Michael Collins plays a crucial role in the establishment of the Irish Free State in the 1920s, but becomes vilified by those hoping to create a completely independent Irish republic.
| Tagline | Ireland, 1916. His Dreams Inspired Hope. His Words Ignited Passion. His Courage Forged A Nation's Destiny. |
| Release Date: | Oct 25, 1996 |
| Genres: | War, Drama, Thriller, History |
| Production Company: | Geffen Pictures, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland |
| Production Countries: | Ireland, United Kingdom, United States of America |
| Casts: | Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea, Alan Rickman, Julia Roberts, Ian Hart, Brendan Gleeson, Stuart Graham, Sean McGinley, Gerard McSorley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers |
| Status: | Released |
| Budget: | $25000000 |
| Revenue: | 16900000 |
Like many such epics, _Michael Collins_ is melodramatic and partial, about a past all too present. But much of the critical hostility it received/s is for offending popular pieties, imperial or republican, no less prejudiced. Jordan wrestled with historiography and moral complexity in writing his screenplay. He understood that any historical account involves selection and even distortion, not least to persuade producers and sell tickets. Ultimately, however, the period and place are too complex for Jordan to explain or Collins to contain: its violence is too roughly contextualized, its framing too hagiographical, and its characterization of De Valera too broad.
