At times, our world today feels as if it’s on the precipice of completely splintering. People feel more separated than they have in a long time with a growing number of people in the United States feeling as if separation is the best course of action for the future of their country. The perils of a society at war with itself are manifold and famed actor/director Kenneth Branagh crafted a film during the stressful period of COVID-19 quarantine exploring what such a time feels like for a young boy growing up amidst intra-societal strife.
Belfast follows an extended family in 1960s Belfast, Northern Ireland through the eyes of nine-year-old Buddy (Jude Hill) as he navigates his young life amidst a neighborhood that has suddenly turned into a smoldering pot destined to boil over. His stable and loving community now has neighbor turned against neighbor as tensions between Protestants and Catholics have boiled over and everything he thought he understood about life is changed forever as his Ma (Caitriona Balfe) and Pa (Jamie Dornan) decide what to do with their family’s future.
Belfast is a family drama in every sense of the word, complete with the laugh out loud highs and maddening, argumentative lows that come with raising a family anywhere in the world under any circumstances. Branagh is able to deftly handle the varying tones in this type of film, particularly with such heavy subject matter and intense backdrop, giving it a very realistic and therefore emotionally impactful feel. Belfast switches between funny, sad, and anxiety-inducing, in a way that keeps you engaged and immersed in the film. The family’s attempt to go on with life as normal despite things quickly deteriorating into any but, forcing Ma and Pa to make tough decisions about the future quickly creates a level of sympathy that pulls the audience in closer, connecting them with the characters and investing them in the outcome. What you ultimately get is a realistic glimpse of family life during a tough time with characters whose shoes you may have found yourself in at one point in time.
While Belfast is set an era long passed, what gives it such thematic weight as a film is how powerfully relevant and topical it is when compared to the state of certain western societies today, particularly my home country of the United States. The neighborhood which we’re invited into onscreen is one where neighbors are pitted against one another based upon religious identity, despite any longstanding relationships they may have or how long they’ve lived next to one another without any issue. Branagh uses tense moments of one-to-one intimidation between neighborhood tough guy turned Protestant mob organizer Billy Clanton (Colin Morgan) and Pa interspersed between sudden explosive neighborhood riots to effectively convey the confusion and powder keg environment that eventually spirals into intense violence spurred on by prolonged polarization between groups within societies that is allowed to fester. The immense pressure this puts upon Buddy’s family is a dramatic depiction of an all too real and common occurrence that puts families at risk, forcing them to flee their homes and countries of birth, while destabilizing entire nations. Audiences are being both warned and entertained simultaneously with the semi-autobiographical story forcing us to think the direction our own world is headed in. By depicting a previous conflict that is only two generations removed from our own time in such an impactful way through well developed characters that command empathy from the audience, Belfast is given additional emotional weight that makes the film that much more compelling and bolsters an already impressive script and ensemble cast.
The film’s main actors are all ones viewers will immediately recognize from other projects and illustrious careers, but the first standout in a cast full of them is newcomer and now 11 year old Jude Hill. The charming and precocious young boy faced a tall task in his feature film acting debut, taking on a leading role in a fun, but emotional film based on the life of its director. Hill nails his performance with aplomb becoming the perfect set of innocent young eyes through which to view a tumultuous world and time with all of the naivete you’d expect from a child. In him, the audience is able to get a sense of how it is to live in a world with which you still retain some familiarity, but is changing fast in ways you do not understand and perhaps may not be ready for. Jamie Dornan and Caitriona Balfe are superb as Pa and Ma, giving us the adult perspective on what it’s like to be in the midst of a society at the brink of intense conflict and separation. Their emotional performances provide the conflict and drama that give weight to the film’s theme. Ciaran Hinds and Dame Judi Dench round out the main ensemble as Pop and Granny, giving Belfast it’s sweetness and hope that no matter where the conflict takes the family, they will survive and overcome the tough times ahead.
Belfast will make you laugh, make you cry, make you think, and overall have an enjoyable and wondrous time at the movies. Director Kenneth Branagh has crafted a fantastic piece of art that grabs you from the opening frame and never lets go, even after the story has long concluded. The black and white cinematography is at once artistic and immersive, transporting you back to 1960s Belfast and Branagh’s inclusion of various cinema and music of the time is a nice touch that further cements the lens of its young protagonist and will tickle cinephiles as they watch. The ensemble cast are also gems, beginning with newcomer Jude Hill. There are five Oscar contenders among them so it shouldn’t be a shock if multiple nominations follow. Simply put, this is one of the year’s best films.
Image: Focus Features
