A wild, thrilling plea for Irish language rights

By Sarah T. Schwab

According to (Exodus 30:34-37), The Lord said to Moses: “[t]ake sweet spices, stacte, onycha and galbanum, with pure frankincense, and make an incense blended as by the perfumer . . . and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you; it shall be for you most holy.” This creates an incense that is often burned during Mass, but “Kneecap” (2024) asks, what if you add marijuana to the mix?

According to the opening scenes in “Kneecap” (2024), when two pre-adolescent brothers living in West Belfast add weed to the Old Testament recipe, mass attendance doubles in a week; the movie fast forwards 20 years later and finds the raging drug-abusing brothers suffering civil unrest in Northern Ireland’s capital. At issue are language rights, as The Queen’s English” (“curriculum of the colonizer”) opposed by those who speak de facto Irish tongue, including Arlo (Michael Fassbender).

Arlo belongs to paramilitary group who teaches his sons the Irish language and vows to “Keep the British out.” He has them watch American Westerns, telling them to “[l]ook at it from the Indian’s point of view. Every word of Irish spoken is a bullet fired for Irish freedom.” This is “Kneecaps” theme, literally and metaphorically.

Arlo has been on the run for 10 years after blowing up many cars, faking his death, and leaving behind a depressed, house-bound wife. She tries to care for two lost boys who refuse to speak anything but Irish while living in a Belfast filled with car bombings, protests, and kneecappings (seriously hurting or killing people). The boys run from thugs, “Peelers” (police), the “Democratic Unionist Party,” “New Republicans Against Drugs,” and the “Radical Republicans Against Drugs” all of whom are at odds about “England getting out of Ireland.”

“Kneecap” is directed by Rich Peppiatt in a style similar to “Trainspotting” (1996) with its frenzied, propelling, and provocative vibes. Instead of following “Trainspotting’s” drug addicts throughout
Edinburgh, UK, “Kneecap’s” audience rides along with “Kneecap’s” real-life band: Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí, in a riveting rollercoaster ride. The band, formed in 2017 surrounding Sinn Féin’s nonviolent proposed “Irish Language Act,” co-wrote the film with Peppiatt.

The band fights for Irish language rights through hip-hop, joined by a high school music teacher/Irish-translato (Dochartaight) who secretly creates beats in his garage, and sacrifices much to join the fight for Irish language rights plight, saying Irish has become like an animal at the zoo behind glass: “look but don’t touch. Someone needs to break the glass and set the animal free.”

As the band “Kneecap” skyrockets, anti-social behavior and drugs negatively impact the trio. Traditional Irish songs cut between hip hop, signaling hope for a new beginning and inspiring the band to of come up with novel ways to create and spread their message through authenticity and heart.

“Kneecap” is more than just an action movie, and creatively uses Claymation and surreal visual effects to champion the message with which the film concludes: “[a]cross the globe an indigenous language dies every 40 days.”

“Kneecap” has a runtime of 1:45. It can be seen at Western New York Regal Cinemas locations.