Bloody Sunday

Theatrical Release Date: 2002 10 04 (USA - Limited)

UPC: 097363412946

Studio: Paramount

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Profanity]

Summary: Paul Greengrass (The Theory of Flight) wrote and directed this powerful look at January 30, 1972 -- better known as "Bloody Sunday." Ivan Cooper (James Nesbitt) attempts to organize a peaceful protest after Protestant leaders imprison Catholics without a trial. His actions conflict with hard-line IRA members who have no interest in a "peaceful" response, as well as the military men responsible for keeping the peace who are led by Major General Robert Ford (Tim Pigott-Smith) and Brigadier Patrick Maclellan (Nicholas Farrell). By the end of the day, the military will fire on the protestors and kill 13 people. The events of this day still haunt the peace process in Ireland. Bloody Sunday was screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: World Cinema Audience Award – Sundance Film Festival Golden Berlin Bear – Berlin International Film Festival Golden Bear – Berlin International Film Festival Freedom of Expression Award – National Board of Review Best Foreign Film – Independent Spirit Awards

Features: cc"Bloody Sunday: History Retold" - interviews with the cast and crew
"Bloody Sunday: Ivan Cooper Remembers" - interview with the real Ivan Cooper as well as James Nesbitt, the actor who portrays him
Commentary by writer/director Paul Greengrass and actor James Nesbitt
Commentary by co-producer Don Mullan, writer of the original book, "Eyewitness Bloody Sunday"
Widescreen version enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs
Dolby Digital: English 5.1 Surround (domestic theatrical version), English 5.1 Surround (original U.K. theatrical version)
English subtitles

Bloody Sunday

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 04/22/2003

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 110 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. Internment Without Trial
2. Maximum Aggression
3. The Question of Guns
4. Major General Ford
5. To Avoid Confrontation
6. One Day We Can Be Normal
7. The March Begins
8. "Aggro" Corner
9. Escalation
10. A Belief in Nonviolence
11. The Soldiers Open Fire
12. Finding "Justification"
13. 13 Dead
14. Statements
15. Truth and Shame
16. End Credits

Josh Ralske

Paul Greengrass' Bloody Sunday has been a film festival favorite, and received a good deal of critical praise, but despite the importance of the subject matter and the visceral power of Greengrass' filmmaking, the film is far from flawless. Greengrass has cited Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers as an inspiration for his film, the earlier film's influence is evident in Bloody Sunday's v?rit? style and his use of non-actors in many of the smaller roles. Greengrass' background as a documentarian is also evident in the film's use of handheld camera and a chaotically realistic sound mix. But the film's considered approach to its subject matter is too calm and thoughtful for agitprop, and the thinness of its characterizations makes it a failure as straight drama. In the film, the actual massacre is perpetrated, for the most part, on nameless, faceless characters, in the style of the opening battle sequence in Saving Private Ryan. But Spielberg's decision to begin his depiction of a huge war with carnage amid anonymous soldiers is much more understandable than Greengrass' decision not to differentiate among the 13 unfortunate victims of this much smaller-scaled tragedy. His decision to inflate the role of Ivan Cooper (James Nesbitt), the Protestant politician and civil rights leader who helped organize what was supposed to be a peaceful march that day, is questionable, particularly as it takes time away from the everyday residents of Derry who should be the film's real story. The film has an undeniable immediacy, and is still a powerful indictment of the British government's actions on that day, and in response to the incident. But one can't help but feel that it could have been something more. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Paul Greengrass  Director 
Paul Greengrass  Screenwriter 
Dominic Muldowney  Composer (Music Score) 
Jim Sheridan  Executive Producer 
Arthur Lappin  Executive Producer 
Paul Trijbits  Executive Producer 
Pippa Cross  Executive Producer 
Tristan Whalley  Executive Producer 
Rod Stoneman  Executive Producer 
Mark Redhead  Producer 
James Nesbitt  Actor 
Tim Pigott-Smith  Actor 
Nicholas Farrell  Actor 
Gerard McSorley  Actor 
Kathy Kiera Clarke  Actor 
Allan Gildea  Actor 
Gerard Crossan  Actor 
Mary Moulds  Actor 
Carmel McCallion  Actor 
Declan Duddy  Actor 
Joanne Lindsay  Actor 
Simon Mann  Actor 
Christopher Villiers  Actor 
Mike Edwards  Actor 

Country: UK,Ireland