''Rebel Heart'' is a
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
British Television drama
miniseries
A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...
starring
James D'Arcy
James D'Arcy (born Simon Richard D'Arcy; 24 August 1975) is an English actor and film director. He is known for his portrayals of Howard Stark's butler, Edwin Jarvis, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series '' Agent Carter'' and the ...
as the fictional Ernie Coyne, an Irish nationalist. It is in four parts, and set during the
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-mil ...
from 1916 (
The Easter Rising
The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the ...
) until the end of the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. Coyne idolised
Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to:
* Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician
* Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...
, thus Collins featured frequently, both as a leader and as a friend. The series generated a large amount of controversy before its release.
Main cast
Production
The idea for a series about the Easter Rising and Irish Civil War first emerged in 1994.
Despite most major characters being Irish, the leading roles were mostly played by British-born actors.
Plot
First episode
In the first instalment of Rebel Heart we are introduced to the character Ernie Coyne and his exploits during the
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...
of 1916. Coyne's nationalistic views are contrasted against the working class
marxism
Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...
of the other characters, including Tom O'Toole (
Vincent Regan
Vincent Regan (born 16 May 1965) is a British film and television actor, best known for his roles in ''300'', ''Troy'', '' Unleashed'', '' Clash of the Titans'' and '' Lockout''.
Early life
Regan was born on 16 May 1965 in Swansea, Glamorgan, ...
) and Kelly (Frank Laverty). On the evening of his first day at the
General Post Office
The General Post Office (GPO) was the state postal system and telecommunications carrier of the United Kingdom until 1969. Before the Acts of Union 1707, it was the postal system of the Kingdom of England, established by Charles II in 1660. ...
Coyne's mother comes by to try and convince him to come home. The upper class manner in which she is dressed is commented on by O'Toole and Kelly because of their working class origins. Coyne takes the job of runner (dispatch carrier), relaying orders between the different units around Dublin that have been cut off from one another. When delivering his first message to
St Stephen's Green
St Stephen's Green () is a garden square and public park located in the city centre of Dublin, Ireland. The current landscape of the park was designed by William Sheppard. It was officially re-opened to the public on Tuesday, 27 July 1880 by L ...
he meets sisters Ita Feeney (
Paloma Baeza
Paloma Baeza (born 1 May 1975) is a British actress and director of English and Mexican heritage. Her 2017 film ''Poles Apart'' won the BAFTA for best animated short film in 2018.
Biography
Baeza was born in London and spent her childhood in Me ...
) and Ursula Feeney (Dawn Bradfield) who, with a group of republican soldiers, are pinned down by enemy machine gun fire. One of the sisters kills the machine gunner thus stopping the fire that is pinning the republican soldiers down and allowing them to fall back to the
College of Surgeons
The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations a ...
. After delivering his report Coyne goes off on his other run where he continually dodges danger whilst delivering his messages.
On his final run down to Northumberland Road all he finds is the dead bodies of the republicans that have been killed by the British. However he is able to locate four remaining survivors of the unit to whom he gives the chocolate that his mother gave him earlier as it is painfully clear that the four men will die. The
rebellion
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
collapses, when it emerges that the
Irish people
The Irish ( ga, Muintir na hÉireann or ''Na hÉireannaigh'') are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Ireland, who share a common history and culture. There have been humans in Ireland for about 33,000 years, and it has been c ...
have not risen to support it. In fact the reaction to the rebellion from most Irish people, both
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
and
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
, was hostile. As the government forces close in,
Patrick Pearse
Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ga, Pádraig Anraí Mac Piarais; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist, republican political activist and revolutionary who ...
ordered a general unconditional surrender. Coyne is captured and imprisoned with the rest of his associates, refusing the special treatment arranged for him by his influential father.
The episode finishes with a number of the rebel leaders, such as
Patrick Pearse
Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ga, Pádraig Anraí Mac Piarais; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist, republican political activist and revolutionary who ...
and
Thomas Clarke, being tried by military tribunal and executed for treason (for leading a rebellion while the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
was at war with
Imperial Germany
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
).
Second episode
The
Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers ( ga, Óglaigh na hÉireann), sometimes called the Irish Volunteer Force or Irish Volunteer Army, was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists and republicans. It was ostensibly formed in respons ...
are released from jail in 1916, their early release a gesture of attempted conciliation by the British authorities. When they arrive in Dublin aboard a train they are greeted by a fervently nationalistic crowd, waving Irish tricolours. Coyne returns to his upper-middle-class family in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
. He has secured a place at the prestigious
Trinity College Dublin
, name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin
, motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin)
, motto_lang = la
, motto_English = It will last i ...
, leading to the contempt of some of his working-class fellow Easter Rising veterans.
However, Coyne is soon involved with separatist politics again. He involves himself in vote-rigging in the
1918 General Election in an attempt to boost
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Gri ...
's chances against the liberal nationalist
Irish Parliamentary Party
The Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP; commonly called the Irish Party or the Home Rule Party) was formed in 1874 by Isaac Butt, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish national ...
and unionist
Irish Unionist Party
The Irish Unionist Alliance (IUA), also known as the Irish Unionist Party, Irish Unionists or simply the Unionists, was a unionist political party founded in Ireland in 1891 from a merger of the Irish Conservative Party and the Irish Loyal and P ...
