The Crying Game Movie Review

The Crying Game (1992)

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Written by: Neil Jordan
Directed by: Neil Jordann
Starring: Stephen Rea, Jaye Davidson, Forest Whitaker, Miranda Richardson
Rated: R
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Plot
A British solider is kidnapped by the IRA, and the soldier and IRA agent form an unlikely friendship.

Verdict
Can love overcome anything? Fergus kidnaps a British soldier who subsequently dies. Fergus becomes infatuated with the soldier's girlfriend, but she's hiding a big secret. I don't think the movie can conceal the twist as easily now as it did twenty some years ago. It's an intriguing question, but time has not been kind to this film.
Skip it.

Review
What you see isn't always reality. Fergus (Stephen Rea) kidnaps a British soldier, Jody (Forest Whitaker), for the IRA and holds him hostage. Fergus isn't a bad person. He takes pity on his captive and they form an awkward friendship. It's a bit of a redemption story for Fergus. While he doesn't shun the IRA, his world view definitely shifts. Fergus promises Jody that he will check on his girlfriend if something happens to him. There are a few subtle clues about Jody's girlfriend.

Fergus becomes infatuated with Jody's girlfriend and they start a romance. If I didn't already know the twist I wonder if I would be able to guess. In retrospect, there are quite a few clues.

If it wasn't for Jody, Fergus never would have sought out the girlfriend. I wondered if Fergus's attraction to her is in some part derived from his guilt over Jody's death. Fergus can't bring himself to tell the girl about his kidnapping of Jody.

The Crying Game - He's made a huge mistake.

Fergus is blindsided by a secret Jody's girlfriend hid. She isn't quite who she claimed. Fergus is upset, but doesn't leave her and apologizes.
Jody and then Fergus share a story about how people act according to their nature. Each character in this movie has a certain role to fulfill that doesn't conform to their nature. Jody and Fergus should be enemies, but become friends. Jody had a girlfriend, but succumbed to the seductions of an IRA solider which is what got him kidnapped. Fergus is much more compassionate than his IRA buddies.

Even Jody's girlfriend states she can't help who she is. Fergus stays with her because he likes her. Her secret is irrelevant. It's difficult to put yourself in Fergus's position. How do you blend perception and reality?