Rating: 
Summary: A BRUTAL TRAGEDY
Review: "Bull" McCabe lives up to his name. He is stubborn, intimidating and determined to have his way even at the expense of harming his family and friends. This Irishman has a hold over his village that none can resist until he is challenged by the sale of his land. A powerful performance is given by Richard Harris as an old man whose love for a field borders on insanity. Neither the law or church can stand in his way to own what is rightfully his. This movie is filled with various themes. You see the confrontation of a man of the soil against modern progress. You witness the church in conflict with a pagan law of the land that oversteps the bounds of Christianity. Finally you see a young man attempting to be himself only to be dominated by his father. The brutal tragedy of this story is in the guilt and misplaced love and loyalties of the main character, his family and the village. All come crumbling down through the acts of a determined madman. Your emotions will be torn in sympathy with Bull who has worked all of his life for the land. Unfortunately his insane attitude causes you to wonder if indeed his cause is just. Richard Harris was superb. I highly recommend this film as it explores how a misplaced love can destroy the very soul of a people.
Rating: 
Summary: "The Field" A story of the land, a story of possession!
Review: 'The Field" is a story of possession, its Richard Harris who has a manical possession for the land that has been in his family that he wants to pass down to his son, played by Sean Bean. Sean's character is flawed, and he would rather be the lover of a traveler's girl, than stay and do what his dad wants with the land. Its Richard Harris and Sean Bean, and its the choices that each character makes, as well as the character played by Tom Berenger, who wants the land for a project. Its a film that shows Sean Bean at his very best acting ability! Its a film that will stay and haunt you for a while, and its a film that will make you remember Richard Harris, who had too much love for his farm! And yes you do see Richard Harris and Sean Bean again, in another film, "Patriot Games!" I have the Sean Bean Club on Yahoo Groups, come and join us for a discussion of Sean, an actor who dares to be different, an actor who takes parts that you would never expect to see him do. And yes Richard Harris is wonderful as usual as the farmer who cannot trust his own son with the land!
Rating: 
Summary: The real story
Review: Although some may think that this is a "powerful" movie, I refuse to believe so. Not only was it mediocre (Tom Berenger over-acts), but it seems that many animals were harmed and drugged for this movie (got this info from a non-profit web site) . On both counts, I rate this 1 star.
Rating:
Summary: A masterful movie on every level !!
Review: First of all, do not rent or buy this brilliantly photographed film until it is released in a widescreen / letterbox version. Period. Not only has it been "edited to fit your screen," this Pioneer Video edition is so fuzzy, it looks as if it was transferred from a bootleg VHS tape. Second, PLEASE ignore the reviews below in which the reviewer (a) couldn't understand the dialogue "because the Irish accents are way too thick" and therefore only understood the scenes with Tom Berenger as the Yank; (b) is a clown more concerned about possible animal abuse than filmmaking ("many animals were harmed and drugged for this movie -- got this info from a non-profit web site !"); or (c) thinks "Prince of the City" was a five star movie like Mostafa Hefny does (no kidding folks -- check out his other reviews). "The Field" is a masterful movie on every level: story, directing, acting, photography. If for no other reason, see it for Richard Harris' performance as the Bull McCabe. It is simply one of the finest acting performances ever filmed -- a "tour de force" as the cliche goes. But remember, wait till a proper widescreen / letterbox edition becomes available.
Rating:
Summary: A masterful movie on every level !!
Review: First of all, do not rent or buy this brilliantly photographed film until it is released in a widescreen / letterbox version. Period. Not only has it been "edited to fit your screen," this Pioneer Video edition is so fuzzy, it looks as if it was transferred from a bootleg VHS tape. Second, PLEASE ignore the reviews below in which the reviewer (a) couldn't understand the dialogue "because the Irish accents are way too thick" and therefore only understood the scenes with Tom Berenger as the Yank; (b) is a clown more concerned about possible animal abuse than filmmaking ("many animals were harmed and drugged for this movie -- got this info from a non-profit web site !"); or (c) thinks "Prince of the City" was a five star movie like Mostafa Hefny does (no kidding folks -- check out his other reviews). "The Field" is a masterful movie on every level: story, directing, acting, photography. If for no other reason, see it for Richard Harris' performance as the Bull McCabe. It is simply one of the finest acting performances ever filmed -- a "tour de force" as the cliche goes. But remember, wait till a proper widescreen / letterbox edition becomes available.
Rating:
Summary: A masterful movie on every level !!
Review: First of all, do not rent or buy this brilliantly photographed film until it is released in a widescreen / letterbox version. Period. Not only has it been "edited to fit your screen," this Pioneer Video edition is so fuzzy, it looks as if it was transferred from a bootleg VHS tape. Second, PLEASE ignore the reviews below in which the reviewer (a) couldn't understand the dialogue "because the Irish accents are way too thick" and therefore only understood the scenes with Tom Berenger as the Yank; (b) is a clown more concerned about possible animal abuse than filmmaking ("many animals were harmed and drugged for this movie -- got this info from a non-profit web site !"); or (c) thinks "Prince of the City" was a five star movie like Mostafa Hefny does (no kidding folks -- check out his other reviews). "The Field" is a masterful movie on every level: story, directing, acting, photography. If for no other reason, see it for Richard Harris' performance as the Bull McCabe. It is simply one of the finest acting performances ever filmed -- a "tour de force" as the cliche goes. But remember, wait till a proper widescreen / letterbox edition becomes available.
