Watch In the Name of the Father

In the Name of the Father is a powerful and emotional drama from director Jim Sheridan, based on the true story of the Guildford Four, a group of innocent Irish people who were wrongly convicted of a terrorist bombing in England in the 1970s. The film stars Daniel Day-Lewis in a career-defining role as Gerry Conlon, a young Irishman from Belfast who is caught up in the web of injustice that led to his imprisonment.

The film begins in Northern Ireland in the early 1970s, as Gerry and his friend Paul Hill (played by John Lynch) attempt to evade the police during a riot. The scene is chaotic and violent, and the sense of tension is palpable. Gerry and Paul are eventually caught and charged with the bombing of a pub in Guildford, England, even though they had nothing to do with it. The men are subjected to brutal interrogations by the police, who use physical and psychological torture to extract false confessions from them.

Gerry's father, Giuseppe Conlon (played by Pete Postlethwaite), comes to England to support his son and help him fight the charges. But Giuseppe is also falsely accused of being involved in the bombing, and he too is sent to prison. The scenes of Giuseppe's imprisonment are heart-wrenching, as he becomes increasingly frail and ill, and Gerry is unable to help him. The relationship between Gerry and his father is at the heart of the film, and the performances by Day-Lewis and Postlethwaite are extraordinary.

Alison Crosbie plays Gareth Peirce, the lawyer who takes on the case of the Guildford Four and fights tirelessly to prove their innocence. Peirce is a strong and compassionate character, and Crosbie's performance is nuanced and moving. The scenes of Peirce working to unravel the web of lies and corruption that led to the wrongful convictions are gripping and intense.

The film is not just a powerful drama, but also a condemnation of the British legal system and its treatment of Irish people in the 1970s. The scenes of Gerry and Giuseppe being interrogated and imprisoned are a stark reminder of the injustices that were committed against innocent people in the name of national security. The film is also a tribute to the strength and resilience of the human spirit, as Gerry and his father fight to clear their names and be reunited with their families.

In the Name of the Father is a must-see film that will leave a lasting impression on anyone who watches it. The performances are outstanding, the direction is masterful, and the story is both heart-breaking and inspiring. It is a testament to the power of cinema to tell important stories and shed light on the darkest aspects of human nature.

In the Name of the Father is a 1993 drama with a runtime of 2 hours and 13 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 8.1 and a MetaScore of 84.