MovieChat Forums > Knuckle (2011) Discussion > Just watched it

Just watched it

posted 13 years ago by killerpuppet666
16 replies | jump to latest

Wanted to see it since I first heard about it and i have to say its a Good documentry. Although I found the Naration was far to quiet (I had to strain to hear what was being said sometimes). An incredible insight into a world that few will ever know. Respect to the Lads who spent the last 12 years making it. Whilst i can honestly say i didnt find any of the footage particually shocking i did find some aspects strange. The Main guy at the start gets shot by masked men but its played down and no reason for it is ever given. The fight between the two older men. He was clearly winning but decided to egt himeslf disqualified by biting. Finally The Refs at the end seemed intent on settling it as a draw when it seemed like the younger brother was going to win. Still a good documentry. But it certainly left me asking questions. Any how would be nice to see if theres a follow up done. Intresting to know whats happend in the years since.

YOU NEVER COULD BEAT ME EGG SHEN!

[–] r-sionnach 13 years ago

I haven't seen this yet but will soon. I am Irish and know a little bit of the history of the Traveler community... just to answer the question of the biting.

These guys are passionate about who they are. They have their own ways, unwritten rules, laws and pretty much their own culture. You will see that there is a referee in these fights but that's only a recent phenomenon and literally used to be an anything goes fight before they came along.

The fights are usually to resolve family feuds and in this doc it seems to be a long ongoing one. The original thinking behind the biting was to scar the other guy for life so that he would know and everyone in the community would know who had won that fight and who the bigger man was. They would normally bite the face too, like bite an ear or the nose off so that the guy couldn't hide the scar and it would be permanently visible (unless he got plastic surgery to repair it or something).

This kind of fighting eventually got out of hand as some guy were almost bleeding to death and dying, so they brought the referees and 'rules' in. I am guessing that the fight between the 2 "older" guys got out of hand and the old lad either forgot that he was supposed to be fighting with some kind of rules in place that disallowed biting or else he didn't care and decided to go old school and permanently scar the other guy.

I hope this explains at least that part.

[–] killerpuppet666 13 years ago

I think youll understand my question more once youve seen it. Biting is shown early on as unnaceptable and is pretty much seen as a shamefull thing to do. The fight in question is between two older men (in there 50s or so) one is clearly winning but then bites his apponent and is disqualified. Very odd considering theres money riding on the fight. I found it by chance online so if you keen to see it a quick google Search should turn up the results.

YOU NEVER COULD BEAT ME EGG SHEN!

[–] TheToot 13 years ago

Thought the needless bite was very odd, maybe he just hated the dude so much and lost control but it was pretty stupid none the less, guy was out on his feet. I also thought that the fat dude was losing when the fight was declared a draw.

Good show all in all and an interesting insight into the feuds, I can see how hard it would be to let a defeat go when not only does the family name take a hit but also the family finances since everyone seems to have a stake.

[–] Slaid 13 years ago

The fat guy at the end was definitely getting his ass kicked.

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[–] zepha100 13 years ago

Watched this like a month ago on sky box office, was a really good watch i just wish he didn't have to miss that big fight, and the last fight in the documentary was a big disappointment.

Also i really wish he had also filmed some of that fat old guys fights (cant remember his family name) he looked like a mean bastard

[–] rrpostal 13 years ago

I was wondering if body shots were illegal or not "fair play" because he could've rocked that guy's gut all day.

[–] Husskade 13 years ago

Just watched and agree it IS a really good documentary.Agreed at times the narration was too quiet and I thought some of the subtitles simplified what the men were actually saying a little too much.

Having watched 'My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding' (yes I'm sorry but I did) I was struck by the differences between the very few women shown in the doc (shyness,style etc) and those shown for TV and wondered why.

Overall,thoroughly enjoyed it and would also like to know if someone will produce a follow up in 10 years.

'He's a very naughty boy!'

[–] rrpostal 13 years ago

There were a couple women that said the only sensible thing in the whole video. They claimed that the fighting for a name thing is stupid and yada yada. I took it for more than "womanly" hyperbole, but that may have been all it was. As dumb as the whole concept is, it seemed to enthrall lots of young (and old) men who have far far too much time on their hands. There are certainly more nefarious things they could get up to.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] nicklpool 12 years ago

That's a really interesting point about swearing - I hadn't noticed it at fairs and places where the travellers all seem to curse away, often with a lot of creativity. Perhaps, swearing AT someone is different, as overstepping the mark could create a feud, as in the documentary.

As regards the women being opposed to fighting: I noticed in this doc that everyone was opposed to it, but still did it. I wonder what would happen if the blokes said : "You're right - we'll just tell the other lot they won and then forget the whole thing". Ha ha ha...

[–] AfterCredits 12 years ago

I hope you don't mind, but I have a quick question since you saw the movie. I run a web site that catalogs which movies have post credits scenes, a.k.a Stingers, and was hoping you would be able to help me out and let me know if there are in fact any scenes that occur either after or even during the credits?

I would be more than happy to personally thank you on this entries page and link to your website if you can help me out.

Thanks!

P.S. You can wrap your post in ([)spoiler]...[/spoiler] (remove "()") which will hide it from those that do not want to see any spoiler information.

http://AfterCredits.com

[–] gaz07 12 years ago

Hi, there were no during/post credit scenes, simply the credits with background music of "Lost Highway." Hope this helps.

[–] AfterCredits 12 years ago

Thanks for the help!

http://AfterCredits.com

[–] intexor 12 years ago

I'm not sure whether I can call this a good documentary. Yet I found it very interesting to see. These people are a strange mix between lowlife savages and men with a certain (disturbed) code of honor and loyalty. I thought maybe it's wrong to glorify them in a documentary, because like the OP says, even though they do allow themselves to be filmed during fights, what these people do besides that as a profession is left unspoken (probably because it involves a lot of crime). I liked it as a view on a part of society that I'd never see otherwise, but I don't know if it really succeeds as a fair and objective documentary. What is in any case interesting is that they cover over a decade of the feuds, and once again like the OP says, these kind of captures do beg for a follow-up when another decade has passed.

[–] gearalt 12 years ago

The Shooting was in Dundalk, which is an area where a lot republican paramilitries have settled. When someones shot in the legs by masked men here its called a kneecapping, its useually dished out for petty crimes, or for being "disrespectfull" to republicans. It would be very unusual for travelers to kneecap another traveler, so it was probabally not connected to the Joyce/McDonagh fued.

[–] nicklpool 12 years ago

"Intresting to know whats happend in the years since"

If you can put up with the stupid wobbly frame, I think the latest instalment is :

http://youtu.be/OhtSrCNQtWw