“THE CRYING GAME”–it’s just a piece of meat

“The Crying Game”

It’s Just a Piece of Meat

Amos Lassen

It is hard to believe that it has been 20 years since “The Crying Game” came out. By now everyone knows the story and the “surprise” but it is still amazing to note that the movie is considered as controversial today as it was when it came out in 2002. That appears to be the sign of good cinema. The director, Neil Jordan opened many doors with this film of the unlikely friendship between Fergus, an Irish revolutionary and Jody, a kidnapped soldier from Britain. When things so terribly wrong, Fergus  manages to escape and heads for London and Jody’s lover, a hairdresser named Dil. Fergus changes his name to Jimmy and starts seeing Dl who has no idea that he is aligned with the revolutionary group. But there are some things about Dil that he doesn’t know either.

Stephen Rea as Fergus is amazing. Told from his point of view, he keeps the audience in suspense and involved. This is a special movie. It is hard and perverse and comes close to an “X” rating. There is a lot of sexual content which is stunning in its originality. In many cases the dialog is peppered with four letter words and the violence is both graphic and aggressive. It is quite a ride so if you plan to see it, be prepared. It is the kind of film that you see and talk about for days afterwards. An unknown actor, Forest Whitaker, appeared in the movie and went on to win the best actor Oscar this year. And the movie itself garnered many nominations itself.

Philosophically, the movie is an illustration of unconditional love, something we do not have a lot of in today’s world. It helps us to understand humanity and the trials and tribulations of society are dealt with in the film. It s a work of fiction with a definite agenda and is beautiful to watch. Well written and beautifully acted, it draws you in with its profound performances and a very literate script. In fact, everything about this film nears perfection.