The General (1998 film)
Encyclopedia
The General is a British
-Irish crime film
directed by John Boorman
about Dublin crime boss Martin Cahill
, who pulled off several daring heists in the early 1980s, and attracted the attention of the Gardaí
, PIRA
, and UVF
. The film was shot in 1997 and released in 1998. Brendan Gleeson
plays Cahill, Adrian Dunbar
plays his close friend Noel Curley, and Jon Voight
plays Inspector Ned Kenny.
Cahill realizes he has made a dangerous mistake. When the PIRA
hear of this, they ordered his assassination, which was carried out on 18 August 1994.
, who is crime editor of Ireland's best-selling tabloid, Sunday World
.
Director Boorman was himself one of Cahill's burglary victims. This event was dramatized in a scene in which Cahill breaks into a home, stealing a gold record and pilfering a watch from the wrist of a sleeping woman. The gold record, which Cahill later broke in disgust after discovering it was not made of gold, was awarded for the score of Deliverance
, Boorman's best-known film.
Filming was at various locations around Dublin including South Lotts
and Ranelagh.
at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival
.
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
-Irish crime film
Crime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
directed by John Boorman
John Boorman
John Boorman is a British filmmaker who is a long time resident of Ireland and is best known for his feature films such as Point Blank, Deliverance, Zardoz, Excalibur, The Emerald Forest, Hope and Glory, The General and The Tailor of Panama.-Early life:Boorman was born in Shepperton, Surrey,...
about Dublin crime boss Martin Cahill
Martin Cahill
Martin "The General" Cahill was a prominent Irish criminal from Dublin.Cahill generated a certain notoriety in the media, which referred to him by the sobriquet "The General". The name was also used by the media in order to discuss Cahill's activities while avoiding legal problems with libel...
, who pulled off several daring heists in the early 1980s, and attracted the attention of the Gardaí
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
, PIRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
, and UVF
Ulster Volunteer Force
The Ulster Volunteer Force is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in late 1965 or early 1966 and named after the Ulster Volunteer Force of 1913. The group's volunteers undertook an armed campaign of almost thirty years during The Troubles...
. The film was shot in 1997 and released in 1998. Brendan Gleeson
Brendan Gleeson
Brendan Gleeson is an Irish actor. His best-known films include Braveheart, Gangs of New York, In Bruges, 28 Days Later, the Harry Potter films, The Guard and the role of Michael Collins in The Treaty...
plays Cahill, Adrian Dunbar
Adrian Dunbar
Adrian Dunbar is an actor from Northern Ireland, best known for his television and theatre work. Dunbar co-wrote and starred in the 1991 film, Hear My Song, nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the BAFTA awards.-Personal life:...
plays his close friend Noel Curley, and Jon Voight
Jon Voight
Jonathan Vincent "Jon" Voight is an American actor. He has received an Academy Award, out of four nominations, and three Golden Globe Awards, out of nine nominations. Voight is the father of actress Angelina Jolie....
plays Inspector Ned Kenny.
Cast
- Brendan GleesonBrendan GleesonBrendan Gleeson is an Irish actor. His best-known films include Braveheart, Gangs of New York, In Bruges, 28 Days Later, the Harry Potter films, The Guard and the role of Michael Collins in The Treaty...
- Martin Cahill - Adrian DunbarAdrian DunbarAdrian Dunbar is an actor from Northern Ireland, best known for his television and theatre work. Dunbar co-wrote and starred in the 1991 film, Hear My Song, nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the BAFTA awards.-Personal life:...
- Noel Curley - Sean McGinleySeán McGinleySeán McGinley is an Irish film and television actor.-Early life:McGinley was born in Pettigo, County Donegal, Ireland where his father was a customs officer, and raised in nearby Ballyshannon...
- Gary - Maria Doyle KennedyMaria Doyle KennedyMaria Doyle Kennedy is an award-winning Irish actress and singer. She is possibly best known for her roles as Natalie, in cult film The Commitments, Queen Katherine of Aragon in the award winning The Tudors and as the title character's wife Frances in The General.-Early life:She is an honours...
