Dir.
Aisling Walsh, Ireland/UK/Denmark/Spain /97 mins
Cast: Aidan Quinn, Iain Glen, Marc Warren, Dudley Sutton, Clause Bue, Alan Devlin, Stuart Graham, John Travers, Chris Newman, Simone Bendix
Ireland 1939, William Franklin (Quinn) takes up a lay teacher post at St. Jude's Reformatory School. He's continually haunted by the memory that he was unable to save his wife and friend from being killed by Franco's fascists. But putting the ghosts to rest isn't easy when the view from his room window bears a striking resemblance to that he had as a prisoner of war in Spain. Further, the regime in the school has fascist overtones for Franklin: the boys are called by numbers, not their names. Despite this, Franklin hopes he can make a difference to the boys' lives.
With the majority of the boys being illiterate, Franklin enlists the help of street smart Liam Mercier (Travers) to tackle the enormous task of teaching them to read. Having won their minds, it isn't long before Franklin gets the boys to tap into their creative side by making things, painting and appreciating poetry.
Very quickly his teaching methods bring him into conflict with those of the Catholic Brothers. While Franklin builds up a relationship with the boys through mutual respect and kindness, the Brothers rule with an iron rod culminating in verbal and horrific physical abuse. Most fervent in this practise is the Brother John (Glenn). When Franklin stops him from hitting the new boy Patrick Delaney (Newman) for crossing a boundary line, Brother John tries to get Franklin fired, but fails. The two clash again on Chris tmas Day when Franklin and Mercier stop him from beating two brothers for breaking a school rule. Enraged, Brother John embarks on a mission to rid the school of Franklin, with tragic consequences.
Based on Patrick Galvin's true story, Song For A Raggy Boy is not an easy film to watch. The abuses by the Catholic Church are well documented and no doubt comparisons will be made with Peter Mullen's The Magdalene Sisters (and Dead Poets' Society). In fact it was slated for release at the same time, but there is a limit to how much gut wrenching tales an audience can take.
The stories that unfold within the institution are nothing new. Delaney is the pretty one - you know what fate awaits him in the toilets as Brother Mac (Warren) showers his caring attention on him. Mercier is the rebellious one. When he joins forces with Franklin and takes on the Darth-Vadar-esque Brother John, you know it can only end badly.
Yet Walsh manages to produce a film that, for the most part, packs an emotional punch. He's uncompromising in the depiction of the sub-human conditions the boys lived under in the school. The classroom scenes are darkly lit and the playground, a grey-cemented space bounded by high walls, all add to the oppressive feel. Even the acts of brutality are restrained. Brother John delivers his beatings with a controlled precision. The only indication that you see of the violent rage within is the frothing at his mouth.
Quinn is excellent as Franklin who despite his calmness, isn't without his demons. Warren is convincing as Brother Mac, a man torn between wanting to be kind but can't help his sexual desires. Glenn's performance as Brother John is chilling. But the real stars are the boys, in particular John Travers' Mercier and Chris Newman's Delaney. Mercier's demise at the hands of Brother John and Delaney's screams as Brother Mac is raping him will stay with you long after the credits have rolled.
However, the sanitized ending does leave a bitter taste. By opting for the 'good conquers evil and it's smiles all round' plot structure, the film loses some of its power. But, as you start feeling a little bit better about it all, Walsh reminds you that the abuses continued well into the 80s, and that Brother John and Brother Mac were never punished for their inhumanity.
So, given that we are aware that such institutional abuses existed, why should we watch this? Because it happened. And we as a society should never forget that there is a generation of adults out there who, as children, were badly let down by the system that was supposed to care for them.
Sandi Chaitram
Metrodome have announced the UK DVD release of Song for a Raggy Boy for 10th July 2006 priced at £15.99.
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