The award-warning 1996 film Michael Collins has been put online to view for free – a nice change from having to log into Netflix or scour your TV recordings.
In an age of streaming apps and subscription services, straightforward access to a film can sometimes feel like a thing of the past – but the team at Warner Bros has made the generous move of uploading the dramatic biopic directly to their YouTube channel. The 1996 blockbuster tells the story of Michael Collins’ struggle for Irish independence – starting with his role in the 1916 Easter Rising and famously culminating with a recreation of his death in 1922 at Béal na Bláth in West Cork.
Liam Neeson starred as the Big Fella – alongside other A-listers like Julia Roberts as Collins’ fiancée Kitty and Alan Rickman as Éamon de Valera. You can see the film for free on the Warner Bros YouTube channel here.
There were plans in Hollywood for a movie about Collins for years. At one point Gabriel Byrne was tipped to star as the man himself. American actor Kevin Costner was also interested in the project for a time – even visiting West Cork and the site of Collin’s final stand.
The Neil Jordan-directed film isn’t the only dramatic attempt to depict Collins’ life. Last year musician and satirist Paddy Cullivan brought his 5-star showThe Murder of Michael Collins to Cork.
The Rebel County still holds a great grá for Collins. In 2023 the Imperial Hotel in the city centre – where Collins spent his last night – unveiled a statue of the Irish revolutionary to commemorate the 101st anniversary of his killing.
Another statue of Collins was later added to Grand Parade, where he made a speech in March 1922.
In November 2023 prop rifles from the movie went up for sale, along with items from the 2006 film The Wind that Shakes the Barley.
Michael Collins was an international hit when it came out in 1996, making $32.8 million on a $25 million budget – a relative steal by today’s standards. For comparison the 2023 biopic Oppenheimer , starring Cillian Murphy, cost $100 million to make. Even adjusted for inflation, Michael Collins comes in at less than half that cost.