- Frances - Angeline BallAngeline BallAngeline Ball is an award-winning Irish actress who currently resides in London, England. She is a trained dancer in ballet, tap and modern dance. Her breakthrough role came in 1991 when she starred alongside Maria Doyle Kennedy and Bronagh Gallagher as back-up singer Imelda Quirke in Alan...
- Tina - Jon VoightJon VoightJonathan Vincent "Jon" Voight is an American actor. He has received an Academy Award, out of four nominations, and three Golden Globe Awards, out of nine nominations. Voight is the father of actress Angelina Jolie....
- Inspector Ned Kenny - Eanna MacLiam - Jimmy
- Tom MurphyTom Murphy (actor)Tom Jordan Murphy was an Irish theatre and film actor best known for his 1998 Tony Award winning performance in The Beauty Queen of Leenane....
- Willie Byrne - Paul Hickey - Anthony
- Tommy O'NeillTommy O'NeillTommy O'Neill , is a former Scottish football midfielder.O'Neill began his career with Motherwell, before moving to Clyde in 1977. He is best known for his time at Clyde, spending 7 years at the club, making 216 league appearances, and finding the back of the net on 45 occasions...
- Paddy - John O'Toole - Shea
- Ciarán FitzgeraldCiarán FitzgeraldCiarán Fitzgerald is an Irish film and television actor.-Early life and career:Fitzgerald was born in a caravan in Dublin, Ireland to his Mammy. His lineage is not fully determined, but it has been noted that he bears a startling resemblance to his brother and Him Off The Telly...
- Tommy - Ned Dennehy - Gay
- Vinny Murphy - Harry (as Vinnie Murphy)
- Roxanna Williams - Orla
Plot
After selling stolen paintings to the UVFUlster Volunteer Force
The Ulster Volunteer Force is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in late 1965 or early 1966 and named after the Ulster Volunteer Force of 1913. The group's volunteers undertook an armed campaign of almost thirty years during The Troubles...
Cahill realizes he has made a dangerous mistake. When the PIRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
hear of this, they ordered his assassination, which was carried out on 18 August 1994.
Production
The film was based on the book of the same name by Irish journalist Paul WilliamsPaul Williams (Irish journalist)
Paul Williams is an Irish crime journalist and author. He previously worked for the Sunday World tabloid newspaper; he moved to the Irish News of the World before it was caught up in the News International phone hacking scandal and shut down...
, who is crime editor of Ireland's best-selling tabloid, Sunday World
Sunday World
The Sunday World is an Irish newspaper published by Sunday Newspapers Limited, a division of Independent News and Media. It is the largest selling "popular" newspaper in the Republic of Ireland and is also sold in Northern Ireland .-Origins:The Sunday World was Ireland's first tabloid newspaper...
.
Director Boorman was himself one of Cahill's burglary victims. This event was dramatized in a scene in which Cahill breaks into a home, stealing a gold record and pilfering a watch from the wrist of a sleeping woman. The gold record, which Cahill later broke in disgust after discovering it was not made of gold, was awarded for the score of Deliverance
Deliverance
Deliverance is a 1972 American thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman. Principal cast members include Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty in his film debut. The film is based on a 1970 novel of the same name by American author James Dickey, who has a small role in the...
, Boorman's best-known film.
Filming was at various locations around Dublin including South Lotts
South Lotts
South Lotts is a small area to the south of the river Liffey in Dublin 4, 1 km east of Dublin City Centre, Ireland. It was created following the embankment of the River Liffey in 1711 between the city and Ringsend, thereby reclaiming the North and South Lotts...
and Ranelagh.
Reception
The General was nominated for and won several awards, including Best DirectorBest Director Award (Cannes Film Festival)
The Best Director Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival. It was first awarded in 1946....
at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival
1998 Cannes Film Festival
The 51st Cannes Film Festival was held on May 13-24, 1998. The Palme d'Or went to the Greek film Mia aioniotita kai mia mera by Theo Angelopoulos.- Jury :*Martin Scorsese *Alain Corneau *Chiara Mastroianni...
.