For such a small country we have an awfully fucked up history. Northern Ireland was a horror show for 30 years. The Troubles. Sectarian violence. Civilian deaths in the thousands. Thousands. On an island with a population of 5 million people. Boggles the mind doesn't it. Belfast was the centre of it all. Belfast in the 80's was a terrifying place. 9 miles outside of the city was an airfield called Long Kesh and there was a prison called Her Majesty's Prison Maze, a detention centre for prisoners involved in the troubles. It's here in 1983 that this film based on a true life tale is set.
In the aftermath of the hunger strikes, Republican prisoners were spread out amongst the H blocks of the Maze prison. They are sharing with loyalist prisoners and tensions are running high. One man sets about planning a break out and his plan involves befriending a prison guard which isn't looked lightly upon my his fellow inmates.
Even if you know the story, this is still a tension packed tale. Nail biting actually. All the tropes of a prison escape film are present and correct but it's all done so well any lack of originality can be forgiven. You just know that no matter how meticulously planned anything is that Murphy's Law will strike and it all adds to the compelling nature of the story. The fact that it's set in Ireland and is about Irish people gives it a personal stake and makes it even more gripping. And the further fact that it's an all Irish cast giving uniformly excellent performances makes it even grippier. Yes I know that's not a word and I don't care.
The cast is top notch. The always watchable Tom Vaughn-Lawlor is great in the lead. His character is a tightly wound coil of a man willing to do anything to achieve his goals. Tom is a cracking actor. A real chameleon. There's not a trace of his former roles in his portrayal of Larry. Barry Ward as prison guard Gordon is also very good. You can see the toll his job is taking on him, it's written all over his face. Barry was the lead in Jimmy's Hall a few years ago and was excellent and I hope to see him onscreen a lot more in the coming years.
Maze is the story of two men dedicated to their cause. Two men on either side of the law willing to do what they need to to get their job done. And two men who have given too much of themselves away in the process. It's a story about the dangers of idealism. It's a story about regret. We see the toll it takes on both sides. People losing their soul and their families. Driving the people who love them away and alienating them by putting them in harm's way or spending so much time in prison for your cause that you lose them. Gladly it doesn't force us to take sides either. It's neither a pro or anti Republican film. It just presents us with the facts of what happened and let's us make our own mind up. I've a feeling that the vast majority of the audience will see that the struggle only created sadness and loss.
I thought this was a really good film. It's a bleak watch, but it's gripping and will make you think. It's straight forward stuff but its a story that doesn't need embellishment. It doesn't need unnecessary stylistic flourishes or padding. It's just fine as it is. It speaks for itself.
Go see it if you get the chance. It's a cracking history lesson and a great way to spend an hour and a half. Plus you'll be supporting Irish cinema in the process.
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