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Say Nothing - Miniseries
8.5
Karzal gives Say Nothing - Miniseries a 8.5.

Say Nothing - Miniseries

It's better to say nothing in Say Nothing.
Say Nothing is a reflection of an extremely turbulent time in Northern Ireland. Better known as The Troubles, the Catholics are fighting with the Protestants for power. The latter is supported by the British armed forces. Over the years the battle becomes increasingly grim. The Irish Republican Army is using increasingly heavy means. London also appears not to be safe.

The intense and brutal battle follows the sisters Dolours and Marian Price, among others. They grow up in a family where sympathy for the struggle of the IRA is very high. It starts with peaceful marches against oppression, but both sisters are soon seduced into more violence. Although it was not common at that time for women to take an active role in battle, Dolours and Marian ended up in the middle of the fighting.

Say Nothing
© Hulu


There they meet the very combative Brendan Hughes. His group is known for being successful but also very violent in their fight against the British forces. In this television series, Gerry Adams is also given a central place in the organization of the I.R.A. He is one of the silent forces behind the struggle. Each episode it is pointed out that Gerry himself never confessed to taking part in the battle. Nor that he played any role in the organization of the I.R.A. However, he has become active in the political arena by being a prominent leader of Sinn Féin. This party is widely seen as the political arm of the I.R.A.

The oppressive time full of violence is palpable for the viewer.

The subject has of course been discussed before, but Say Nothing provides an appropriate and contemporary raw image of reality. It shows how as a Catholic in Northern Ireland you almost automatically become part of the fierce internal struggle. On the other hand, it also shows the dark side this entails. Betrayal or the idea that you have a less extreme view of reality is punished. The I.R.A. is therefore concerned not only by Protestants and the British, but also by its own Catholic population.

The story is told from the perspective of the elderly Dolours and Brendan. They are interviewed for the Belfast Project and due to the circumstances they feel increasingly free to tell what happened. It helps, just like the search for the missing, to give this series a human face. It goes a little deeper psychologically than most series on this subject. The beliefs, manipulation, violence and deep-rooted hatred are an excellent breeding ground for unusual stories.

Say Nothing
© Hulu


As almost always with a British production, the actors are excellently cast. Lola Petticrew and Maxine Peake as the aging Dolours give an impressive performance. Dolours is of the big mouth category but with a small heart. Her psyche therefore takes a major hit due to everything she experiences. The quiet Marian turns out to be a formidable fighting machine. Hazel Doupe pulls out all the stops to make this convincing. Brendan Hughes goes from completely convinced of the cause being fought for to a disappointed and exhausted I.R.A. warrior. The young version is portrayed by Anthony Boyle while the older Brendan is handled by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor. The mystery behind Gerry Adams is very strongly played by Josh Finan.

An excellent series for those who want to know more and experience what things were like during The Troubles.

To top it all off, the series was shot in dark images. The colors are pale. It perfectly supports the painful story. It all comes across very convincing. The oppressive time full of violence is palpable for the viewer. Just like the (im)power of the ordinary man in the street. The battle is given an extra dimension by also telling one of the stories from a British point of view. An excellent series for those who want to know more and experience what things were like during The Troubles.
Video on youtube

About the writer, Karzal

Karzal
Mike (1995) has been a member of MySeries since 2016 and is mainly active on the English version of the site. Since 2018, he has been actively translating news articles, columns, reviews and basically everything that ends up on the Dutch site. The original articles, columns and reviews were actually written by others. During the week Mike can be found at IKEA, where he is a national systems specialist and occasionally also in the classroom to teach an English lesson. In addition, Mike logically enjoys watching series and has actually been spoon-fed this from an early age. The genre doesn't matter, there is a place for everything in the otherwise busy life.
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