Review of Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) by Mike L — 04 Jun 2011

Bold and in many ways wise, âSunday Bloody Sundayâ? is a tale of three people: a divorced middle aged woman Alex, an older doctor Daniel and the man who connects these two, Bob. Both Alex and Daniel are in a relationship with the younger man. Bobâ(TM)s lovers know about each other, but letting go of possessiveness and societal taboos is challenging.

Iâ(TM)ve known about this movie for a long time, and Iâ(TM)ve always assumed it to be very melodramatic and soapy. I was pleasantly surprised by a cool, analytical air that challenges the norms not by provocation but through honest and plausible drama. This film is a subtle examination of personalities colliding with what is expected and it doesnâ(TM)t result to contrived easy answers. It states that normative behavior is difficult and often damaging for an individual, but going against the norm can be worse. We enslave ourselves with what is generally considered to be the scale of proper behavior and often the damage to a nonconformist is undeservedly self-inflicted. The tragedy of individualismâ¦.