Zriter59 I first saw this film when I was 11, and even then I much admired it. Have seen it I don't know how many times since, and my original feelings re. this flick have only intensified.First off, many contemporary folks, in and beyond the West, know far too little about the Irish "troubles." This film brings them home, establishing that despite atrocities on either side, neither held the moral high ground with absolute certainty.Cagney is superb. His accent falters occasionally (although he was an Irish-American). But he nails every facet of his character, from the dedicated doctor and professor of medicine to the IRA commander who descends into fanaticism. Most of the rest of the cast is excellent. Murray is a little, well, not quite at that level, but he still gives a respectable performance --

vespasian79 A reasonably good thriller about the so-called "Tan War". The acting is uniformly excellent, although the story has been altered from the original novel. If I had any major complaints, they would be that the Auxiliaries (called uniformly Black & Tans by the Irish) are pictured as too befuddled and they're just too stereotypically, comically menacing. And in the final shootout just before the Truce, Cagney and Company kill more of them then were killed during the entire Rebellion. A much more realistic, menacing portrayal of the Auxies can be found in John Ford's "The Informer" (1935).Also, Glynis Johns hairstyle is way too 1950s, and she's just a little too Irish from County Baloney.Other than that, it's a very good movie.

MartinHafer This is one of the very best films from the tail end of Cagney's career. Unlike so many of his previous films, this movie was entertaining AND had something profound to say as well. The film is about IRA terrorists in the early days of the Irish Republic. Instead of being happy with the gains the Irish made, Cagney's character has been fighting so long he's lost track of WHY and is simply hellbent on murder and killing for its own sake. When other members begin calling for restraint, Cagney wants to escalate the killings until eventually he becomes a liability to the organization. While some times Cagney tended to "chew the scenery" at the expense of the film (i.e., he overacted), this movie actually benefited from this style. An excellent and timeless story.

loydmooney There are just too many unbelievable things happening in this plot to make it more than an average film. Yet some of the performances, as has been noted by one of the viewers here, are veddy good indeed. Cagney turning nearly as psycho as in White Heat is one, an excellent turn by Dana Winter, and the always always always reliable Cyril Cusack. The lone American Don Murray was somehow always chosen for the peace lover among maniacs. The only time it really worked was in From Hell to Texas, a darned good western by Henry Hathaway. Otherwise he always came off so aww shucks virtuous that he almost needed a black robe and round hat. In fact he once played a priest, also to sickening effect. So earnest. So miscast.And so what, for the movie.However, the woman playing the old rich titled Lady about which the latter half of the plot revolves is also good. And there are spots of the black and white photography of the Emerald Isle, especially some of the night shots that are very nice. But is there a single scene in the entire movie worth re-watching? Not really. With this one, mostly, shake hands with mediocrity.