“We must try to find ways to starve the terrorists the oxygen of publicity on which they depend” (Thatcher, 1985) is a famous quote from the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom: Margaret Thatcher. It was her belief that in order to take down terrorists and deter them from their acts that the press should choose to not cover any unnecessary information regarding the people and their motives. She believed that governments have every right to take action in order to take down terrorists or release any hostages they may have taken.
The Northern Irish troubles have been met with mass criticism over the use of the media to cover up and provide false information in order to attempt to hide any sort of illegal acts by the British Government. As Thatcher stated, there was no mention of motives or any sort of background information regarding the IRA and the attacks that they carried out. “As far back as 1971, critics were observing that television news bulletins were not attempting to explain what was happening in the North: comment was rigorously excluded from the news, and was treated as the preserve of current affairs programmes.” (Curtis, p.107,1984)
A film, which critiques this belief, is the political thriller “Hidden Agenda”. (Loach, 1990) Hidden Agenda depicts the issue of terrorism carried out by the British State, which occurred during the Northern Irish Troubles. The plot sees an American civil rights lawyer assassinated after obtaining a tape of information regarding possible government corruption. The film is inspired by the Stalker Affair which saw police official John Stalker removed from the case he was investigating, a killing carried out by the British security force, after discovering evidence which could have perhaps proved that the killing was unjustified. The character of Detective Kerrigan is used as a middle ground between those in the Government and the police, and those who are fighting against them. Throughout the film, he brings balance and integrity to his investigation, helping the audience gain a greater insight into the corruption of those in power.
The film opens with a quote, accompanied by calm music and a birds eye view of the Irish countryside landscape. “The entire ownership of Ireland, moral and material, up to the sun and down to the centre is vested of right in the people of Ireland”. (James Fintan Lalor, 1807-1849) This landscape and colour palette gives the viewer a calm sense of belonging and makes for enjoyable viewing. As the city is approached, the mood changes. The Orange Walk band is introduced and the scene becomes loud and chaotic. A Margaret Thatcher quote then accompanies this: “Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom as much as my constituency is” (Margaret Thatcher, 1981).
The two scenes when compared clearly show conflicting views on Ireland and where it truly belongs. The walk is littered with Union Jacks, the first political showing of the film, while there is an extremely heavy police presence. Dressed in camouflage and brandishing guns, it cuts to a small boy watching the proceedings providing a strict comparison of ideologies.
The film is quick to portray a sense of resentment towards the British Government and their wrong doings. During a press conference, the Shoot to kill policy is discussed. Between 1969 and 1980, 130 people were killed by the security forces, half of which were civilians with no involvement in “paramilitary” activities. This is the first instance where the audience is shown directly the film’s stance on the Government. By referring to the IRA as “paramillitant” instead of terrorists, the word has less harsh connotations. Instead of being a terrorist organisation, the IRA is seen as a group who are organised and dedicated to their cause.
If they were instead referred to as “terrorists”, this would give an idea of their actions being “illegitimate and merits a condemnation as criminal behaviour”. (Schlesinger, Murdock, Elliott, Graham, & Murdock, p.1, 2013) The audience is shown that the British Government are in fact the one committing illegitimate acts, which, as the characters are trying to prove, have been criminal behaviour.
“The overall tendency of the British press was to simplify by writing the IRA into the headlines… Reports in the Irish Papers were more complex… More emphasis was placed in assessing responsibility, not simply in the sense of reciting alternative versions but in the sense of deciding which was more likely to be correct”. (Elliott, p.300, 1977) In a strict show of the Populist perspective, the British Press took the initiative of showing no mercy to those who had committed act and instead of reporting on the news, they instead placed blame and created panic in terms of the people who were at fault for the crimes committed in Northern Ireland.
The first real insight the audience gain of the Government’s manipulation of the media is the death of Paul Sullivan and the circumstances surrounding this. The audience first sees the unprovoked drive by shooting in which Paul Sullivan perishes, where the tape is then taken from his body. Immediately after this, a radio report is heard in the background describing a false report of the attack, stating that the car drove towards a police checkpoint that caused the forces to have to shoot at them, causing them to swerve off the road.
When the police set up their base after arriving in Northern Ireland, an official named Brodie, who tells them a similar statistic to the one revealed in the press conference, meets them. “In the last 12 years the Royal Ulster constabulary have fought to maintain the peace against the terrorists. 140 people have given their lives.” (Loach, 1990) This immediately gives the viewer an idea of the narrative structure and interweaves the views of the two different sides: the Government and the IRA. The film shows the audience that those who are in power, such as the press and the police, are quick to shift the blame from themselves onto the IRA, even when they have been responsible for what could also be seen as criminal activity.
After the death of MP Bobby Sands, the Times took an approach similar to that of Brodie in the film. Christopher Thomas wrote in his article “The Roman Catholics buried Robert Sands yesterday as Protestants lamented their 2000 dead from 12 years of terrorism”. The article also referenced the implication that the IRA had killed 2000 people who were Protestants. “Indeed the official figure for the number killed in the troubles since 1969 was just over 2000. Thomas was in fact blaming the IRA for every single death.” (Curtis, p.108, 1984) This viewpoint directly relates to that of “Hidden Agenda”, as this is a stance that several of the characters in power have taken. It is their belief that even when it is them doing the killing, the IRA are responsible and have drove them to do so.
The film concludes on a quote from James Miller, an ex MI5 agent. “It is like layers of an onion, and the more you peel them away, the more you feel like crying. There are two laws running this country: one for the security services and one for the rest of us.”
The film shows a relatively open critique of Margaret Thatcher’s quote due to it’s use of a narrative structure depicting the story of those not involved with the Government and those on the side of the so-called “terrorists”: the IRA. Even those who are not directly involved with the IRA, and even those such as Detective Kerrigan, consistently critique the Government’s tactics and handling of the troubles that Northern Ireland face throughout.