With its legendary twist, Neil Jordan has fashioned a dark thriller in which IRA volunteer Fergus forms an unlikely friendship with Jody, a British soldier/hostage he is assigned to guard. This friendship takes Fergus on an unusual and compelling journey where both his male pride and life are at stake.
Neil Jordan’s The Crying Game probably has the least well-kept secret in movie history. The reputation of this twist in the tale has dominated criticism of the film; f... more >
Neil Jordan’s The Crying Game probably has the least well-kept secret in movie history. The reputation of this twist in the tale has dominated criticism of the film; for those not in the know, the twist is indeed a great surprise, but it should not cloud over the film’s many other qualities, including a superb, Oscar-winning script.
Stephen Rea stars as Fergus, who helps the IRA kidnap Jody, a soldier (Forrest Whittaker). In spite of the disapproval of the other terrorists, Fergus befriends the soldier, who talks to him intimately about his girlfriend, Dil (Jaye Davidson). When the British Government fails to meet the demands of the kidnappers, Fergus is assigned to kill the hostage.
The Crying Game is full of wrenching twists (not just the famous one) that completely disorientate the viewer; just as the audience thinks they know where a storyline is going, Jordan throws in an unexpected event or encounter that spirals narrative off into another direction. T he dialogue, which incorporates tense confrontations with moments of great tenderness, is brilliantly written; the menacing sequences involving the psychotic IRA members are almost unbearably tense. There are also many moments of grim wit (Fergus threatens his boss with the line “Have you ever tried to pick up your teeth with broken fingers?”)
The acting is also of a high calibre. Davidson received the majority of the critical praise in the pivotal role of Dil, but Rea’s subtle performance as the enigmatic protagonist is equally impressive. The music compliments the action very well; the repeated use of the eponymous title song adds a haunting poetry to the action.
Strangely, The Crying Game was not a success in its native UK, and it was only after it proved an unexpected critical and commercial hit in America (where the film made over £60 million) that British audiences started to take notice of this modern classic. In this instance, the Americans had good taste: the interesting blend of genres in the film (the mood changes throughout the film, veering from tense thriller to romantic comedy), the intelligent script and the quality of the performances make The Crying Game a film that pays repeated viewings. < less