, much to the disgust of his respectable parents. Sinn Féin won the election in a
landslide victory
A landslide victory is an election result in which the victorious candidate or party wins by an overwhelming margin. The term became popular in the 1800s to describe a victory in which the opposition is "buried", similar to the way in which a geol ...
, often for uncontested seats, and this gave a more official nature to their claim to speak for the people of Ireland.
His involvement leads to Coyne again becoming involved with the militant wing of the movement, who wanted to drive out the British by killing British soldiers and members of the
Royal Irish Constabulary
The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC, ga, Constáblacht Ríoga na hÉireann; simply called the Irish Constabulary 1836–67) was the police force in Ireland from 1822 until 1922, when all of the country was part of the United Kingdom. A separate ...
. One of the veterans of the Easter Rising,
Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to:
* Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician
* Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...
is playing a leading role in the embryonic
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief tha ...
. A number of events such as the burial of
County Meath
County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the sou ...
militant
Thomas Ashe
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the Ap ...
, who had died on hunger strike, persuaded Coyne and many other Irishmen to take up arms against the government forces.
Third episode
It is now 1920. Posing as an insurance salesman, Coyne is sent to the west of the country to co-ordinate rebel activities there. Arriving in
West Cork
West Cork ( ga, Iarthar Chorcaí) is a tourist region and municipal district in County Cork, Ireland. As a municipal district, West Cork falls within the administrative area of Cork County Council, and includes the towns of Bantry, Castletownbe ...
, Coyne is angered to find the local movement disorganised and ill-equipped with commanders who are halfhearted and reluctant to disturb their quiet lives in the small community. With a new-found assertiveness, Coyne re-invigorates the recruits, stealing rifles from a British unit and later mounting a successful ambush of an army patrol. Coyne is worried when his men speak of how they plan to fight the Irish Protestant Unionists after they have driven out the British. He and another rebel are forced to kill two RIC officers who stumble upon their activities. Coyne swells with pride at his leadership abilities and he cockily seduces the daughter of a farmer who shelters him and several of his men, an act he soon regrets as he remembers his feelings for Ita.
In Belfast, Tom O'Toole and Albert Kelly stage an attack on the headquarters of the RIC to avenge the deaths of members of Ita's family who were brutally gunned down by an RIC murder squad. The attack fails and both O'Toole and Kelly are wounded and captured. Coyne is recalled to Belfast and he meets with Michael Collins who informs him that O'Toole and Kelly are in prison. Coyne's humility is restored as Collins reminds him of the bloodier and much more difficult war going on in the rest of the country. The rebels break into Belfast prison, successfully breaking out O'Toole and Kelly but Coyne is badly wounded as they escape.
Fourth episode
In 1921, Coyne recovers from his wounds in a rural hideout in
Antrim in Northern Ireland. His mother travels from Dublin to visit but Coyne pretends to be asleep, unwilling to speak to her. Kelly and Ursula agree to marry but their happiness is soured by news of the
Treaty of 1921 in which a deputation to Britain led by Michael Collins agreed to partition the nation into the new Republic in the south and the British-ruled North. Ita, whose family are in Belfast, is angry and bitter, believing that the new government has sold them out, condemning them to live as a persecuted minority in the Unionist-dominated north.
Arriving in Dublin in 1922, Coyne, Ita, Kelly and Ursula are disheartened to see the
Free State already becoming a traditional-style government based on wealth and power, ending the dream of a worker's republic. Even O'Toole, now a close associate of Collins, has been seduced by the trappings of authority and position. At Kelly and Ursula's wedding, O'Toole is Best Man but he and Kelly angrily argue over the Treaty, mirroring the rapidly emerging divisions in the country between pro and anti-Treaty factions. Coyne reluctantly sides with Collins but he is torn between his desire for his country to avoid civil war and his loyalty to his former comrades. Kelly joins the anti-Treaty rebels as they seize key positions in Dublin and even O'Toole's younger sister Eileen joins their ranks. Collins orders his troops to begin storming the rebel positions. O'Toole approaches the rebel barricades to talk his sister into going home but a nearby nervous soldier discharges a round, killing her.
As fighting breaks out across Dublin, beginning the Irish Civil War, a distraught and angry O'Toole leads his troops in pursuit of the rebels, hunting them down ruthlessly. Seeing Kelly about to be shot by a government soldier, Coyne kills the latter and switches sides, joining Kelly. Injured in the fighting, Coyne is left in a deserted building whilst Kelly goes to find an escape route. O'Toole abruptly enters the room and he and Coyne fire simultaneously, mortally wounding each other. Kelly comes back and O'Toole aims his gun at him but then changes his mind, deciding to let his old friend go. As Kelly escapes to meet up with Ursula and Ita, O'Toole and Coyne lie side by side, reconciling with each other as they both succumb to their wounds.
Controversy
The production of ''Rebel Heart'' proved to be controversial. It was most heavily criticised in Britain for what was perceived as its slanted viewpoint of the events between 1916 and 1922.
Criticised in particular was the involvement of the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. The
attacked the corporation for making a series that could be used as propaganda for the
.
The series has not yet been released on DVD.