic was an amazing accomplishment. Much of that accomplishment must be attributed to Michael Collins, the founder of the Irish Republic Army, and the master strategist in the first 6 years of the rebellion. The film takes us through the final hours of the Easter Rising where the English military suppresses one of the first uprisings and challenges to their authority. The film shows the firing squad executions, one by one, of the leaders of the uprising. The film takes us to the guerilla tactics of Michael Collins, with an emphasis on killing the English leadership in Ireland. As the English send more and more ruthless enforcers of England's power, the IRA carefully kills them and creates chaos in their administration. Michael becomes a national hero but his first diplomatic mission is in some ways a set up. This leads to the political intrigue within the film.
  
  The character of Eamon De Valera, the man who was repeatedly elected President of Ireland, is indeed complex as the film demonstrates. De Valera sends Collins to negotiate with the British under the explanation that Collins has earned this priviledge andthat the English wish to know who is so they can negotiate face to face. Michael is not able to negotiate for the independence of all of Ireland, primarily because the English wished to hold Northern Ireland where the majority of English protestant settlers had lived for generations after generations. However, De Valera refuses to accept a partial victory, undermining Collins' leadership and popularity with many of the Irish people. Very crafty thinking and manipulating were involved in this sequence of events. Was De Valera actually that Machiavellian? The film would indicate so.
  
  The acting is superb, with Lian Neeson, Alan Rickman, Stephen Rea, Ian Hart, Aiden Quinn, and Jonathan Rhys Meyer offering first class performances. Julia Roberts takes an understated back seat which serves the film well. Neeson is indeed highly powerful as the robust manly decisive Collins, a man who goes from being a street fighting terrorist to a hero and statesman. Rickman is super as De Valera. He plays De Valera as calculating, never revealing his whole hand, and extremely strategic. Especially strategic was De Valera's trip to the USA to gain funds and support from Irish Americans. Ian Hart plays Collins' right hand assistant through thick and thin. Hart is superb here. Aiden Quinn plays Harry Boland, a friend of Collins' who competes with him for Julia Robert's affection and then turns on him during the Irish Civil War. A young brash handsome Jonathan Rhys Meyer plays the young assassing who kills Collins as he comes to Cork to negotiate with De Valera. There is so much history to relate that the director and writers wisely de-emphasized the romantic in favor of the historic.
  
  The scenes of Ireland are superb, the cinematography of urban Ireland was exceptional. A very fine film.
  
  ...more info
• worth a new look, 10 years on
  Some "Collins" updates are worth mentioning, esp. for film historians, e.g., the presence of a very young Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in a brief but pivotal role in this film, an early major break in his career. Also worth mentioning that this winter, Neil Jordan is back with a film, Breakfast on Pluto, with many of the Michael Collins cast, including Brendan Gleeson, Liam Neeson and Stephen Rea, the latter a standout in that film as well as in 'Michael Collins.' Indeed, Mr. Rea's work in Michael Collins is worth re-viewing as great understated acting -- his Ned Broy is really quite touching (compare with Rea's role as a detective in "Citizen X" -- he's good in those parts).
  
  (Update, April 2006: Stephen Rea appears in the new release "V for Vendetta" -- as a detective.)
  
  It's also worth analyzing this story, as a story, in the post-9/11 world. Although the movie says little about the vicious war in the countryside, between the Black and Tans and Collins' flying columns -- mind you, it does have him telling them to fight on their own terms, a central tactic in any unconventional (asymmetric) conflict -- it does have him emphasizing the need to capture arms to sustain the struggle. (Touched on later when his agents return from a hit, show him the newspaper headline, Detective Riddled With Bullets, and his angry reaction, " 'Riddled?' 'Riddled?!!' What're you goin' round riddlin' people for? 10 or 20 bullets when the one will do? ... They don't grow on trees!")
  
  This sort of conflict -- whether or not you want to call it "terrorist" -- does get argued out in the film, and not just as a depiction of a brutish military response by the Black and Tans. Eamonn de Valera is also shown as an advocate for the old conventional clash of arms, e.g., the attack on the Customs House, arguing against a Michael Collins wanting to "play by our own rules." The film rightly makes a central incident of the killing of the British detectives, for Collins seemed to have grasped that detectives, in an urban war, are not just combatants but central to this kind of conflict. Bloody Sunday, the day Michael Collins effectively blinded the British Secret Service, and a central sequence in this film, seems to have been a turning point, leaving the other side with nothing but the Black and Tans -- the sports-field reprisal was perhaps not historically accurate but as a metaphor it works. In a conflict like post-9/11 any intelligence -- police intelligence, financial intelligence, "names, addresses, clubs, society columns, where they bank, down to what they eat for breakfast," (Collins' comment) is crucial to success for such a movement. Or to hunting it down.
  
  In fairness to Julia Roberts, it's worth noting that she was hobbled by a peripheral role, subdued dialogue and the hideous fashions of the day -- not to mention the centrality of the friendship, and falling-out, of Harry Boland and Michael Collins. (She might have had a far meatier role if Mr. Jordan had cast her as the fiery rebel Countess Markiewicz, arguably the La Pasionaria of that day).
  
  DVD very much worth owning....more info
• One of the Finest Examples of Filmed History
  Neil Jordan always manages to make films that are edgy, pungent, and intensely accurate in defining the motivation of his characters ('The Crying Game', 'The Butcher Boy', 'The End of the Affair', etc) and in MICHAEL COLLINS Jordan has not only directed but also wrote a docudrama that stands with the finest. It is simply a major achievement in cinematic art.
  
  The brief life of Michael Collins (he was killed when he was but 31 years of age) completely changed the history of Ireland and the British rule of that country. Collins introduced the democracy of the Irish Republic and ended a long era of fighting and rebellion. A man of passionate convictions and mesmerizing idealism and compassion, Collins' memory is still regarded by both the Irish and the British as a 20th century hero.
  
  The brilliant script is placed in the exceptionally competent hands of Liam Neeson as Collins with top flight support from Stephan Rea, Aidan Quinn, Alan Rickman, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Charles Dance, and yes, even Julia Roberts! The fighting scenes are so well done they become artistic, due primarily to the constantly excellent cinematography by Chris Menges. Elliot Goldenthal's musical score (with some added moments by Sin¨¦ad O'Connor) not only enhances the film but stands alone as a fine orchestral work. Truly on of the best historic films ever released. Grady Harp, August 05 ...more info
• Michael Collins - long movie, but riveting for the entire duration!
  Intense and factual account of the start of the Real IRA and Ireland's revolutionary 20th century movement opposing occupation by England. Actors in this movie include Liam Neeson, Julia Roberts, Aidan Quinn, and Alan Rickman. Very well-done!...more info
• Powerful film
  This is an educational film for todays youth who are not famliar with Michael Collins. A piece of Irish history worth watching ...more info