Film Forum

(1979, Arthur MacCaig) De-sensationalized account of The Troubles, told mainly from the POV of the Provisional IRA. Frames the conflict within the context of British colonialism. 16mm. Approx. 93 min.

Reviews

“Informative, vivid, and partisan… The footage of urban guerillas is extraordinary. I've seen no film on Northern Ireland that depicted the situation this graphically.”
– J. Hoberman, Village Voice

“Thorough and thoughtful... Mr. MacCaig's film, by dissecting the situation so coolly, helps emphasize the anguish, the bitterness and the confusion. Regardless of how one may feel about its politics, it is a worthy and well made documentary.”
– Janet Maslin, The New York Times

“The best overview of the Northern Irish conflict that we've seen... a lucid and knowledgeable introduction put together with skill and sensitivity.”
– B. Ruby Rich, Chicago Reader

“This extraordinary and moving documentary reviews ten years of armed warfare by the IRA and places today's headlines in their proper political and economic context. Through vivid footage of street battles and interviews with participants, THE PATRIOT GAME forcefully debunks the twin myths that the IRA is a 'terrorist organization' fighting 'a religious war.'”
– Kevin J. Kelley, The Guardian