I had the pleasure of watching another brilliant Irish documentary at the Galway Film Fleadh, Congo: An Irish Affair which investigated the Irish peacekeeping mission in the Congo in the 60s. The Irish were part of the United Nations Force sent into to quell rebellion and civil war in the face of the disintegration of colonization. Beyond my surprise at the revelation that Belgium used to be a tough little bastard of a country, the story had a number of parallels to US military operations in the present and not so distant past.
Taking a relatively straightforward approach, the filmmakers mixed a combination of raw archival and news footage with various media, including newspaper and radio broadcasts of the day, to weave a complex tapestry for their film. Congo: An Irish Affair avoided the problem many historical docs do in relying too heavily upon narration to move the film's exploration and narrative along. There's nothing worse than having a great film ruined by bad exposition through voiceover.
In addition to the excellent archival footage, (from a variety of sources, including the BBC, Belgian and American outlets) very personal and often poignant interviews with a number of veterans were included to added a much needed personal touch to the proceedings.
Before I delve into the subject matter more in depth, I did want to make one stylistic critique. During the interviews, which were set against the backdrop of the UN armament used by the Irish soldiers during their mission in the Congo, the camera would often take a long shot and swivel around the veterans being interviewed. The direction was unneeded and rather puzzling and set me off against the film at points. Here we have a veteran of a vicious and cruel military action, (both for the rebels and the peacekeeping forces) detailing intimate and sometimes painful memories of what went on, and the camera shot and ensuing movement often destroyed that mood. It was counterintuitive. Could the camera have not turned in slightly on a tight close-up, or even just zoomed in on the eyes a la Errol Morris? The effect was jarring and disconcerting, mostly because I was so totally engrossed in the film that it distracted from my enjoyment of it.
That said, the film was great. Most interesting to me was the humility of the men interviewed, not a surprise considering my experiences in Ireland and from a number of films and media we have consumed during the course.
I don't think it's by accident. I think a trope of Irish humility has emerged in a number of films, bolstered by my expectations for it from my dealings within Irish society. When Mrs. Martin's son was relaying his experiences in national judo tournaments and competitions as well as a few anecdotes about his proficiency in local trivia contests while watching a game show at his mother's house, she chastised him for being a braggart, a clear social faux pas in Ireland. Alan is well into his 40s, and here's his mother chiding him for boasting!
Hush-A-Bye Baby had a number of instances where boastfulness was chided, as did Butcher Boy, in a far more cruel and hurtful manner naturally. This isn't quite developed in thinking for me, true, but I do think there's something to this line of thought. If Irish society decries boastfulness, which in a sense is a by-product of being special, or extraordinary in some talent or facet of life, does Irish culture then bemoan those who strive to be different and in effect, special? Are kids hammered from an early age, as they are in Japan, to avoid being special? To avoid being outside the lines of normality?
Unfortunately, I'm writing this on the plane ride from Charlotte to Chicago, so querying an Irishmen at this point to analyze it further is nigh impossible, but I think a film like Congo: An Irish Affair lends credibility to the origin of my inquiry. The men interviewed refused to take credit for a job well-done. They showed solidarity in their praise of their commanding officers and even in their resolve to complete what was in most ways a no-win mission. Some bemoaned the view many outside their battalion held at the time and the public perception that they somehow failed. They bristled at the notion their withdrawal was viewed as a retreat, based in part by no loss of life in their unit. No one died, everyone came home, and treaties were signed. Why wasn't that a job well done?
Like many I spoke with after the film agreed, it was a job well-done and hopefully Congo: An Irish Affair will correct a misfortunate perception.
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