Kneecap-Rich Peppiatt

Kneecap is one of the rare instances in my cinematic attendance history where I had over-appraised a movie.

The story, about a trio of hedonistic party animals one generation removed from Northern Irish parents that had endured the ethno-nationalist battles of their youth and bound together by the inherited spirit of independence to form a hip-hop group, unexpectedly blew me away.

So moved was I by this film that, immediately when I left the theater, I sent kites out via text to my closest friends that they needed to drop everything and run to their nearest cinema and see the story of Kneecap.

It was a story of rebellion and uncompromised integrity that I found to be extremely admirable.

The nucleus of Kneecap is the lingering embers of Troubles era Ireland, where pure Irish Gaelic dialect, and those who still speak the antiquated language, are frowned upon with distaste. But best friends in drugs, Liam and Naoise don't care. In their eyes, their parents didn't suffer at the front lines of oppression simply to let their native tongue dissolve in favor of the Queen's language. So far as they are concerned, they don't even know the bitch.

Through fate's natural weaving, they meet their surrogate father of the trio, JJ, an Irish music teacher, and they form a rap group that is heavily laden with rogue political positions and anti-establishment sentiment, all while enduring pressure and attacks from both compromised rebel factions and police squads looking to shut them down.

***

I must admit, even after having watched Kneecap, my understanding of the civil unrest that has plagued Ireland for the better part of 60+ years is still a little foggy. I have seen The Crying Game and understood that to be the backdrop of that film, and a little bit of another film, In The Name of the Father, that is also based upon the same Irish turmoil. But I still have yet to read deeply into what the seeds of conflict are.

What I gathered from Wikipedia is that it all stems from the largely Protestant movement that wished for the island to get with the times and join the United Kingdom, where England is undoubtedly the king of the dominion, and the Irish-Catholic Republican loyalists that reject such membership into the United Kingdom as a form of betraying their heritage, and instead wish for the island to remain independent as one. As a means of suppressing the Nationalist protests, Northern Ireland called upon their allies, the British government and a fleet of British police arrived to back up their imperialist pals and 38 years of fighting raged on.

This is an extreme skim over the history of Ireland's unrest, and my sincerest apologies to anyone that this may have offended by butchering the facts, but for the most part it makes sense as to the backdrop of the movie.

Why joining the United Kingdom is such a big deal to merit the car bombs and guerilla warfare that followed, is beyond me. But lest I lived in those places and times, I am pretty sure that it is tough to comprehend the passion of the country and culture that was involved.

As a proud Republican though, I sympathize with the plight of the Irish Republicans who felt the selling off of their country as a blatant theft of their identity. Similar battles are being waged here in America, albeit in much subtler ways of conflict, which is mostly contained to online forums as opposed to the street. The current dueling of conservatives in our country who wish to preserve our way of life and history against progressive elements that view the posterity of our country with disdain and believe all of our ideals to be founded upon deceit and theft is a very potent conflict. Personally, I feel as if the underlying motives of Marxism are worming their way into the minds of a confused populace to masquerade as progress, when, in fact, it induces nothing but confusion and regression where well-intentions and good motives once were.

But, on the other hand, the exorbitant swindling of Native Americans and pitiful placating gift of reservations and casino licenses is an irrefutable fact that most proud Americans prefer to sweep under the rug. So it isn't as if I can dismiss all progressive ideals universally as wokely deformed and ludicrous.

A movie authored in allegiance to heritage under siege like Kneecap is very important in modern times, especially as we, in the United States, see the political scales in a virtual deadlock.

Fun movie. Good Hip Hop. Amusing drug use and creative storytelling. The acting by first-time thespians playing themselves was very impressive and Michael Fassbender was top-notch as always.

I originally had this film at five stars but deduced a half for the Instagram embracement of anti-semitism and participation in US political mudslinging. Which lost a lot of respect from me as a fan—both of their stances and their lack of intellect.

Stars: ****1/2

Verdict: Watch

Cousins: 24 Hour Party People, Dances With Wolves, The Crying Game, The Patriot, Suburbia