Michael Collins (1996) | Unemployed Historian 

I see your point about it being a gangster film. In the 1920s-set American television production, "Boardwak Empire" there is a sequence involving the civil war and there is a character who I think is based on De Valera. In looks, anyway.

Very good sir!

Pretty spectacular to talk about the treaty for like 5 minutes without even mentioning partition...

6:19 roger hit the nail right on the head. the anti treaty ira killed the one person willing to work with them who sympathized with them

There were several ambushes on different roads trying to anticipate the route he might take

9:14 you dont mention how the british made him do it and how at first he refused to attack his former comerades in arms but churcill told him sort them out or we will do it for you. its not collins fault so much as the anti treaty ira

I watched the movie the other day and I'm happy I found this great review. Liam Neeson is convincing and charismatic but I hated how Michael Collins basically gets whitewashed. The ruthlessness of the assassinations he orders is never adressed and when Kitty asks about it, he's just like "I wish I didn't have to kill people but I have to". So it's apparently okay to kill people for your cause provided you don't enjoy it. Regarding De Valera, I definitly think he was responsible for the civil war. Having negociated with Llyod George he knew that the Free Statr was the best outcome possible. The only reason why he rejected the Treaty is because it was not his own deal, but had he gone to London instead of Collins he would probably not have got better. Moreover, after he got power in 1932, De Valera showed that Collins was absolutely right with the whole "freedom to achieve freedom" thing. So was he an egocentric and a hypocrit ? Yes. But he wasn't the evil schemer portrayed by Alan Rickman either. I think he geniunely didn't plan to scapegoat Collins by sending him to London, and he definitly didn't want his death.

The Irish did not come back from the delegations with an Irish Republic they came back the a subservient Irish Free State which was still part of the United Kingdom, the entire troubles regarding the 2 counties dates back to this agreement still today. Also It took several years before the Republic came about and it was this entire issue of subservience to the crown that started the civil war.