Resurrection Man

From my perspective, this is an underrated film, although it must be acknowledged that if we consider it as part of the crime genre, it does not work very well and fails as the personal story of the main character, mainly because the screenwriter and director do not reveal much about him. However, it does function excellently as a film that explores the phenomenon of violence, its roots, its support within the system, and the failure of the repressive forces. In this respect, it suits me much better than Cronenberg's A History of Violence, which I recently watched. The plot is set in Northern Ireland, torn by sectarian violence between Protestants and Catholics. A group of young men, somewhat excessively equipped with testosterone, would likely engage in pub brawls or on football stadiums under normal circumstances, but due to the given conditions, the boys can indulge in the maximum satisfaction of their aggressive impulses through kidnappings and torture of members of the other community. The film is valuable precisely in terms of depicting the buck-passing of the surroundings and family members. The testimony of the mother, who unquestioningly admires her son, is chilling. And the cause of the main character's peculiar brutality is also well portrayed. He must assert his position within the group because he has a serious criminal record. His father belongs to the opposing religion, making him somewhat of an enemy. Overall impression: 70%. (20/01/2010)