The Crying Game

At a South Armagh fair Jody (Forest Whitaker) is kidnapped by the IRA, having been tricked while drunk, and taken away to a rural secluded hideout. There, one of his captors, Fergus (Stephen Rea), forms an unlikely friendship with him while watching over him, even though he's going to have to execute him when/if the time comes. Jody asks Fergus to go to London to see his lover, Dil (Jaye Davidson), which Fergus duly does, trying to escape his IRA background. However, inevitably, his past catches up with him and the film hurtles on towards its bloody finale.

A huge money-earner in the States (also winning the Best Original Screenplay Oscar), The Crying Game does have weaknesses amongst its strengths. Personally, I found it hard to accept that the IRA would in fact operate in some of the ways portrayed in the film, especially in so much as Fergus making friends with his hostage. Realism and credible plot lines are all too often sacrificed to give the film extra drama and suspense as Neil Jordan conjures up another twist to spice up the film. However the photography is excellent, as are the performances, especially Rea's and Davidson's, who create an almost improbable love story out of their bizarre (to say the least) situation. Also, a British film which doesn't resort to being yet another period piece costume drama, as per usual, is a rare thing, and such fllmmaking can only be applauded. If you haven't seen the film before don't let anyone who has tell you about the huge twists in it. If you have, the twists probably become even more enjoyable and definitely aid the coherence of the film in a second viewing.

Review by Mark Radice
Taken from EUFS Programme 1993-94