Salma Chicas

October 2nd, 2018

Green
Cinematic Analysis Part : ​Far and Away

Released in 1992, the film ​Far and Away ​follows two Irish immigrants from varying

social statuses, Joseph Donnelly and Shannon Christie, as they are thrown into the melting pot,

seeking to have a taste of the late 19th century American Dream, free land. Initially set in 1892,

Western Ireland, the audience is introduced to Joseph Donnelly, a young, ambitious tenant

farmer. The film reveals the unjust system in which those with more prowess and money are

given more privileges as well as more opportunities to exploit those below them. After years of

oppression have incited the tenant farmers, many begun to rebel against their landlords. In

response to the recent death of his father and burning of his home, Joseph develops a desire for

revenge on his landlord and his morally corrupt liaisons. Originally, with intent to kill his

landlord, Mr. Christie, Joseph Donnelly follows him to his house, where he meets his daughter,

Shannon Christie. Unconventional and seeking to live a “modern” life, Shannon yearns for an

opportunity. ​After realizing that they both have similar interests, Joseph joins Shannon on her

voyage to America. ​Travelling by boat, the couple ends up in Boston, Massachusetts, where they

are warned that they will not be lucky finding labor due to the discrimination against the Irish in

America. Joseph befriends a man named Mike Kelly who claims to have power throughout the

neighborhood, to help Irish find the road to citizenship. Both Joseph and Shannon are given the

opportunity to work in a factory, plucking chickens which gives a low pay and the boss tends to

insult the workers.In the factory, Shannon, who was once accustomed to a life where she didn’t

have to lift a finger was appalled by the mistreatment she was given. She finally could empathize

with Joseph, learning what it was like to be vulnerable to a superior. Desperate and frustrated by
his working conditions, Joseph enters a boxing match in an Irish bar, to everyone’s surprise

Joseph is a powerful fighter due to his fearlessness and determination. He continues fighting, but

as he scores victory after victory, those operating the bar, Mike Kelly and his associates, claim to

own Joseph. When Joseph establishes he fights solely for himself, he is threatened considering

that Mike Kelly gave him his source of shelter and provided him with a web of connections.

Losing his big fight, Joseph and Shannon are cut off from Mike Kelly’s assistance and find it

difficult to obtain shelter or help from anyone. Joseph served as a pawn, after his loss they no

longer saw any use for him. Months later, after working out in the Ozark Mountains, Joseph

encounters a group of Pioneers travelling west to the Oklahoma territory. In realization of his

first goal in coming to America, Joseph finally claims a piece of land as his own. Free from the

grasp of his past employers, he had fulfilled his ambition to work independently.

Far and Away, a​ film exploring the Irish immigrant experience in America, displays the

difficulty many irish had under poor working conditions in both Ireland and America to reveal

the disparity between wealthy, corrupt business and landowners and those defenseless, who

worked for them. The film took place in 1892, Western Ireland, as Joseph Donnelly is introduced

as a tenant farmer who is living to witness the rebellion created by his fellow farmers who are

appalled by the taxes and evictions imposed on them. To embody the frustration of many tenants

in Ireland, the film included a powerful line in which a farmer is insulting a a tax collector for the

landlord, “between your lungs, there’s neither heart nor spirit, but the lump of your own

swallowed money!” Joseph, being lucky enough to find a way to come to the United States,

immediately learns that the American Dream which states success and freedom will come to

those who work for it, is not applicable to everyone. The Irish were discriminated against in 19th
century America. For the purposes of the movie and entertainment, Joseph and Shannon are

lucky in finding the next step, a place where many immigrants are stuck for months. Like many

