Bloody Sunday

Greengrass's account of the memorable Bloody Sunday of 30 January 1972 is remarkable not in the facts he presents to the viewer (after all, this painful blemish on British politics is widely known in Western Europe and many documentaries have been made about it), but in the form in which it is presented. Greengrass's evocative direction, backed by nervous, jittery camerawork, successfully gives the viewer the impression that they are not watching a film reconstruction, but a documentary recording of one of the participants in the demonstration. I would argue that the main idea of the film is the words of the organiser of the demonstration at a press conference on the same day that 27 people stained Irish soil with their blood: “I just want to say this to the British Government... You know what you've just done, don't you? You've destroyed the civil rights movement, and you've given the IRA the biggest victory it will ever have. All over this city tonight, young men... boys will be joining the IRA, and you will reap a whirlwind.” 4 1/2 *. (02/11/2005)

Incredibly intense. In the center of the action, Greengrass presents us with a bloody reflection of reality. A drizzly Derry, dynamic camerawork, precise James Nesbitt (a goodie who doesn’t slip into cliché is like gold dust these days) and realistic action. The strange editing style goes against modern approaches, but the fade-outs work perfectly. Political points to the IRA. - Listen, you can’t just leave them lying around her like pieces of meat! - There’s no room for them ! (10/08/2015)

A highly evocative and uncomfortable spectacle that digs deep into the skin with its authenticity and low-budget execution. After it was over I was furious and couldn't believe what people are capable of and the injustices they can tolerate, which was precisely the intention of the director. It's not a particularly gripping film and with the exception of the last act nothing much happens, but WHAT and especially HOW it happens afterwards clearly overwhelms everything and in the end it's the viewer who Greengrass gives the K.O. to, perfectly imprinting his vision of what really happened back then – I wish it had never happened. 4 and 1/2 stars. (02/04/2013)

A film about human rights, which don't simply fall from the sky, even in the oldest European democracy. Practically everything - the performances, expressive techniques, and editing - is subordinated to a documentary approach, as if we were watching archival television footage of a demonstration. The shaky camera moves from place to place, creating the impression of a war reporter's work. This is an example of a politically engaged film, based on a true event. Overall impression: 85%. (12/07/2006)

An impressively crafted “documentary”, extremely raw and sparingly shot. It’s not wonder that after this, they watned Paul Greengrass for Bourne, where unlike Bloody Sunday he had an attractive movie cover of a fictional hero, so it was fun, because this film, from a cinema point of view, is not fun, it's excruciatingly long and extremely volatile. As a probe into history, it is impressive, and as far as its narrative value is concerned, there is nothing to complain about. But to make it into a nearly two-hour film, with a cameraman bouncing around the set most of the time with a handheld camera, that's a living hell. (24/09/2017)