’71 (15)
Directed by Yann Damange
4 stars

IN 1971 the Tories forced through the Industrial Relations Act to thwart the TUC’s mounting militancy during the general crisis of capitalism.

It was a period when the Heath government took on the miners, dockers and building workers, losing out to the dockers and being beaten by the miners from 1972-74.

Meanwhile in Northern Ireland, garrisons were strengthened after the battle of Bloody Sunday in 1971 following a civil rights march led by, among others, communist women Madge Davidson, Betty Sinclair and Edwina Stewart.

It was subsequently proved that, despite employing agents provocateurs, the powers-that-be relied on some of the “provos” splitting the IRA after they proposed to forsake the armed struggle and join the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association.

The history’s significant since, if you’re unaware of it, you might just feel as confused as the soldiers in this film as they’re told that they’re fighting in “defence” of their home.

’71 tells the story of new recruit Private Gary Hook (Jack O’Connell), a young British soldier who gets accidentally left behind by his fellows after a skirmish with rioters on the Belfast streets.

Not knowing who’s a friend and who’s the “enemy,” he has to get through the night on his own in a hostile environment and find his way to safety.

The plot twists bring to mind the film Odd Man Out which saw James Mason as an IRA robber being shot and making his way through war-torn Belfast to seek safety.

Yet the difference with that 1947 film is that it’s not beyond the realms of possibility for Hook to survive, given the British army had more than half the Orange areas on their side.

Hook is duly rescued by a pugnacious boy, who gets him into their side of the Falls Road before he’s hurled into the unknown when a bomb explodes.

Running the gauntlet between contending factions, Hook experiences the full range of  human emotions from fear to courage.

Yann Damange cleverly choreographs the cinematography to emphasise the circular confusion — it’s evident we’re possibly witnessing another tragedy — in what’s a pertinent parable.  Hook’s experience symbolises how troops were being trained for urban control in Britain, as became clear in succeeding years.

While not in the same league as Paul Greengrass’s docudrama Bloody Sunday, ’71 does provide a reminder that hatred is corrosive.