Rocky Road To Dublin

Rocky Road To Dublin is a documentary about Ireland in the '60s that I first saw at a screening during undergrad. It's more than worth watching for many reasons, and essential viewing if you have any interest in Ireland. Not only does it strike at the heart of the romantic Irish myth that permeates culture today, but it uses many techniques of the French New Wave - both interesting visually and substantively. The repression in the country at the time is palpable, and despite some heavy-handed commentary, the theme of forsaken revolution still remains relevant. You've seen the caricature of Ireland - so check out how it really was.

Furthermore, the film was banned in Ireland for 30 years and its screening at Cannes in 1968 was shut down in sympathy with the May '68 strikes. So that's kind of cool. Also, for geek appeal, you've got cameos by John Huston, Truffaut, and Godard. And Godard's the villain. Heh.

Unfortunately, Youtube's quality limitations trashes much of the film's nuance, but it at least gives you a taste of what the film's all about and whether you should take the trouble to import the DVD.

Film Proper:
Part 1/7 - Part 2/7 - Part 3/7 - Part 4/7 - Part 5/7 - Part 6/7 - Part 7/7

Making Of:
Part 1/3 - Part 2/3 - Part 3/3

Once

[+]

- Like a teleporter back to Dublin

- Nearly completely diegetic music [nice, for a musical]

- Utterly adorable Czech girl

[-]

- A bit simple minded, even for a really inexpensively made film

- Kind of super sweet-cute; Care Bears on Grafton Street

- Songs can drag on without diverse images to sustain them [streets of Dublin are only so interesting]

RIYL: Irish "tings," high sugar tolerance, indie rock musicals