# General, The (1998)

### reviewed by
Bob Bloom

The General (1998) 2 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Brendan Gleeson and Jon Voight. Directed by John Boorman

John Boorman's The General is an interesting, yet frustrating, look at the life of Martin Cahill, a notorious Dublin criminal.

Shot almost documentary-style in black and white, Boorman's film is a fascinating look at a man who held the basic institutions of society the law, the church in contempt, and used his cunning and ferocity to live life on his own savage terms.

Cahill, nicknamed "The General," was a legend in Ireland during his brutal life, yet very few people could identify him. Cahill developed a habit of continually obscuring his face, thus making it difficult for anyone to get a clear picture of him. And it seems, in a sense, Boorman was confronted with that same problem. For while he shows the brazen and clever ways Cahill planned and committed his various crimes, the director seems unable to get under his subject's skin.

Boorman masterfully displays Cahill's rage and contempt, his bravado and cleverness, but he falls short in showing what sparked it.

True, we get early scenes of a young Cahill in a boy's detention home, where he fights off the sexual advances of a priest, and we learn he spent most of his early life in prison.

Yet while this may be a simplistic approach to explaining his contempt for authority and society, it does not answer the big question: How and where did Cahill develop the wiliness to plan such perfect crimes as well as outwit the police for nearly two decades?

As you watch The General, you get the sense that Boorman is valiantly attempting to paint a complete picture of Cahill, yet his brush continually misses strokes.

For example, for years Cahill lived in a menage a trois with his wife and her sister, and had several children by both. No explanation for this odd arrangement is offered.

As Cahill, Brendan Gleeson (best known to American audiences as Mel Gibson's friend, Hamish, in the actor's Oscar-winning Braveheart) gives a compelling performance.

He creates a man of contradictions a loving husband and father at his homes, but a brutal, conniving, merciless thug on the outside.

Gleeson's Cahill is a deadly charmer.

Jon Voight seems wasted as the police inspector who's obsessed with bringing Cahill to justice. There is nothing particularly memorable about his performance.

At a bit over two hours, The General seems to lapse during some sequences. Also, the Irish accents are a bit hard to understand, and Cahill's habit of covering his face and talking through his hands makes comprehending what he is saying even more difficult at times.

Despite these obstacles, The General is an interesting look at a unusual individual. It's a movie Boorman fans used to his artistic visions in such films as Excalibur and The Emerald Forest may not find totally satisfying. But the force of Cahill's personality draws you to the screen and rivets your attention.

Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bloom@journal-courier.com or at cbloom@iquest.net

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