Review of Land and Freedom (1995) by Abel D — 01 Sep 2015

In spring 1936, a young unemployed worker and member of the Communist Party, David Carr (Ian Hart), leaves his hometown Liverpool to travel to Spain and join the International Brigades in the fight against fascism. He crosses the Spanish border in Catalonia and coincidentally ends up enlisted in a POUM (Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista) militia. In this company, as in all POUM militias, men and women - such as the young and enthusiastic Maite - fight together. In the following weeks and months he becomes friends with other foreign volunteers, like the French Bernard, and he falls in love with Blanca (Rosana Pastor), a member of POUM, who is also the ideologue of his group. After being wounded and recovering in a hospital in Barcelona, he finally joins - in accordance with his original plan and against the opinion of Blanca - the government-backed International Brigades, and he encounters the Stalinist propaganda and repression against POUM members and anarchists. They remain in Barcelona and end up fighting other anti-fascist groups. David is disappointed and decides to go back to his old band...

"Land and Freedom" is Ken Loach and Jim Allen's tribute to the ordinary volunteers that risked their lives for a better world in the fight against fascism during the Spanish Civil War. A war that was obviously complicated and quite confusing in terms of many different opinions and how they fight should be handled and what should be the result of it. It´s understandable that the Spanish rather not talk about this horrifying Civil War, but at the same time this cannot be forgotten. The direction is strong from Ken Loach, the acting truly convincing and the emotional layers are a plenty. Various languages: Spanish, English and Catalan are spoken throughout the film, and subtitles are used selectively which is a great decision in my point of view. The version I saw had no subtitles at all, but the added value of the spoken Spanish and Catalan is of my liking and due to the fact that the acting is of so high standard you still get the point of the conversations. The tale of battle for what you believe in, betrayal and lost hope is the foundation and you get an insight of the atrocities of this war against facism in "Land And Freedom". Ian Hart and the lovely Rosana Pastor are great in their roles, but then again it´s hard to just point out those two as everyone infront of the camera does a great job as said.