Joseph was “ because capitalism during this time had little or no regulation, Irish immigrants

were often exposed to exploitation” (Irish and German 13). In the 19th century, many Irish were

forced to work in poor conditions, because if they didn't take the jobs they would not be able to

provide for their families or feed themselves. The film does not go into detail about the hardships

an irish immigrant faces in America because Joseph Donnelly is one of the luckier ones, as he is

paid well temporarily for his boxing matches, but when thrown back out onto the street, this

experience is revealed. In the film, When Joseph is searching for a job, someone refuses him

because he was Irish. This was a common excuse at the time, to deny an Irish an opportunity

because of their descent. Themes like these are later expressed in the film when Joseph is at the

Oklahoma territory and as the race for land is about to commence, a shot is shown of Native

Americans with solemn faces, looking as the land they once owned is being given away right

before their eyes. The Native Americans were often ignored in films or were not portrayed justly,

even though the movie showed a quick image of them, it was a large impact. Despite its potential

to spread a powerful message, the film was released in 1992, a time period where the movie did

not carry much significance. Instead, the movie was praised for the inclusion of two very

prominent hollywood actors, Tom Cruise as Joseph Donnelly and Nicole Kidman as Shannon

Christie. Reviews on the movie do not exceed from discussing the cast’s chemistry, controversy

over the plot and acting. The film made no visible impression on the public with it’s message.

Leaving the viewers to believe that this film was yet another cheesy romance movie.
 (Analyze the use of metaphor and imagery in the film, citing examples)

Far and Away u​ tilizes both metaphors and imagery to further emphasize the message and

exaggerate the emotion of the film. Fire serves as recurring imagery perhaps of hatred,

compassion, or new beginnings. Early in the film, associates of the landlord burn down the house

of Joseph Donnelly. This image of committing a heinous act and then proceeding to laugh after

displays the lack of compassion and respect the superiors had for their workers. The farmer's

return the favor later in the film by burning down the house of their landlord, Mr. Christie. This

symbolizes the end of an era. Following Joseph and Shannon’s arrival in Boston, the film

includes a shot showing a crowded street. The imagery of a crowded America expresses

competition and a sense of feeling small. Joseph and Shannon are small at their arrival, they are

not aware of the customs of America, where to look to get a job, who to trust, etc. Late 19th

century Americans possessed the same dream, Joseph and Shannon were just another

contribution to that number. Seeking better paying labor, Joseph becomes caught up in fighting

and rather than saving his money for Oklahoma, he takes part in purchasing a shelf full of hats.

After Joseph asks Shannon what she thinks of his hats, the conversation escalates and she replies,

“ you have turned into a snob!” It’s ironic that Shannon tells him that as she used to be

considered morally corrupt because of her wealth. The hats which he purchased and values

symbolized the materialistic culture of America and how power can corrupt. Furthermore, the

fact that Joseph fought rather than worked in a factory of some sort symbolizes the strength and

power of the entertainment industry in America. In his first night of fighting he earned $4 which

was apparently more than a month’s work of chicken plucking at the factory Shannon and him

used to work at. Continuing the imagery, the film includes a scene of a native americans face is
shown when the oklahoma race to claim land is about to begin. This scene allows empathy for

the Native Americans who were often ignored in the media or depicted wrongfully. Their land

was taken from them, then they had to watch as it was being handed away for free. The use of

imagery within ​Far and Away ​clarifies the messages within the film as well as strengthens the

audience’s emotional connection to the film.

 Works Cited

"Built in a Day: The Oklahoma Land Rush." ​Experience Your America,​ pdf ed. Originally

published in ​The Museum Gazette​, Aug. 2001.

“Immigration Data and Statistics.”​U.S. Department of Homeland Security Seal. ​(accessed

October 03, 2018).

​ ay, 19. 2014.

Martin, Phillip.“Trends in Migration to the U.S..”​Popular Reference Bureau. M

Stan Hoig, "Land Run of 1889," ​The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture​,

www.okhistory.org (accessed October 02, 2018).

Tagore, Amanda A., "Irish and German Immigrants of the Nineteenth Century: Hardships,

Improvements, and Success" (2014). Honors College Theses. Paper 136.

http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/honorscollege_theses/136​.