'If I'd seen my dad shot I'd be a terrorist too' line...
When Ford is talking to the girlfriend he basically says that if he'd seen his father shot dead when he was eight, then he would probably be holding a gun too, and wouldn't have a badge, ie he would become a terrorist. Coming from the good guy, isn't that a slightly dodgy line, almost condoning terrorism?
The guy who shoots Pitt's father at the beginning doesn't look like a soldier - I would have guessed that he came from one of the protestant terrorist organisations rather than being a British soldier, since they don't tend to wear leather jackets and balaclavas.
I've got my doubts about the film's view of republican terrorism, as Pitt's character is basically a flawed anti-hero whom the viewer secretly roots for, whereas the English characters (as ever in Hollywood) are stuck up ruthless killers.
It's interesting how Pitt's character has apparently only ever killed soldiers and policemen, never civilians. This might serve to make him a more sympathetic character to those who subscribe to the "freedom fighter" view, whereas in real life the IRA killed many more civilians than members of the security services.
I very much doubt this film would have been made in the post 9/11 era.