Michael Collins



Michael Collins is a 1996 biopic about the eponymous Irish revolutionary. It was directed by Neil Jordan and starred Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman and Julia Roberts.

Set between 1916 and 1922 the story follows Michael Collins (Neeson) as he builds the Irish Republican Army into a fighting force capable of taking on the British Empire, and achieving independence for Ireland. While he eventually succeeds in driving the British Government to the bargaining table, the compromises that must be made serve to drive the Irish apart, and Collins finds himself at war with his own former comrades and friends.

The film has a slightly undeserved reputation for historical inaccuracy; while it does take certain liberties and definitely conflates certain characters, it doesn't approach the level of Braveheart. It also doesn't pretend to be remotely objective.

A huge hit in Ireland where the real life Collins is a national hero.


 * Artistic License: Inevitable, of course. Of particular note is the film's depiction of the Croke Park massacre on Bloody Sunday (the first one, that is).
 * Composite Character - The film version of Ned Broy is a mix of the real life Broy (who actually survived the war), David Neligan (who never got caught), and others.
 * Firing Squad - What the leaders of the Easter Rising get to face.
 * Foregone Conclusion - The film starts with Joe O'Reilly consoling Kitty over the death of Collins.
 * Grey and Grey Morality - After the British leave war breaks out between Collins' faction and the hard-line republicans. The film sympathises with Collins but his Irish opponents aren't totally demonised.
 * Great Escape - a minor one allowing de Valera to escape by using a wax mold of the prison key.
 * Historical Domain Character - Practically everyone (through Composite Character in some cases).
 * La Résistance - Until the Anglo-Irish Treaty is signed, Michael is always a member of, or leader of these.
 * Love Triangle - Between Michael, his best friend Boland, and Kitty.
 * Improvised Weapon - Collins' use of a flaming sod of turf and some empty rifles in order to obtain weapons from the RIC.
 * In Medias Res - The film begins when Kitty finds out that Michael is killed, it then flashes back six years.
 * Irish Revolution
 * Its Pronounced Tropay - His name is not Boy, it's Broy.
 * Meaningful Funeral - Collins' actual funeral and the fact that it was attended to by 500,000 people, 1/5th of the population of Ireland.
 * More Dakka - A minor one occurs with the killing of an RIC detective. When reading the papers about the incident, Collins calls his men out on it, telling them that bullets don't grow on trees and that "[they] did well, but go easy on the riddling."
 * Nice Hat - at the ceremony to take down the British flag Collins asks the British officer if he (Collins) gets the hat, too.
 * Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping - Roberts' accent is infamously bad. The common consensus is that Aidan Quinn's accent is also patchy at best, but you don't notice it because Roberts' is so much worse.
 * Rickman's occasionally slips too, if only slightly.
 * Oireland - Throughly averted.
 * Refuge in Audacity - One of the most wanted men in Ireland doesn't even bother with disguises while blithely cycling around Dublin. Truth in Television.
 * This is because Collins went to great pains to ensure that his face was never photographed, hence the English literally had no idea for whom they were looking. He finally revealed himself at the infamous treaty negotiations.
 * In the film the government agents are frustrated by the fact that the only photograph they have of him is from behind, with only half his face showing.
 * Reverse Mole - Broy.
 * Rousing Speech - Collins stumps for a candidate, turning the crowd to his favor he wins the position (even when as he says the man they would be voting for is in prison), gets attacked by Constabulary and persuades Broy to switch allegiances.
 * The Irish Question
 * The Revolution Will Not Be Vilified
 * The Troubles
 * Stiff Upper Lip - A rare villainous example: Soames faces his death with dignity.
 * In the film he's shown as not even seeing it coming, so...
 * Perhaps the intelligence officer in the park who prays before being shot was meant?