Fifty Dead Men Walking

Infobox Film
name = Fifty Dead Men Walking


caption = Advance Poster
director = Kari Skogland
producer = Kari Skogland
Stephen Hegyes
Peter La Terriere
Shawn Williamson
writer = Kari Skogland
starring = Jim Sturgess
Rose McGowan
Ben Kingsley
Kevin Zegers
music =
cinematography = Jonathan Freeman
editing =
distributor = Brightlight Pictures, Handmade Films
released =
runtime =
country = UK
Canada
language = English
budget = £6,000,000
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 1097643

"Fifty Dead Men Walking" is a 2008 crime thriller film written and directed by Kari Skogland. It is a loose adaptation of Martin McGartland's 1997 autobiography of the same name. It premiered in September 2008, and stars Jim Sturgess as Martin McGartland, an informant within the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), and Ben Kingsley as Fergus, his British handler.

The film is set from 1987 until 1991, the time in which McGartland acted as an undercover informant within the IRA during The Troubles. In 1991 his cover was blown and he was kidnapped by the IRA, although he later escaped and went into hiding.

The film caused controversy for comments made at the premier by cast member Rose McGowan. The film was also criticised by McGartland as not being a true account of events, and he initially attempted to block release of the film.

At the time of the release of the film McGartland was still in hiding. The film takes its name from McGartland's claim within his book to have saved the lives of fifty people during his time as an informant.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/371544.stm|title=McGartland: 'A dead man walking'|accessdate=2008-07-23|date=1999-07-17]

Background

Events covered by the film

McGartland, an Irish Catholic, was arrested by the Royal Ulster Constabulary police in 1989 at age 16 for petty crime. After that arrest, he agreed to infiltrate the IRA, and pass information on their activities under the codename Agent Carol to the RUC Special Branch which dealt with counter terrorism activities For his information he was later described as "one of the RUC's most important agents inside the IRA's Belfast Brigade during the early Nineties"cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2000/oct/29/northernireland.henrymcdonald|title=Paper payday for IRA target|accessdate=2008-07-23|date=2000-10-29] In 1991 his cover was blown, and he was kidnapped by the IRA to be tortured and killed. He escaped by leaping from an upstairs window and fled to England, receiving money to set up a new life in North East England.

Events after the time of the film

Martin McGartland's autobiography was a best seller, and he released a follow up about his time on the run. In 1997 he came to press attention after Northumbria Police revealed his location when they attempted to prosecute him for holding false identities, which he claimed he required to evade discovery by the IRA, which was upheld in court. Also in 1997 The BBC made a short documentary on him.

In 1999, he survived being shot 6 times in an attack on his home in Whitley Bay. He stated the IRA had been responsible, which they denied. Months after the shooting it emerged that the RUC had linked the gun used to shoot McGartland to the murder of a drugs dealer in Northern Ireland by the IRA. He alleged the British Government was covering up the IRA's involvement to preserve the ceasefire declared by them in 1997. He succesfully sued several media outlets for falsely claiming at the time that the attempt on his life had come about due to his links to a North East drugs gang [cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/1999/0617/informer.html|title=IRA informer in hospital after shooting|accessdate=2008-07-23|date=1999-07-17] . As of the time of the release of the film, he was still in hiding.

Plot

Marty McGartland is a 22-year-old street hustler from Ireland, living in the 1980s. He gets noticed by the Irish Republican Army, but thinks their cruel justice is no good. The British want to use Marty as well, because of his connection to the community undetected. The British police want him to infiltrate and spy on the IRA. Marty decides to work for the police because of his IRA dislike. He soon forgets his political preferences when his powerful position takes over. Despite fearing that the IRA will find out about his spying, he builds up a new sense of self esteem. Afraid his family and friends will be murdered if they are informed, Marty starts to lead a double life. Even his new girlfriend Lara knows nothing of his work.

Things start to take their toll when the British sell them out. They explain their system could fall down and reveal Marty was their bait all along. The IRA capture and torture Marty, but he is able to escape. His best friend and former British police colleague finds Marty and decides to help him hide. Marty knows the IRA will turn to his family and is forced to make a decision, saving himself or his beloved ones. [cite web|url=http://kskogland.wordpress.com/2008/01/20/fifty-dead-men-walking/|title=Plot of Fifty Dead Men Walking|accessdate=2008-01-20|date=2008-07-22] [cite web|url=http://tiffg.ca/mediacentre/viewrelease.aspx?recordId=566|title=Toronto International Film Festival Group News Release|accessdate=2008-07-15|date=2008-07-22]

Production

"Man on the Run" was a working title for the film. Casting was completed in November 2007. [cite web|url=http://justjared.buzznet.com/2007/11/27/rose-mcgowan-redhead/|title=Rose McGowan’s Man on the Run|accessdate=2007-11-27|date=2008-07-22] Filming began on location in the Northern Irish villages of Killough and Ardglass in late October 2007 and went on until December 2007. [cite web|url=http://www.rose-mcgowan.com/?cat=18&paged=2|title=Rose McGowan in Man on the Run|accessdate=2007-11-17|date=2008-07-22] .

Release

The film premiered on 4 September 2008 at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada [cite web|url=http://tiffg.ca/mediacentre/viewrelease.aspx?recordId=566|title=Toronto International Film Festival Group News Release|accessdate=2008-07-15|date=2008-07-22] .

Controversy

Principle cast member Rose McGowan caused controversy over commments made in a news conference for the film's premeire, when she stated "I imagine, had I grown up in Belfast, I would 100 percent have been in the IRA,My heart just broke for the cause. Violence is not to be played out daily and provide an answer to problems, but I understand it." [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2798941/Rose-McGowan-I-would-have-signed-up-for-the-IRA.html Daily Telegraph 11/9/08 - Rose McGowan: I would have signed up for the IRA] ] . Her remarks were strongly condemned by Northern Ireland victims group Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR), Ulster Unionist politician and assembly member Billy Armstrong and McGartland himself [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7609856.stm "BBC News 11th Sept 08 - Fury over actress's IRA comments"] ] .

Martin McGartland objected to the film up to its release, threatening to block its release through the courts. He later dropped the action after a settlement. He objected to scenes in the film that never happened and stated the film cast him in a bad light, had made unjustified changes and was "not a true account of my story". In response, the producers stated that "although inspired by the contents, is not a representation of Mr. McGartland's life," and that McGartland had been consulted throughout production, and had declined the use of a fictional character name for the lead [http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iMXXvp-1PKhhO8QElLBZzxvOrlsw Canadian Press] Filmmakers stand behind '50 Dead Men Walking' amid controversy, 27 August 2008] .

McGartland also criticised the consultation of former IRA members by the director for the film.

Cast

References

External links

*
* [http://www.brightlightpictures.com/portfolio/film/fiftydeadmenwalking.php "Fifty Dead Men Walking"] page at Brightlight Pictures]
* [http://tiff08.ca/filmsandschedules/films/fiftydeadmenwalking "Fifty Dead Men Walking"] description at the Toronto International Film Festival]
* [http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/446424/50-Dead-Men-Walking/overview Fifty Dead Men Walking] over view at [http://www.nytimes.com/ New York Times]