It was also one of the most expensive films ever produced in Ireland.
Warner Bros. Entertainment has begun adding full movies to its YouTube channel to watch for free, with one of these including 1996 Irish classic Michael Collins.
Written and directed by Neil Jordan (The Butcher Boy, The Crying Game), the film is set in the early 20th century and stars Liam Neeson as Collins – the Irish revolutionary, soldier and politician.
The biopic depicts Collins leading the Irish Republican Army, with the help of his friends Harry Boland (Aidan Quinn) and Eamon de Valera (Alan Rickman), in a violent battle for Ireland’s independence from Britain.
“But, when he fears the defeat of his revolution, Collins negotiates a treaty with the British, deeming him a traitor to the IRA,” the plot synopsis reads.
One of the most expensive movies ever produced in Ireland, Michael Collins also stars Julia Roberts as Collins’ fiancée Kitty Kiernan.
As well as this, the ensemble cast includes Brendan Gleeson, Charles Dance, Gerard McSorley, Ian Hart, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Seán McGinley, Stephen Rea and Stuart Graham.
Michael Collins was acclaimed upon release, securing Oscar nominations in the Best Cinematography and Best Original Score category, though was criticised in some quarters for certain historical inaccuracies.
On top of adding Jordan’s film, Warner Bros. Entertainment also made another epic with an Irish connection, Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, available to watch through YouTube – although the video has since appeared to have been taken down.
Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy’s beloved comedy Waiting for Guffman is also currently available to stream for free on the Warner Bros. Entertainment YouTube channel.
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