Michael Ledo As a child, John Paul Moorehouse (John Connors) watched his father get killed in a drive by. The culprit was never found. He was raised by his uncle to be a fighter. The Moorehouse family is involved in a feud with the Powers clan who far outnumber them. Their lands are separated by private property whose owner is not keen on trespassers.As you may have guessed John Paul has a love interest in the Powers clan, Winnie (Carla McGlynn) someone he knew as a child.The film is an interesting look at the Travellers who marry young in prearranged marriages and not always by the wishes of the bride. The sound track for this film is diverse with traditional songs being used as well as Johnny Cash and contemporary music. I was most intrigued by the old photos during the opening credits.The film didn't have much linear plot movement. It consisted of back and forth between the families. I enjoyed the characters, dialogue, and occasional humor.Parental Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.

Alexandre_3000 Several comment reviews say that this is raw, far from it. Well mounted, multi sided (no affiliation) and a fabulous close insight on how fists are chosen in stead of guns. It's the work of a decade of filming reduced into a hour and a half. This is a DOCUMENTARY with capital letters. And honestly, its a remarkable portrait of not only boxing fights but also of one of the most intriguing sectors of the UK population-. Of course if you are a fan of someone always telling you their opinion and how you must face the present situation, then this isn't for you... And the only thing raw in this is the felling of real life's being documented.

maxbrand77 I got to watch this documentary a couple of days ago and it's a very troubling film about families whose feuds go back more than 40 years that doesn't give any explanation on how it happen. It could be some of those family members had long past on but still it gives you a very disturbing view on how these families would settle a knuckle fight in wanting to settle the scores. The one thing that was troubling me of watching it were the children that had to see their fathers beat the other family up which to me it's a sign of abuse of what their witnessing which I sincerely hope they don't end up growing up like their fathers in wanting to slug a family member. The real heroes go to the wives & mothers who simply want this feud to end so they can be a family again and put aside petty problems that has been going on for too long. I sincerely hope after they watch this film they need to realize this can't continue any longer.

SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain Like many great documentaries, Knuckle was born out of something else. It originally began as a wedding video. Ian Palmer found something so interesting about his guests, he ventured further and discovered the world of Irish travelling bare knuckle boxing. Most specifically he follows the feud between two clans of the same family, The McDonaghs and the Joyces. So after that wedding video, Palmer ended up documenting this feud and these fights for 12 years. This extraordinary amount of time puts the whole thing into perspective about the needlessness and absurdity of violence. Many say the feud goes back 50 years, and yet nobody gives a straight answer as to its origins. People hold grudges and plan rematches 9 years down the line. It becomes obvious that fighting has become an addiction and a way of life for these poor men. They have nothing else to do. When we see the acclaim they receive from their families, it's easy to see why they have been so taken in by aggression. In the first fight James McDonagh says it will be his last, but it's far from it. He seems genuine about his wanting to quit, but he always ends up in another fight. Even the director talks about how he continued filming just for the thrill, and had lost sight of his documentary. Every fight is brutal in that realistic sense, and Palmer clearly paints a vivid picture of this strange world. Aggressive men, but loving husbands and fathers. Fights that are fought for lack of reason, but are controlled and fair with a sense of honour. Knuckle is the kind of film that lures you in with basic blood lust, but gives you a whole lot more.