Shake Hands With the Devil

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Claudio C Shake Hands with the Devil (1959) Another Great Movie about the Irish Independence War (11,909 – 12 Sep 2025 – by Claudio Carvalho) In 1921, in Dublin, the American medical student Kerry O'Shea (Don Murray) is the son of Irish parents that are buried in Dublin. His roommate Paddy Nolan (Ray McAnally) loves to discuss politics, but Kerry’s concern is with his studies to be a surgeon. When Paddy is murdered by British soldiers protecting Kerry, he learns that his professor Sean Lenihan (James Cagney) is one leader of the IRA, and he invites Terry to join the outnumbered resistance, but he refuses. However, when he is mistakenly arrested and tortured by the British soldiers, he decides to join the Irish resistance. But soon he learns that Lenihan is obsessed for fighting and does not accept the peace treaty to be signed with the British. “Shake Hands with the Devil” (1959) is another great movie about the Irish Independence War. The fictional plot follows an American student with Irish deceased parents that is attracted to join the Irish resistance after witnessing and feeling the brutality of the British soldiers. The ploy is engaging, and James Cagney is excellent as usual in the role of a surgeon and leader of the IRA. My vote is eight. Title (Brazil): “De Mãos Dadas com o Diabo” (“Hand in Hand with the Devil”) My Blog: https://maniacosporfilme.wordpress.com/ Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/12/25 Full Review Grant H An enlightening and graphic account of the Irish Revolutionary War. An excellent cast led by James Cagney as his usual granite-like self but this time he's fighting for the goodies. Glynis Johns was never sexier! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/04/24 Full Review Audience Member Glynis Johns was a good hoor. Ira actions leading up to the civil war. Cagney early representation of killing coz deep seated sexual issues ...maybe his gun went off too quick. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member James Cagney adds a bit of grit to an almost-true story of British domination over the oppressed Irish people in 1921 Dublin. Known as the "Troubles" over there, the British invaded Ireland 500 years ago and killed anyone who wouldn't obey their laws. Irish independence is the theme of this film, and this independence would finally be achieved later on in the twentieth century, too late for any of the protaganists in this movie to enjoy. The events are based on a book detailing events that occurred in 1921. Cagney. Murray. Johns are all top notch in their roles. The film is rife with true dramatics, things that Americans were never to hear much about. Ireland was fighting for its independence two hundred years after the U.S. achieved theirs. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member A perfect match with Michael Collins for an Irish troubles double feature with some impressive directorial flourish from Anderson and another captivating Cagney showcase. There is some beautiful sights in the film, especially around the lighthouse where much of the later action takes place. Anderson adds plenty of excitement to his shots, such as the POV interrogation scene where all we see is a hand slapping away at the camera. The script offers a pretty evenhanded examination of the Irish strife, establishing a tense police-state atmosphere courtesy of the Black & Tans but not forgetting to show the harsh code of silence on the rebel side. The scene where Kerry O'Shea watches an IRA man break down after shooting an informer prostitute is still quite wrenching to watch. Cagney always keeps you off balance with his performance, a master at the anti-hero especially with this part. You always get a sense of a zealous determination to his fight for the cause, but the film last half hour shows him going over the line when he is unaccepting of the Anglo-Irish treaty, as in fact many were at the time. The final tragic showdown atop the windswept hilly coast is a nail biter and Anderson delivers right to the final frame with a beautiful shot of Lenihan's pistol falling to the beach sands below. Keep an eagle-eye out for a very young Richard Harris and Doctor Who's original Time-Lord, William Hartnell. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member Period piece concerning Ireland's fight for independence which was slow-paced and sometimes hard to stay interested. However, I did enjoy the presentation of the freedom fighter view. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Shake Hands With the Devil

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