Brendan Behan, a sixteen year-old IRA foot soldier, is going on a bombing mission from Ireland to Liverpool during the second world war. His mission is thwarted when he is apprehended, charged and imprisoned in Borstal, a reform institution for young offenders in East Anglia, England.
Acting
Shawn Hatosy's guarded vulnerability carries every frame.
Writing
Behan's autobiography adapted with wit that stings.
Director
Peter Sheridan
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real Brendan Behan became Ireland's most celebrated playwright; this borstal experience birthed his voice.
The film softens Behan's actual memoir—he was far more sexually active in reality, censorship being what it was for a 2001 IRA-themed release.
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