KNUCKLE
Directed by: Ian Palmer
I grew up around some tough kids. These were the type that would fight each other every week over the silliest of offenses. Gathering together in the playground, we would watch them beat the living crap out of each other until teachers came and broke it up. It was stupid, it was violent and it was addictive.
KNUCKLE, a terrific documentary from Ireland, is about a whole family of tough individuals named the Quinns. The film covers 12 years of one feud between the Quinns and their foes, the Joyces. Their hatred grew from a manslaughter incident back in 1992 and since then the two sides have taunted each other through videos which inevitably end in a fight at some secluded countryside locale. Just like a book from The Bible, that’s the way it is, year after year, no questions asked.
Though it could have been, KNUCKLE isn’t a comedic documentary. And, though he could have, director Ian Palmer doesn’t look down upon the Quinns. He cares for the family despite their flaws and you can tell they have taken a liking to him as well. This leads to some candid moments from several Quinn members and gives us insight into why they do what they do. Without Palmer’s ability to draw this out, KNUCKLE wouldn’t be half the film it is.
The movie is mostly centered around James who is the perfect protagonist. He’s the toughest Quinn in the family and a natural character. He’s quiet, undefeated and also smart. He’s an intriguing lead, surprisingly soft spoken even though he can knock your lights out. It’s James that draws you in and drives the drama, he’s a wonderful subject for the film. Palmer is lucky to have found him and lucky to have gotten so close.
This isn’t the type of documentary centered around just one event but years and years of brawling. We see these characters grow older but not necessarily wiser. It’s a fascinating passage of time that never gets confusing or boring. It’s also sad because you can bet that Palmer could make a sequel fifteen years from now and the Quinns and Joyces would still be fighting. That being said, it feels like he captured the perfect period with the height of James’s skills.
Aside from good timing, Palmer is a natural talent behind the camera. He shoots the fights well but also spends ample time interviewing family members and displaying their ways of life. He also has several revealing moments with young kids who are adamant about growing up to fight. As I said, a sequel could happen.
There’s an underlying feeling of sadness in KNUCKLE that blew me away. For a movie about fighting, there’s a lot of character work in the film. That’s one of the things that makes it so great, it gets in deep. I learned a lot about the Quinns and Joyces, more than I thought I would. While they don’t have a lot, they have their pride and they’ll do anything to defend it.
