

The Wind That Shakes the Barley
War has cost them their innocence... Freedom will cost them their blood.
In 1920s Ireland young doctor Damien O'Donovan prepares to depart for a new job in a London hospital. As he says his goodbyes at a friend's farm, British Black and Tans arrive, and a young man is killed. Damien joins his brother Teddy in the Irish Republican Army, but political events are soon set in motion that tear the brothers apart.
TMDB
7.3/10
937 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $6.5M
- Box office
- $22.9M
- Language
- Irish
- guerrilla warfare
- civil war
- sibling relationship
- england
- underground
- resistance
- peace
- independence
- traitor
- mercenary
- british army
- british empire
Top billed cast









Behind the camera
Director
Writers
Music
Produced in
Ireland, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
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Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- Theatrical (limited)NR16 Mar 2007
- TheatricalNR23 Mar 2007
United KingdomGB
- Theatrical1523 Jun 2006
AustraliaAU
- PremiereSydney Film Festival25 Jun 2006
CanadaCA
- PremiereToronto International Film Festival7 Sept 2006
BrazilBR
- Theatrical13 Apr 2007
ChinaCN
- PremiereShanghai International Film Festival15 Jun 2026
CzechiaCZ
- Theatrical11 Jan 2007
EstoniaEE
- PremiereTallinn Black Nights Film Festival3 Dec 2006
FranceFR
- PremiereCannes Film Festival18 May 2006
- TheatricalTP23 Aug 2006
- Physical8 Mar 2007
IcelandIS
- PremiereIceland International Film Festival31 Aug 2006
IrelandIE
- Theatrical15A23 Jun 2006
ItalyIT
- TheatricalVM 1410 Nov 2006
Frequently asked questions
The Wind That Shakes the Barley was released on 23 June 2006.
Audience reviews
3- A8/10
Andres Gomez
9/27/2013
Intense drama about Ireland's independence from the UK and the ultimate reasons for the need of freedom.
- T6/10
tmdb28039023
9/3/2022
After watching The Wind That Shakes the Barley, I'm tempted to say that Hollywood ruined Cillian Murphy, but the fact is that this drama written by Paul Laverty and directed by Ken Loach doesn’t really establish, for better or worse, a before and after in the career of the Irish actor; it's more a case of a blind squirrel finding a nut — which is still one more nut than most find (plus, Murphy's range is undeniable, …
- C6/10
CinemaSerf
3/26/2023
Though quite provocative, I was really disappointed with the anti-British simplicity of this drama. It all centres around two brothers - "Teddy" (Pádraic Delaney) and "Damien" (Cillian Murphy) and the increasingly desperate - and violent - tactics they employed to eject the occupiers from their country. The latter man is not an instant convert to these activities. About to travel to the UK to be a doctor, it's the th…
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