Loach's Spanish Civil War epic is a stirring piece of political cinema.
Its take on history is intelligent, complex, nuanced - but it's the
passionate performances that make it breathe. Hart plays an
idealistic Scouser who signs up to fight on the Republican side, and
gets drawn into an increasingly murky conflict, where in-fighting and
betrayal destroy innocent conviction. The battle scenes are
brilliantly handled, conveying a real sense of panic - but even the
debates on collectivisation have a fierce urgency which puts the 1990s
to shame.
