The General (1998 film)

• Brendan Gleeson: Martin Cahill
• Adrian Dunbar: Noel Curley
• Sean McGinley: Gary
• Maria Doyle Kennedy: Frances
• Angeline Ball: Tina
• Jon Voight: Inspector Ned Kenny

The General is a feature film by director John Boorman 's 1998 with the original title The General. The British- Irish co-production is known in Germany under the title The Master Thief of Dublin. Boorman wrote the screenplay based on the book The General. Godfather of Crime by Paul Williams.

Action

Although he was shot in color to Boorman, to show the film in theaters in a highly farbentsättigten, almost black -and-white version to the one violence and poverty is not to romanticize the other hand, the audience's attention on the plot and the actors decided to steer.

The film is based on the true story of gangster genius Martin Cahill, who until his assassination by the IRA in 1994 became a public enemy No. 1 in Ireland from the mid- 70s. The biographical film shows the criminal career of a man loving family man, shrewd crook and most brutal criminals at the same time was.

Comments

Martin Cahill is played by the Irish actor Brendan Gleeson, the Boorman chose among other things because of its similarity to Cahill. Jon Voight jumped just before shooting began as a performer for the character of Inspector Ned Kenny.

Reviews

• Rüdiger search country for " artechock film": " [ ... The General is ] like any good gangster film is primarily a social study. [ ... ] Cahill is charming and he has style. But he's also a brutal authoritarian power man. Boorman does not succumb to the clichés of many gangster movies. [ ... ] Boorman filmed all in a seductive, elegant black and white. With him explain images, not silly little dialogues the story. "
• Lexicon of international film: " The staged in stunning black-and- white paintings Portrait of a charismatic leader personality, enjoyed playing the role of the working class heroes, but ultimately failed because of their own hubris. An artistically and dramatically compelling film, the stylized his protagonist as a hero of an ancient tragedy and oscillates between documentary and staging its mythical exaggeration. "

Awards

The film won several awards especially for Boorman's work as a director and Gleeson's acting performance and was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the International Film Festival of Cannes 1998. John Boorman won the Best Director Award at Cannes.