SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL

US/Ireland, 1959, 110 minutes, Black and white.
James Cagney, Don Murray, Dana Wynter, Glynnis Johns, Michael Redgrave, Richard Harris, Sybil Thorndike, Cyril Cusack.
Directed by Michael Anderson.

Shake Hands with the Devil is an interesting film about the Irish troubles. The Gentle Gunman was an example of British film-making on this theme in the early 1950s. Tay Garnett's The Night Fighters (A Terrible Beauty) was an example of American film-making with Robert Mitchum.

This film has an excellent cast. It was one of James Cagney's last film appearances before his retirement in the '60s. Don Murray is an engaging American hero. There is an excellent English and Irish cast which includes Sybil Thorndike and Michael Redgrave and Richard Harris in a suporting role.

The film is melodramatic and has the atmosphere of a Sean O'Casey play.

1. Interesting and entertaining Irish action melodrama? The interest in the Irish troubles? The relevance of the theme at its time, later?

2. Production values: black and white photography, locations? Irish and American production? The prestige of the cast? The strength of the cast? The musical score by William Alwyn?

3. The title and its relevance to Ireland? The troubles? The history of English-Irish? relationships? oppression? Rebellion? The troubles and the Easter Uprising? The Black and Tans? The film dramatising these troubles and eliciting audience awareness, sympathy? The American interest in the Irish troubles?

4. The focus on Kerry O'Shea for the audience? American audiences? Don Murray as sympathetic hero? An American student in the '20s, surgery and medicine? His friends, respect for Sean Lenihan? The friend of his father? The experience of the street battles? Death and helping the injured? His being caught, imprisoned, treated brutally? His pacifist principles and his becoming in volved? Sean Lenihan's help because of Kerry's father? The visit to the headquarters and meeting the General? His becoming involved, bitterness? His loyalty to Sean? Participation in the action, the dangers, disguises? The clashes with the British? The kidnapping of Jennifer and his guarding her? His growing to understand her, her modifying his views? Falling in love? The incident with Lady FitzHugh? Sean Lenihan's grow ing obstinacy and obsession? Kerry having to confront him at the end, the violence, the shooting and the throwing of the gun into the sea?

5. James Cagney's presence as Sean Lenihan? The strength of his presence, intensity? Credibility as an Irish professor? His role in the rebels' army? The intensity, sympathy from the audience? The range of his followers and his authority? Working with the General? The daring of the raids, his disguises, eluding the police? Lady FitzHugh? - and the effect of her arrest, of her death? The kidnapping of Jennifer? His hostility towards her? His growing intensity and fanaticism, his obsession with violence rather than with the cause, his not wanting peace? His painting himself into extremes and the confrontation with Kerry?

6. The General and his control, headquarters? An icy control? The range of rebels, characters, involvement?

7. The character of Kitty O'Brady? Prostitute? Involved in helping? The love for Sean Lenihan? Encounters with Kerry? The contrast with jennifer? Her going on the boat to Liverpool, her being shot?

8. The contrast with Jennifer: the British background, aristocracy, her lifestyle, haughty attitude? Her being captured, treatment in the castle? Presenting the other side of the argument? The attachment to Kerry?

9. Lady FitzHugh? and the Irish aristocracy, helping the cause, the arrest, her imprisonment and her death?

10. The picture of the British and their attitudes? Was it possible to judge the justice of the attitudes of Irish and British in such a situation? The behaviour of the Black and Tans? of the Irish rebels?

11. The value of dramatising this kind of story for understanding history, sympathising with causes and issues?