An Epic, Moving ‘Freedom’ Pays Tribute to War’s Idealists

As self-contradictory as the concept of “a good war” has to sound, Spain in 1936 comes close to fitting the description.

After fascist conservative forces led by Francisco Franco rose against an elected left-of-center government, believers from all over the world, including young novelists Ernest Hemingway and George Orwell, made their way to Spain to fight for democracy and progressive reform. Ragged and rebellious, they were heroes with dirty faces, naive and idealistic children’s crusaders in full-grown bodies, and “Land and Freedom” pays moving and thoughtful tribute to their thwarted romanticism.

Winner of the International Critics’ Prize at Cannes and the Felix Award for the year’s best European film, “Land and Freedom” is remarkable for its naturalistic treatment of human truths, its point-blank refusal to shortchange passion and emotion while dramatizing a political situation that its protagonist aptly characterizes as “dead complicated.”

Given that “Land and Freedom’s” director is Ken Loach, this is not unexpected. Though not well-known in this country, Loach is the bedrock of the British independent movement, a role model for directors like Neil Jordan, Stephen Frears and Mike Leigh because of his ability to do honest and heartfelt work for more than 30 years while refusing to compromise on his political and aesthetic beliefs.

But while Loach’s best-known films, from “Cathy Come Home” and “Poor Cow” in the 1960s through “Riff-Raff” and “Raining Stones” decades later, have all been small-scale kitchen sink dramas, “Land and Freedom” is just the opposite. It’s an epic, a working-class “Lawrence of Arabia” that enlarges Loach’s scope while losing none of the qualities he’s become celebrated for.

As written by veteran Loach collaborator Jim Allen, “Land and Freedom” makes use of a framing story, a death in a working-class flat in today’s Liverpool that leaves a young woman named Kim without her grandfather. Going through his things, Kim comes across a small suitcase crammed with letters, photos and newspaper clippings, as well as a red bandanna filled with earth. Spanish earth.

It’s now 1936 and an intense working-class young man named David (Ian Hart, who played John Lennon in both “Back Beat” and “The Hours and the Times”) decides to go to Spain and fight for the Republic.

Though a member of the Communist Party, David (like George Orwell) ends up in a militia unit on the Aragon front run by a socialist organization called POUM. It’s an international affair, with Spanish fighters like the fiery Blanca (Rosana Pastor) shouldering arms with the American Lawrence (Tom Gilroy) and an ex-IRA man named Coogan (Eoin McCarthy). “It’s a real people’s army,” David writes home with proud excitement.

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Inevitably the story of “Land and Freedom” is the story of this young man’s often painful journey from innocence to experience. Involved in a love affair, witness to chaos and wretchedness on the battlefield, David goes through a process of personal maturation that actor Hart finely conveys.

The film also details a political coming of age, as David increasingly has to deal with troublesome actions by his beloved Communist Party. For “Land and Freedom” says quite forcefully that the tragedy of Spain was the betrayal of the principles of the revolution by the rigid ideology of party regulars who were moved around like so many chess pieces by Joseph Stalin and his Soviet henchmen.

Though Loach allows one scene of political wrangling to go on too long, in general he exactly calibrates his emotional effects, avoiding over-dramatization and telling his story simply but with conviction.

And while Hart and Pastor are clearly the stars here, Loach cast the 16-person militia unit as a whole, and the film excels at showing the camaraderie, the fellow feeling that made these people risk their lives for an ideal.

A passionate film, “Land and Freedom” takes its tone from the high spirits of those convinced that pure belief could make a difference. Change that to can make a difference, Loach and Allen would say, which is why they use granddaughter Kim to stress the continuity of the progressive tradition. And if there is a statement of David’s this film would leave you with, it’s his belief that “revolutions are contagious. Had we succeeded, we would have changed the world.” Having revolutionized film in Britain, Ken Loach is still looking for that next frontier.

* MPAA rating: Unrated. Times guidelines: brief violence and a scene of genteel lovemaking.

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‘Land and Freedom’

Ian Hart: David

Rosana Pastor: Blanca

Iciar Bollain: Maite

Tom Gilroy: Lawrence

Marc Martinez: Vidal

Frederic Pierrot: Bernard

A Parallax Pictures, Messidor Films and Road Movies Dritte Produktionen production, released by Gramercy Pictures. Director Ken Loach. Producer Rebecca O’Brien. Executive producers Sally Hibbin, Gerardo Herrero, Ulrich Felsberg. Screenplay Jim Allen. Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd. Editor Jonathan Morris. Costumes Ana Alvargonzalez. Music George Fenton. Production design Martin Johnson. Running time: 1 hours, 49 minutes.

* At selected theaters throughout Southern California.