The Crying Game (1992)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Neil Jordan

Writer:

Neil Jordan (written by)

Release Date:

25 November 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Play At Your Own Risk.

Plot:

A British soldier is kidnaped by IRA terrorists. He befriends one of his captors, who is drawn into the soldier's world.

Plot Keywords:

Hairdresser | Irish Republican Army | Sex | Sexual Disgust | Sexual Orientation

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 18 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Forest Whitaker	...	Jody
Miranda Richardson	...	Jude
Stephen Rea	...	Fergus
Adrian Dunbar	...	Maguire
Breffni McKenna	...	Tinker (as Breffini McKenna)
Joe Savino	...	Eddie
Birdy Sweeney	...	Tommy (as Birdie Sweeney)
Jaye Davidson	...	Dil
Andrée Bernard	...	Jane (as Andree Bernard)
Jim Broadbent	...	Col
Ralph Brown	...	Dave
Tony Slattery	...	Deveroux
Jack Carr	...	Franknum
Josephine White	...	Bar Performer 1
Shar Campbell	...	Bar Performer 2

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, strong violence and language.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

UK | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Brazil:16 | Singapore:M18 | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Philippines:R-18 | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2005) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Israel:PG | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

100 Eaton Place, Belgravia, London, England, UK

Company:

Palace Pictures

Trivia:

A few weeks into filming, Jaye Davidson got ill from flu. A doctor was called to the set to take a look at him. The doctor entered Jaye's tiny trailer, examined him and came out to talk to director Neil Jordan. The doctor asked Neil "Have you considered the possibility that she might be pregnant?". To which Neil and the other crew began to laugh. The doctor looked bemused, and was only let in on the secret a few minutes later. He felt very foolish.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: During the scene shot at Balbriggan County, Dublin, a Northern Ireland Railways GM locomotive 113 passes in the background, with a passenger train. The sound dubbed in is a British Rail HST railcar set, which is quite different. The sound effect is also too short; most of the train passes silently.

Quotes:

Fergus: The thing is, Dil, you're not a girl.
Dil: Details, baby. Details.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in American Pie Presents Beta House (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

Baby Jump

More than meets the eye.

The Crying Game was a sensation when it was first released back in 1992, and looking back on it after all these years it still manages to be an intelligently written and well acted thriller of gender-bending proportions. It famously features one of the most startling plot twists ever conceived for film (which has since become well known; if you're fortunate enough not to know what it is, I will give you the pleasure of discovering it for yourself.). At the time of its release the "plot twist" in question was the main subject of discussion regarding The Crying Game; in retrospect, it is seen not just to be a gimmick, but also an ingenious narrative device--it fits organically with the rest of the plot, both before the revelation and after. Finally, The Crying Game is actually a film that deals with the universal theme of one's need to find acceptance and love in this world (This fact adds new dimensions to its theme song). And because it deals with such a universal theme, this film, like all great films, stands the test of time.