Michael Collins

Michael Collins (1996) is set in Ireland. The film opens with a flash-forward in 1922, as Joe O'Reilly attempts to console Kitty Kiernan, who is mourning the death of Michael Collins. As suggested by the title, the film is about Michael Collins, but more specifically about the role he played in the Irish revolution. The film is based on historic facts, but it is fiction, and therefore stylistic means are used for the sake of making the movie entertaining. Nevertheless, the film manages to be both funny and sad while dealing with a complex historic, events and persons.

the protagonist Michael Collins is played by Liam Neeson, while Alan Rickman is Eamon De Valera. The two leaders are both members of the Irish republican brotherhood, Valera is the president, Collins is head of several important sectors of the organization. for instance, he carries the title of Adjutant General of the IRA, and Director of Organization and Arms Procurement for the IRA. Both Valera and Collins are powerful men, and the main conflict of the movie, is the conflict between Valera and Collins. The conflict evolves around, Valera’s perception of Collins. He sees Collins as a threat, to his seat of power, and as Collins power in the film continues to grow, De Valera’s hostility toward Collins do so.

In 1916 when Collins where defeated in the Easter rising, he realized that the Irish had to fight another way, if they were to defeat the British. So he starts innovating the fighting style of the armed forces, he isn’t going to play by their “rules” as he says in a conversation with Harry after he is released from prison.
Collins changes his way of fighting for the Irish independence, in two ways. He starts the IRA with around a dozen men, that he teaches to fight with tactics similar to the ones used by modern urban guerrilla militias.

"you engage the enemy on nobody’s terms but your own"

The soldiers are told only to attack when they have the advantage, and they only engage in small scale engagements. Such as assassinations and ambushes.

Collins sees the importance of gathering intelligence from the enemy, as he makes clear in a conversation with Harry “ There is only one way to beat them then, we gotta know what they eat for breakfast” and throughout the film he gathers intelligence, that are used for assassinations, and for staying clear of the brits.
De Valera do not agree with the new way, as he thinks its damaging to the prestige of the Constitution of Ireland. Opposed to Collins he thinks that the army shall make large scale engagements, so that they remain a legitimate government in the eyes of the free world
“ De Valera; as you may know, we have had some communication from the British side. there is a slim possibility that they might want to talk. but our .-- tactics allow the British to paint us as murderers, if we are to negotiate as a legitimate government, our armed forces must act like a legitimate army. Collins; what exactly do you mean dev? Valera; i mean large scale engagements. Collins; you mean like in 1916? the great heroic failure.”
Valera also weights the recognition of the republic by president Wilson very important, while Collins thinks it is more important to fight the British effectively.

Collins; There is only one kind of force they understand, you know it ! and our job is at home" Valera; our job is where I say it is, and as the president of the Irish republic, I want recognition from the president of the united states"

All in all, the difference in the methods used by Collins and De Valera, is that De Valera finds international opinion of the pretending rebellion the most important, while Collins thinks that the only way to ensure Irish independence, is through forcing it out of their enemy with military force.

When Collins agrees to a treaty that includes giving up Northern Ireland and swearing allegiance to the crown, in the return of Ireland being constituted with self-governed Country. De Valera has an outrage on Collins, for agreeing without his council. Collins argues that it is a step toward the republic, and that he will only support if it is passed by the majority of the Fianna Fáil political party.
The treaty is passed by popular vote, and in response De Valera starts a Civil war, that splits the army, and the members of the party. The film portrays Collins as a man that shows empathy, for example when he dashes into the room shouting “is there any casualties repeatedly, after they had launched their first attack, when the British “go all out, or go out” policy is passed. on the contrary we don’t see De Valera showing concern for the wellbeing of his countrymen.

When the civil war breaks out, the film shows an excerpt of a speech hold by De Valera, he says “if it is only with civil war, that we can get our independence; then so be it.” Collins on the other hand is trying to negotiate peace with the Anti-treaty fraction. Paradoxically it is on the way home from a meeting that tried to remove the gun from Irish politics, that he is shot dead.

Collins didn’t want to fight his countrymen, and according to the movie he still loved De Valera, even after they began fighting each other.
“He was my chief always I would have followed him to hell if he had asked, and maybe I did.” Collins

Michael Collins 1996; is a tribute to Michael Collins effort under the Irish revolution, that fueled the debate about De Valera being involved in the planning, of the assault on Collins patrol.