It makes me question if understanding this film hinges on whether someone is from Britain or Ireland. To my mind, it illustrates the familiar saying about how one person’s terrorist can be another’s freedom fighter, and James Cagney, playing "Lenihan," conveys that idea effectively. His role involves a professor with republican sympathies who brings “O'Shea” (Don Murray) into the fold after a friend is injured by the…

Shake Hands with the Devil is a film by Michael Anderson, based on a screenplay by Marian Spitzer adapted from Rearden Conner’s novel. The cast includes James Cagney, Don Murray, Dana Wynter, Glynis Johns, Michael Redgrave and Sybil Thorndike; William Alywyn composed the music, and Erwin Hillier was in charge of cinematography. The story unfolds in 1920s Dublin, Ireland, during a time when the Irish Republican Arm…