oh dear . yet another example of oireland and religion . no doubt we will be see some depressing nonsense feature some hunky and macho freedom fighter from the ira . well that be my initial reaction when the credit start but just over an hour and a half later i be in a state of shock . what a superb movie the story start on the day of the wedding between sean cloney and sheila kelly in the 1950s . there be a slight problem since theyre get marry in the catholic church and that be sheila be a protestant but in order for the wedding to happen sheila take a pledge that her child will be bring up catholic and attend the catholic school when theyre old enough . the story which be set in the 1950s then jump forward a few year when the cloney daughter be about to start school but sheila have decide they will be attend the local protestant school much to the disgust of local priest father stafford . from there thing escalate let me put my card on the table and state that despite have both irish catholic and scottish protestant heritage i be bring up a agnostic and have consider myself a an atheist throughout my adult life . in fact when it come to religion i consider myself a marxist and religion be a cynical weapon use to manipulate people . a love divide show what happen when self appoint moral guardian take it upon themselves to tell other people what to think and believe . may i have the temerity to state that if karl marx saw this movie he would love it and call it a masterpiece . perhaps i shouldn not since the drama of this story show what happen when other people do your thinking for you in reply to the couple of reviewer who have claim this movie be propaganda of the bad sort i do not claim to know the exact detail of what happen in county wexford and there no denying that father stafford and his flock of catholic sheep be portray a be the bad guy but sheila isn not blameless herself . think about a woman living in a rural village in 1950s ireland who take a pledge to bring her child up a catholic then change her mind and believe there will be no consequence of this . this be a warning against take pledge and not keep to them . not only that but she disappear to let other people pick up the piece of their shattered life . there also something that no one else have pick up upon and that be that the only character with any type of moral sense be former ira man andy bailey who be show a be gallant not because he be a former ira member ( that make a change . be not talk about the devil own here ) but simply because he be an atheist who have decide to think for himself a love divide be a superb movie that have a lot to say for itself and all of which i agree with . if there any sort of criticism it that it feel too much like a tvm rather than a cinematic movie but believe me i can live with that and be essential view to anyone who think religion be the opium of the mass .