Land and Freedom **** (1995, Ian Hart, Rosana Pastor, Icíar Bollaín) – Classic Movie Review 6154

Director Ken Loach’s British 1995 Spanish Civil War wartime drama stars Ian Hart as David Carr, an unemployed Liverpool communist-supporter who leaves to join the anti-Fascist fight in Spain in the spring of 1936.

He joins a militia group, is wounded, and links up with another band in Barcelona.

Written by Jim Allen, it is a depressing story, but it is a brilliantly committed, ambitious and convincing piece of film-making from director Loach. And Allen’s screenplay is an impressive labour of love.

Land and Freedom is an important film, and it contains one of Hart’s best performances, too.

Also in the cast are Rosana Pastor, Icíar Bollaín, Tom Gilroy, Marc Martinez, Frédéric Pierrot and Angela Clarke.

It is shot by Barry Ackroyd, produced by Rebecca O’Brien and scored by George Fenton.

Ever properly respected in France, Ken Loach won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes Film Festival 1995, tied with Ulysses’ Gaze (1995), and he won the Best Foreign Film award at the César Awards, France 1996.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6154

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