Will DiCaprio depict Brian Boru, in the upcoming Movie?

[storybud]

Joel, fair point, but as I remember from reading many years ago - too late to surf - Boru was a bit of a Bastid to his own but that was the only way to get things done, and it is such a pity his like was not around to beat ten colours of ************************e out of cromwell or King Billy and his German/Dutch soldiers ( Paisley always forgets this ) and the orange order must have the most ridiculous historians to try and explain the land thievery that was the plantation and turn it into a religious crusade,,,

Di-Caprio is not the guy, Nick Nolte or Brendan Gleeson on a bad day is the best choice, proper men,,

[Riadach]

Do you think King Billy was responsible for the plantations storybud?

[joel]

It tells the story of Boru's battle against the invading Vikings. Insiders are describing it as an "Irish Braveheart". It's understood that negotiations with DiCaprio and his agents are in the final stages.

...

DiCaprio, 32, has been in negotiations for the past six months and a decision on the contract is expected this week. The film will tell the story of Boru's rise to become a powerful leader and will culminate in the Battle of Clontarf between his Irish army and the Vikings.

The Holywoodisation of Irish history continues. A couple of points about this Ború fella:

(a) The Vikings that BB and his army fought at Clontarf were not invaders. The Nordy feckers had been here for several generations long before that upstart and usurper got his gander up.

(b) Irish armies fought on both sides at Clontarf. The Vikings were joined by the Leinstermen who had little truck with BB's attempts to set himself up as emperor of the Irish, whatver his propagandist biographers might have claimed.

The Battle of Clontarf was more akin to a civil war fought primarilly for politico-military supremacy within Ireland. I do hope, vainly I am sure, that we don't get some latterday freedom-paen from Hollywood of the plucky, Christian Irish defeating pagan, barbarian Vikings!

I don't think you are right. Men were brought in from all over the Viking world to fight Boru - Iceland, Orkney, Isle of Man, etc. And if Boru was defeated then it may well have resulted in a Viking takeover of Ireland, as they had already done in England.

As it was, the Viking army was destroyed and Viking ambitions in Ireland ended forever.

It was actually a disaster for the Vikings - and the battle (including the death of Boru) recorded in the Viking sagas.

[Riadach]

I don't think anyone claims it was a war against the Vikings per se, but that does not mean for a second that the battle of Cluain Tarbh wasn't. The cause of the battle was not to prevent the Vikings from taking over Ireland, it was rather an attempt by Maelmórdha of Leinster to shake off the yolk of his ex-brother-inlaw. Naturally he invoked the aid of his nephew Sitrick Silkbeard, who arranged a vast army from caithness, the western Isles and the Orkneys. Had this army won, then there is no doubt they would have capitalised on their advantage. A weakened munster would have left it open completely to their preys, Vikings and Leinstermen looking for spoils of their victory. It could have restarted a new viking age, therefore it was a massive setback to Norse pretensions. Do not forget either, that Canute was able to conquer England with 10,000 men a year later, it is said that the Vikings and Leinstermen at clontarf had 7,000, while Brian himself had 7,400(including his viking allies).

It may have been a pyrrhic victory, and Brian may have not been able to fulfill his initial dream of establishing a dalcassian monarchy of all Ireland, but let us not forget for a second that the victory at Clontarf, was as much a defeat for Norse pretensions on Ireland, the final blow as it were, as it was for Leinster assertions of independence. After this, no Viking settlement was able to act with much independence, and they were truly assimilated into Irish polity.

[FutureTaoiseach]

Well he was good in "Gangs of New York". Regarding the "Irish Braveheart" thing though, that description would probably make more sense in the context of a movie about 1798 or one of the other rebellions rather than about the Battle of Clontarf as the Vikings were not the oppressors the English/British were later on.

[Riadach]

They weren't but you should read Cogadh Gaedhel who depict them exactly like that. The Babylonian captivity of the Irish it should be called. The Cogadh has to be one of the greatest propaganda victories in history in that regard.

[joel]

Well he was good in "Gangs of New York". Regarding the "Irish Braveheart" thing though, that description would probably make more sense in the context of a movie about 1798 or one of the other rebellions rather than about the Battle of Clontarf as the Vikings were not the oppressors the English/British were later on.

You are kidding! - wasn't Boru's own family and village wiped out by them? They were ravaging all of Munster at that time - it was Boru's rise that turned the tables.

Do you think they were tourists!

[Riadach]

Were they?

His father survived.

His brother survived, one preceded him in kingship and the other was a cleric if I recall.

If there is such an accusation, then it would only be found in Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh which is not to be trusted for historical accuracy (although is used as a source for military strategy by Marie Therese Flanagan). There is not evidence to suggest that we ever suffered a babylonian captivity by the vikings, but rather raids and lootings, which frankly, we were well capable of doing ourselves.

[Dasayev]

The problem with these movies is that they are always about "Freedom!"

Even though they may involve the complicated histories of Scotland or Rome or wherever, and now Ireland, they seem to be nothing more than American propaganda movies more suited to the 1980's.

This Brian Boru movie with a very minor re-write could probably be set in Norway in the 40's or Afghanistan in the 80's. They involve the simple idea driving out of an evil invader in the name of freedom, with a love story tacked on to make the whole thing more commercial.

It's a pity that Ireland doesn't make more movies about our own history instead of leaving it to Hollywood.

[easygoing]

Brian Boru lived into his 80s, did he not, and DiCaprio is 32. I would have loved to see Richard Harris play him.

Now there is a man who could have captured the heart of Boru

I agree. But what about Brendan Gleeson? Thank God it's not to be Colin Skanger Farrell, though. Or Mick Lally.