Power of films in peacebuilding: The good war formula in the film Michael Collins

As an advocate and believer of international peacebuilding, I believe that films have the power to shape my ideas on peace and conflict. The influence of films is undeniably rooted in the pervasiveness of popular culture in our society. A walk on the streets of San Jose would present the high popularity and profitable business of selling "pirated" digital films. This scene and long lines and stalls of film vendors are no different from the streets of Manila where I come from.

I have a deep interest in films that appeal to nationalist or patriotic sentiments. Michael Collins released in 1996 does fall into this category. It is a story of an Irish hero who inspired and led a revolutionary struggle for independence against the British empire. He was assassinated by a young patriot. He died without seeing the Irish Republic, a dream he would have loved to see. In the book The Hollywood War Machine (2007), Boggs and Pollard portrayed the hero, Michael Collins, as the same as the "warrior champions" who exemplify the virtues of "tenacity, tough-mindedness, honor, selflessness, nobility, and of course patriotism."

My fascination of patriotic films hinges on my belief that it is noble to fight for independence under a colonizing power. I believe in the self-determination rule as a better set-up for separatist ethnic groups. The film has traces of the good war formula by Boggs and Pollard. Indeed in the film, the conflict is projected as noble, imperative and heroic. The executions of the atrocious British spies are depicted as necessary to advance the cause of independence.

Also, the film is about the fight between good (Irish as the freedom fighter) and evil (British as the occupier). The scene on the football field where the British soldiers suddenly emerged and randomly shot the Irish spectators creates an evil image on the British soldiers. Another feature that makes the film fits into the good war formula is that the story is typically about (white) male heroism. The actor that played Michael Collins is Liam Neeson who has a reputation of playing hero in the movies Rob Roy, Schindler's List, and Star Wars.

As a biographical and epic film, Michael Collins, how historically authentic is the film? I think this is the biggest challenge for any biographical films that are based in real people, places, time and events. According to Scott (2002) on his From Heroism to Obscurity: A Critique of Michael Collins, he indicated that the film was very accurate and did not romanticize the events and characters.

I am glad to know that the film is truthfully done. The dramatic licenses invoked by the director who is an Irish could be seen as fashionable formula for Hollywood and commercial movies. The inclusion of bankable movie stars such as Liam Neeson, Julia Roberts, Aidan Quinn, Allan Rickman, and Stephen Rea is to attract moviegoers to watch the film. The romantic flavor between the hero and a lady gives the story a human touch. It adds to the drawing power of the film.

However, the main objective of the film, to my mind, is the introduction and presentation of the life of a real Irish hero who is not widely and popularly known in the world and the historical narrative of Irish independence from Britain. I think the film has succeeded in this respect while not compromising with the authenticity of the events, places, and people depicted in the film itself. This is aside from the good war formula that most Hollywood war movies follow.