Fifty Dead Men Walking
In 1988 Belfast, the Brits occupied the streets, the IRA waged an insurgent war, and the innocent were caught in the crossfire. The Irish civil conflict was at its most treacherous, and the British police were recruiting. They brought on 22-year-old Martin McGartland to infiltrate and spy on the IRA. Martin lived his life under constant threat of exposure, torture, and death, yet he continued because the information he collected saved lives. He pegs the intelligence agent tracking IRA activities in Belfast, Fergus (Sir Ben Kingsley), as an ideal informant and knows exactly how to wheedle Fergus’ cooperation. Martin enjoyed the buzz from his job until he was discovered and had to escape against all odds. Fifty Dead Men Walking captures the character of the Northern Irish “troubles” with great sensitivity while creating a film that is almost unbearably suspenseful. To watch Martin battle over life-and-death matters with his handler is to understand, on a profound level, how this is the most personal of wars. The real McGartland claims the information he passed on saved at least 50 lives. Today, he still lives in hiding. Director Kari Skogland expected to attend both screenings
Sponsor:
Alaska Airlines
Cast & Crew
Director: Kari Skogland
Producer: Peter La Terriere, Kari Skogland, Stephen Hegyes, Shawn Williamson
Editor: Jim Munro
Screenwriter: Kari Skogland, inspired by the book by Martin McGartland and Nicholas Davies
Cinematographer: Jonathan Freeman
Music: Ben Mink
Principal Cast: Sir Ben Kingsley, Jim Sturgess, Kevin Zegers, Nathalie Press, Rose McGowan
Filmography: The Stone Angel (2007); Chicks with Sticks (2004); Liberty Stands Still (2002); Men with Guns (1997); The Size of Watermelons (1996)
World Sales: Handmade Films International
Average rating:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
(2 reviews)
user reviews
-
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Brilliant, Jun 14, 2009
By Mimi Noyes
“Wow. This film is FABULOUS. Haven't decided yet if I think it is the best film of the festival, but it is easily in the top four or five. It is based on the true story of Martin, an Irishman who chooses to infiltrate the IRA and spy on them from the inside in the hopes of saving lives. This”
… full review
-
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Needs subtitles, Jun 14, 2009
By Shel Kaphan
“The film is very good, but the Irish accents are so thick that I could only pick out about 20% of the dialog. That was enough to follow the story but still frustrating. It's possible the audio mix also contributed to the difficulties. I look forward to watching it again on DVD with English”
… full review
-
