The Plot: Investigative journalist and RTE news reporter Charlie Bird is battling motor neurone disease. It’s taken away his voice as his condition deteriorates, but his mind is still very alert. There is one still story still left in him to tell. Using his journalistic sources and working with friend Colin Murphy, Bird digs deep into a previously untold chapter in Irish political history. In 1979, the Department Of Agriculture received a letter demanding £5,000,000. If not met, foot and mouth disease would be introduced to livestock with the serious potential of immense economic and societal damage…
The Verdict: The late Charlie Bird was renowned for his eagle eye for a story and his ability to get to the truth of it while ensuring journalistic integrity. At a time when journalism itself is frequently under attack and too easily and cynically dismissed as ‘fake news’ by those in power who themselves need to be held to account, there’s something reassuringly old-school about his approach. The clock was ticking on him though. Diagnosed with motor neurone disease, he did not let his terminal illness come to define him. This is something that is very evident in Colm Quinn’s feature documentary Ransom ’79, which charts Bird in the last months of his life in parallel with one last story that dovetails neatly with his whole career. Described by Colin Murphy as the eyes and ears on the frontline, Bird unearths a tense cat-and-mouse story with all the makings of an engrossing political thriller like the recent dramatised film Baltimore.
It’s a change of pace for director Quinn, who previously made the amusingly daft but entertaining documentary ‘Mattress Men’. There’s no need for a hard sell for ‘Ransom ’79’ though as it’s all right there in its setup. The subject is the story and vice versa, weaved through an intricate political situation in 1979 when the Government was dealing with all manner of crime, terrorism and a delicate economic climate. Quinn’s camera follows Bird as he digs up correspondence between Government representatives and the ransom gang through the newspapers. The letters got increasingly threatening as the Government resorted to delaying tactics, hoping that the gang might slip up as they gradually revealed more about themselves. Bird follows his leads to build a near-complete story, tracking down interviewees and putting names and faces to the suspects. There’s also archive footage, tense dramatised recreations and most importantly the ransom letters themselves which have the narrative weight needed to power the story along.
In journalism the trail can sometimes go cold, multiple plot threads are left hanging in the air and the resolution may simply be unattainable as those responsible may be dead by now. It’s to Bird and Murphy’s credit then that even with time running out they’ve managed to assemble an engrossing story that has a satisfying resolution. As Bird admits, some days were difficult and he wanted to die. However, he turned this around and said that his terminal illness kept him alive and focused on this story which is a positive way of dealing with the inevitable. Quinn deals with this sensitively, showing Bird’s struggles as he’s cared for by his wife Claire but also discreetly moves the camera to one side when required. The terminal illness aspect of the film becomes more of a catalyst than a burden – an admirable approach that has a dramatic sophistication to it.
Rating: 4 / 5
Review by Gareth O’Connor
In short: Doubly powerful
Directed by Colm Quinn.
Starring Charlie Bird, Colin Murphy.