Shake Hands with the Devil (1959)

Dublin, 1921: the Irish Republican Army clashes violently with Britain's brutal auxiliary police, the "Black and Tans". Kerry O'Shea, an Irish-American medical student, initially seeks neutrality. However, his attempt to save a wounded comrade thrusts him into outlaw status and the ranks of the IRA. He finds himself under the command of Sean Lenihan, his former professor, now a man consumed by conflict. Ethical quandaries deepen when Kerry falls for an English hostage, even as a proposed peace treaty fails to quell Lenihan's thirst for battle. The shifting sands of war force impossible choices, revealing the devastating cost of unwavering ideals.