The Secret Army: The Lost Documentary about the IRA (2024 Podcast Episode) User Reviews

(Intelligence) Men Against Boys

[torrascotia · 7/10 · 27 March 2024]

The BBC have just released this on their iPlayer platform and was announced by an article on their news page. Intended or not it gave the impression that was available was the actual once lost film. When in fact it's a documentary about the lost film. That aside this is a highly informative and engaging doc, which sheds light on how an incompetent and naive IRA sought to further their cause with a propaganda film. Hardly surprising when you realise the majority of them were so young they were still in school and blinded by idealistic views promoted by elders pulling the strings. Without giving any spoilers, it transpires that a number of agencies were interested in the IRA and they had the mechanisms to get the facts. Especially when they were so keen to be on film. This documentary signposts the failure of the group to achieve any of their stated goals by the means they employed. One quote sums up the entire thing, "It was a pointless endeavour". Very true once you see the overall picture. As everyone knows it was the change to politics which lead to real change. Like the recent documentary series about the troubles, there are talking heads. Some of the ones here you may never have heard of but your certainly seen the outcomes of the decisions they made. Worth the 90 min running time. No doubt the Americans will turn this into a movie at some point.