The General (1998)
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Directed by John Boorman
Starring Brendan Gleeson, Adrian Dunbar, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Jon Voight Studio: Sony Pictures Classics Based on the book: The General by Paul Williams IMDB Rating: 8 |
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When the Troubles begin in 1969 there was relatively little crime in either the Republic of Ireland or in Northern Ireland. The police didn’t carry guns, & while Ireland was a poor country, it was a safe country. Martin Cahill set out to change that all by himself. In a 30+ year criminal career, Cahill rose to infamy by snubbing his nose at police, while perpetrating crimes both large & small, earning his nickname, the general, for his intricate planning & execution. Cahill supported his crime spree on the back of police resources in the Republic being shifted to the North to combat the IRA. While perpetrating hundreds, if not thousands, of crimes, he routinely played a cat & mouse game with police, pulling off large heists, then going directly to the police station to establish his alibi. He & his brothers started by stealing food as pre-teens to help feed the family, but quickly escalated to robbing houses, crimes that had young Martin sent to reform school at 16. Before he was assassinated by the IRA in 1994, at age 45, Cahill and his gang pulled off more than $40 million dollars in robberies, including the largest jewelry heist in Ireland & the second largest Art heist in the world at the time.
John Boorman’s brilliant film, The General (1998), chronicles Cahill’s career, alternating between the cheeky lunacy of his pranks with the cold-blooded nature of his enterprise. The great Brendan Gleeson stars as Cahill, naturally striking an uncanny resemblance to the rarely photographed criminal, as well as capturing the working-class nature that helped boost Cahill’s public Robinhood personae. Based on investigative journalist Paul Williams’ definitive book on Cahill, the film strikes a perfect balance between Cahill’s fundamental belief in fairness & loyalty, with his hatred towards the police & those who would betray him. Cahill’s polyamorous lifestyle with his wife & her sister reflects 1 of two families Cahill maintained (the other his criminal gang) throughout his adult life. A tea totaler, who never used or sold drugs, Cahill was an honest crook, who was fiercely loyal to both families.
John Boorman’s brilliant film, The General (1998), chronicles Cahill’s career, alternating between the cheeky lunacy of his pranks with the cold-blooded nature of his enterprise. The great Brendan Gleeson stars as Cahill, naturally striking an uncanny resemblance to the rarely photographed criminal, as well as capturing the working-class nature that helped boost Cahill’s public Robinhood personae. Based on investigative journalist Paul Williams’ definitive book on Cahill, the film strikes a perfect balance between Cahill’s fundamental belief in fairness & loyalty, with his hatred towards the police & those who would betray him. Cahill’s polyamorous lifestyle with his wife & her sister reflects 1 of two families Cahill maintained (the other his criminal gang) throughout his adult life. A tea totaler, who never used or sold drugs, Cahill was an honest crook, who was fiercely loyal to both families.
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As noted, Cahill was executed by the IRA in the suburbs of Dublin & while the IRA claimed responsibility for his death, several rumors exist as to why he was targeted. The first is his adamant refusal to pay a tithe to the group for his biggest heists, claiming that there is no greater crime than robbing a robber. A second and perhaps more likely reason he was targeted had to do with his selling several of the stolen paintings from his art heist to the UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force), an enemy of the IRA, granting them a profit center to buy weapons. A third reason may also stem from the IRA’s complete disdain for drug use, & its sellers & suppliers. Several of Cahill’s associates being involved in the drug trade & the assassination may have been a message to them. Either way, the IRA did what the police hadn’t been able to up to that point.
While I’m not including The General in my films about the Troubles, it does touch on a key facet of the times, so I include it here. It’s a great film & Gleeson’s performance is one of the best of the decade. The General is a bit tricky to find on streaming services, but it is available with ads on Roku & Tubi at no cost
While I’m not including The General in my films about the Troubles, it does touch on a key facet of the times, so I include it here. It’s a great film & Gleeson’s performance is one of the best of the decade. The General is a bit tricky to find on streaming services, but it is available with ads on Roku & Tubi at no cost
