THE DEVIL'S OWN (PG-13)
Director: Alan J Pakula.
Stars:Harrison Ford., Brad Pitt, Margaret Colin, Treat Williams, Ruben Blades, George Hearn, Mitchell Ryan, Natscha McElhone
Running time: 107 minutes.
Veteran director Alan J Pakula normally makes intelligent suspense thrillers Klute, [All The President's Men, Presumed Innocent, etc, and he brings a gritty realism and brutal air of suspense to his latest film. This is "an Irish story," a tragedy without a conventional happy ending, in which Pakula depicts how even innocent people are eventually sucked into the vortex of terrorism and the senseless cycle of violence that grips contemporary Ireland.
The Devil's Own is a complex and potentially fascinating study of two different men who move in different worlds, men who have different moral codes and values, even though violence is an everyday part of their lives. Tom O'Meara Harrison Ford, for once playing a character closer to his real age) is a veteran New York cop, a man of honour and integrity who has only fired his gun four times during his 23 years on the force, while Francis McGuire Brad Pitt is a hardened terrorist who has grown up amongst the sectarian violence that has divided his country.
When he was a young boy McGuire saw his father executed, and, driven by a sense of hatred and vengeance ever since, he has become one of Ireland's most vicious and feared terrorists, waging a brutal war against the British oppressors. Under the alias of Rory Devaney, McGuire secretly travels to America in order to buy surplus guided missiles from a mercenary arms dealer which will become vital weapons in the war back home. A highly placed sympathiser arranges for McGuire to board with the O'Mearas, believing that the home of a cop is one of the safest places for him to hide out. Devaney is slowly drawn into the warmth and happiness of the family home, and a strong bond develops between the two men until the violence of McGuire's world suddenly invades the safe haven, forcing O'Meara to make a choice that will change the lives of his family and his own future.
A team of four writers have refashioned the multi-layered plot, which was apparently being constantly reworked on a daily basis to meet the demands of the two stars, who wanted their individual roles beefed up. One important subplot has O'Meara facing with a crisis of conscience when his volatile partner Eddie Diaz Ruben Blades, from The Colour Of Night, etc) guns down an unarmed thief and comes under investigation from internal affairs. While O'Meara is attempting to come to terms with this incident and its ramifications on his future as a cop, McGuire is dealing with a traitorous arms dealer Treat Williams.
Despite rumours of clashes between Ford and Pitt over the development of their roles during production however, little of that tension is apparent on the screen, where the two men build up a credible feeling of rapport and neither one seems to dominate the screen. Ford conveys his usual sense of integrity and delivers a subtle and quite honest performance as the dedicated cop, and he projects a rare sense of vulnerability as he deals with a crucial moral dilemma. Pitt carries off a convincing Irish brogue throughout and manages to make his terrorist a more complex and charming rogue who wins over the audience's sympathy for his character if not his cause or his motivations. Pakula maintains a solid pace throughout and he slowly builds the tension as the film moves towards the inevitable clash between O'Meara and McGuire.
Pakula's extensive use of exterior locations adds a touch of authenticity and urgency to the bustling action, and veteran cinematographer Gordon Willis superbly captures the streets of New York to good effect. The sudden outbursts of violence are both shattering and shocking, and the film perfectly illustrates the inevitability of the tragic but ultimately futile cycle of death and wanton destruction that is an integral part of the problems gripping modern Ireland. Eventually though The Devil's Own is first and foremost a thriller, a vastly different type of film to the recent epic [Michael Collins], and it only superficially explores the complex political issues surrounding the struggle for independence in Ireland.