![]() ![]() As an Irish Republican portrayed sympathetically, Fergus’ morally troubled character led to a lukewarm British reception upon its release, especially against heightened IRA activity in England at the time. There he tracks down Jody’s lover, Dil (Jaye Davidson).įergus soon falls for Dil, but the film constantly emphasises his unexpressed homoerotic feelings for Jody. One of the captors, Fergus (Stephen Rea), can’t help but strike a bond with Jody before the execution goes wrong and Fergus is forced to flee to London. The kidnap of British soldier Jody (Forest Whitaker) by IRA members to ransom for one of their own is an ideal way to confront national identity. From the symbolic opening shot which tracks on a fairground obscured by an enormous bridge, Jordan does so in a concise, satisfying manner. ![]() The Crying Game explores the fluidity of certain identities and the resilience of others national, personal, gender, sexual and whether or not they can be denied or changed. With one simple camera pan, all that has developed subtextually immediately surfaces. Despite the hype around it becoming its own cliché, the twist remains cinematic dynamite.Ī reveal that isn’t just shocking in its sheer actuality, but the incredible filmic elegance with which Jordan has lured us in with noir-tinged romantic drama up to that point. The BFI’s 25th anniversary re-release likely won’t change that, but will hopefully allow new discovery of its qualities. To describe The Crying Game as merely a great thriller doesn’t do justice to writer-director Neil Jordan’s narrative and thematic achievements, for which he won a Best Original Screenplay Oscar. ![]() More than something like Psycho‘s shower scene, it’s treated as such a good secret that it can’t even be casually discussed and it’s a shame that it became the film’s main cultural legacy. The Crying Game has come to be defined by its twist. ![]()
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