The General (1998) 129m
John Boorman deservedly won the Best Director at Cannes in 1998 for this biopic of Irish criminal Martin Cahill (who was assassinated by the IRA four years previously). It is one of his finest works, a film that manages to look both as the opus of a mature film-maker and the early work of a talented new arrival. THE GENERAL is wonderfully assured and without the unevenness of earlier Boorman works, yet also appears an apotheosis of all that went before it: we can see the black-and-white spirited 60s of CATCH US IF YOU CAN, another great performance from Jon Voight (DELIVERANCE), the criminal underworld of POINT BLANK, the nostalgia of HOPE AND GLORY, and the man-as-myth themes of EXCALIBUR and ZARDOZ. Throw in a few giant locusts and you'd be able to pull EXORCIST II out of the hat as well (Boorman does make at least one in-joke by including a brief shot of a 'Squeal like a Pig' t-shirt that cites the most famous line from DELIVERANCE).
THE GENERAL scores on many levels - the acting is terrific (Brendan Gleeson makes the role entirely his own, and Voight's accent is faultless), the story engaging, and the viewpoint always open. Boorman doesn't judge Cahill, although he does get us to admire his resourcefulness. It's hard not to like him - unlike most other crime lords he does not create a dangerous heirarchy that places him significantly at the top. True, he is the brains of his operation, but his shambolic, hangdog manner keep him in at grass roots level with the rest of his boys. Even when resorting to thuggery (when one of the gang appears to have cheated the others), his organization doesn't appear as sadistic as others we have seen on screen. Really, Cahill is the antithesis of the gangster image popularised by films such as GODFATHER and CASINO. Rather than grandstand in the manner of a mafia Don, Cahill shuffles about obscured by rainwear; he avoids eye contact and speaks quietly; his hand is always fluttering near his face, trying to hide it. His rogueishness could almost win us over entirely if we were not reminded (by Voight's character) that his antics have lost several honest people their jobs and have terrified people inside their homes. Cahill lives an extraordinary life but is determined to keep his lifestyle as 'normal' as possible - all he wants is a nice house in a nice area for his family (in the meantime, he carries on what is seen as just a 'normal' affair with his sister-in-law!). We hardly notice the conflict because the rest of the country is in turmoil anyway - by the time Cahill, the police, and the IRA are all on opposing sides, we've lost hope for anything ever attaining normality. Maybe that's why one of the more memorable moments in THE GENERAL is an understated housebreaking scene, in which Cahill moves from room to room while a Van Morrison song plays quietly and magically on the soundtrack. It's a sweet, distinctive cinema moment; we can only hope that Boorman will be bringing us more.
sburridge@hotmail.com
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