Rating: 
Summary: The Film is not up to the Play
Review: For the first thirty minutes, "The Field" is quite impressive. Based on John B. Keane's powerhouse of a play, the film loses its way when it detours from Keane's story. The ending of the film is an obvious rip-off of Yeats and unnecessary. Bull McCabe's denoument in the film pales in comparison to his character's final realization in the play. This would require a subtlety in direction that Sheridan does not possess. Hurt is terrific, Harris is good, Fricker is totally wasted and Bean is miscast. Too bad John Ford wasn't around to direct this picture. It would have been truly memorable. The film is worth the time, but if you get a chance to see a stage production, do not miss it. You will never forget it.
Rating:
Summary: an all-time favortie...
Review: I read a review of this film on Amazon - indicating that any Irish film must mention the Famine - the review irked me, everyone is entitled to an opinion, sure, but that observation struck me as a very disdainful comment on Irish culture & history than the film itself - after watching The Field again this evening, I decided to offer my own opinion. I love Jim Sheridan's work in general, but truly appreciate this film - an excellent story, believably written and acted with incredible delicacy. This film tops my list. I very highly recommend The Field as one of the finest & most moving tragedies on film.
Rating: 
Summary: At least it wasn't for a Yank burger shack
Review: Land developers beware of Irish backwaters - they're more trouble than they're worth. Old "Bull" McCabe (Richard Harris) and son Tadgh (Sean Bean) open THE FIELD by tossing the body of a donkey off a cliff into a body of water, and are then seen gathering seaweed, which they schlep over the mountains on their backs. It obviously isn't Kansas. As it turns out, Tadgh had killed the donkey when it broke down a wall and trespassed into the McCabe's field, a three-acre piece of pasture that Bull (and his forebears before him) have toiled over. The seaweed is used as fertilizer. After so many decades of sweat, the elder McCabe is convinced that the land is rightly his, though he pays monthly rent to an Englishwoman for the privilege of working it. Trouble erupts when the owner decides to sell THE FIELD to the highest bidder. The film has good intentions as it attempts to illustrate the pitfalls of identifying too closely with a piece of ground rather than just letting it go when some developer expresses an interest. In this case, the evil land grabber is a rich Irish-American (Tom Berenger), who's returning to the country of his roots. He wants to pave over Bull's field and make it a staging point for a quarry. (Consider some of the lands in dispute in today's world and imagine what nice parking lots they'd make for a new Wal-Mart.) THE FIELD is set after the English were chased from the Irish Republic, but before WWII. Harris is first rate as the old fighter who's not about to give up now despite other festering problems. McCabe's wife Maggie hasn't talked to him in eighteen years, apparently since their first-born son committed suicide, itself a millstone around Bull's neck. McCabe senior is now left with Tadgh, not the brightest bulb in the pub sign, who's not interested in inheriting Old dad's crummy lot anyhow and just wants to run off with a Gypsy temptress. THE FIELD is a dreary piece enlivened only by Richard's performance and that of John Hurt as "Bird" O'Donnell, evidently one of Bull's hired hands, who serves as either a catalyst of trouble or silent observer of events as the plot dictates. Berenger is non-descript as the rapacious Yank, and Bean's Tadgh is totally unengaging. Even Maggie's first words to Bull after the long dry spell are curiously lacking in profundity. Filmed entirely in Ireland, there's something to be said for the land's austere beauty as captured by the lens. However, by the end credits, I just didn't care about THE FIELD, its walls, its sheep, its cattle, its seaweed, and its crazy renter. Retire to Florida, already.
Rating:
Summary: At least it wasn't for a Yank burger shack
Review: Land developers beware of Irish backwaters - they're more trouble than they're worth. Old "Bull" McCabe (Richard Harris) and son Tadgh (Sean Bean) open THE FIELD by tossing the body of a donkey off a cliff into a body of water, and are then seen gathering seaweed, which they schlep over the mountains on their backs. It obviously isn't Kansas. As it turns out, Tadgh had killed the donkey when it broke down a wall and trespassed into the McCabe's field, a three-acre piece of pasture that Bull (and his forebears before him) have toiled over. The seaweed is used as fertilizer. After so many decades of sweat, the elder McCabe is convinced that the land is rightly his, though he pays monthly rent to an Englishwoman for the privilege of working it. Trouble erupts when the owner decides to sell THE FIELD to the highest bidder. The film has good intentions as it attempts to illustrate the pitfalls of identifying too closely with a piece of ground rather than just letting it go when some developer expresses an interest. In this case, the evil land grabber is a rich Irish-American (Tom Berenger), who's returning to the country of his roots. He wants to pave over Bull's field and make it a staging point for a quarry. (Consider some of the lands in dispute in today's world and imagine what nice parking lots they'd make for a new Wal-Mart.) THE FIELD is set after the English were chased from the Irish Republic, but before WWII. Harris is first rate as the old fighter who's not about to give up now despite other festering problems. McCabe's wife Maggie hasn't talked to him in eighteen years, apparently since their first-born son committed suicide, itself a millstone around Bull's neck. McCabe senior is now left with Tadgh, not the brightest bulb in the pub sign, who's not interested in inheriting Old dad's crummy lot anyhow and just wants to run off with a Gypsy temptress. THE FIELD is a dreary piece enlivened only by Richard's performance and that of John Hurt as "Bird" O'Donnell, evidently one of Bull's hired hands, who serves as either a catalyst of trouble or silent observer of events as the plot dictates. Berenger is non-descript as the rapacious Yank, and Bean's Tadgh is totally unengaging. Even Maggie's first words to Bull after the long dry spell are curiously lacking in profundity. Filmed entirely in Ireland, there's something to be said for the land's austere beauty as captured by the lens. However, by the end credits, I just didn't care about THE FIELD, its walls, its sheep, its cattle, its seaweed, and its crazy renter. Retire to Florida, already.
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