Movie Belfast was a difficult watch at times

Last week my husband and I went to the cinema for the first time in over two years.

Before the pandemic, I wouldn’t say that we were regular cinema goers, but when a particular film sparks our interest, it’s something we like to do.

Since we hadn’t been for some time, we decided to splash out, so we went to the Everyman cinema in Princess Square in Glasgow, where they have plush sofas and waiter service.

The particular film which sparked our interest was Belfast, which is directed by Kenneth

Branagh and based on his early childhood experience of growing up in Belfast in the late 1960s. The film begins in 1969 with the onset of the troubles and follows a young family through some very difficult years. I won’t give away any spoilers, but I’m sure we can all imagine that it’s a difficult watch at times.

I was about the same age in 1969 as the main child character in the film, so it was particularly poignant for me. Judy Dench plays the part of the grandmother, and the fashions she wore reminded me very much of my own grandmother, particularly her hats and her housecoat which she wore to do her housework.

My husband resonated with the dinky cars which the boy played with, remembering how he used to store them in the same case as the boy in the film had. It was a real trip down memory lane with the fashions and music of the time.

Nothing however can mask the horror of what went on in the city at that time. The film begins with a scene of terror, where cars are burned, and people are attacked. Throughout the film the levels of aggression and violence are shocking, especially when seen through the eyes of a young child. It’s even more shocking that all of this happened in the name of religion.

It is estimated that more than 3500 people died during the years of conflict, and last Sunday was the 50th anniversary of the Bogside massacre, or Bloody Sunday as it is known, where 26 unarmed civilians were shot by British soldiers.

We cannot begin to image the scars which have been left on so many people’s lives due to what they experienced. Again, even more shocking that all of this happened in the name of religion.

Last Sunday in church, our Bible passage was from 1 Corinthians 13, a passage which speaks about love.

It’s most often used at wedding ceremonies, but it has something powerful to say to each one of us.

For it says that if we do not have love as our driving force, then we are nothing. It doesn’t matter how much faith we have, or how many good deeds we do, or even if we give all we possess to the poor.

All of these are worth nothing if we do not have love. What a world it would be, if everyone followed that principle!