The Crying Game
Title
The Crying Game
Description
The Crying Game is a thriller, directed and written by Neil Jordan, that came out in 1992. It was nominated for more than 50 film awards, winning Best British Film in the BAFTA awards, Best Screenplay in the Boston Society of Film Critics Awards, and many other prestigious honors.
The film begins with Jody, a black British soldier who has been kidnapped by the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and Fergus, a volunteer with the IRA who has been assigned to be Jody’s keeper. The two men bond in spite of their captive / captor relationship. Jody speaks of his girlfriend and asks Fergus to find her once Jody has been killed. Eventually Fergus is told that he must kill Jody and a chase through the woods ensues, wherein it is unclear whether Fergus will actually shoot his hostage. The question is moot, however, because Jody runs into a nearby road and is hit by a tank just as the IRA headquarters are bombed. The film skips forward a few months to Fergus, who operates under the alias Jimmy, tracking down Jody’s girlfriend, Dil. Fergus/Jimmy seduces Dil, never telling her that he knows Jody, let alone that he is responsible for Jody’s death. They fall in lust and it is here that the “big surprise” of the film takes place: the camera pans down Dil’s body, revealing her penis. Fergus/Jimmy responds in violence to the sight of Dil’s genitals, hitting her, then running to the bathroom and vomiting. The events that follow, as well as the lens through which the preceding scenes are remembered, promote the common and harmful trope of transwomen as deceitful and manipulative vixens, bent on tricking “straight” men into sleeping with them. Amidst a flurry of violent subplot, Fergus/Jimmy forces Dil to cut her hair, dress up in Jody’s old clothes, and the two of them hide in her apartment together. One of Fergus’ old IRA associates, Jude, shows up and, in a whirlwind of confusion, shouting, and borderline psychosis, Dil shoots Jude multiple times. Fergus takes the blame, and in the final scene, we see Dil coming to visit him in prison.
When The Crying Game first came out, moviegoers and reviewers alike were asked by the producers not to share what the “big surprise” with folks who had not yet seen the movie, using the hype around the moment as a marketing technique. This use of trans bodies as a punchline speaks to a broader issue in understanding and representation of trans people in media. Because this film made its debut more than two decades ago, it speaks both to the narratives around transness that have been let go, as well as to the themes and tropes that remain unchanged.
The film begins with Jody, a black British soldier who has been kidnapped by the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and Fergus, a volunteer with the IRA who has been assigned to be Jody’s keeper. The two men bond in spite of their captive / captor relationship. Jody speaks of his girlfriend and asks Fergus to find her once Jody has been killed. Eventually Fergus is told that he must kill Jody and a chase through the woods ensues, wherein it is unclear whether Fergus will actually shoot his hostage. The question is moot, however, because Jody runs into a nearby road and is hit by a tank just as the IRA headquarters are bombed. The film skips forward a few months to Fergus, who operates under the alias Jimmy, tracking down Jody’s girlfriend, Dil. Fergus/Jimmy seduces Dil, never telling her that he knows Jody, let alone that he is responsible for Jody’s death. They fall in lust and it is here that the “big surprise” of the film takes place: the camera pans down Dil’s body, revealing her penis. Fergus/Jimmy responds in violence to the sight of Dil’s genitals, hitting her, then running to the bathroom and vomiting. The events that follow, as well as the lens through which the preceding scenes are remembered, promote the common and harmful trope of transwomen as deceitful and manipulative vixens, bent on tricking “straight” men into sleeping with them. Amidst a flurry of violent subplot, Fergus/Jimmy forces Dil to cut her hair, dress up in Jody’s old clothes, and the two of them hide in her apartment together. One of Fergus’ old IRA associates, Jude, shows up and, in a whirlwind of confusion, shouting, and borderline psychosis, Dil shoots Jude multiple times. Fergus takes the blame, and in the final scene, we see Dil coming to visit him in prison.
When The Crying Game first came out, moviegoers and reviewers alike were asked by the producers not to share what the “big surprise” with folks who had not yet seen the movie, using the hype around the moment as a marketing technique. This use of trans bodies as a punchline speaks to a broader issue in understanding and representation of trans people in media. Because this film made its debut more than two decades ago, it speaks both to the narratives around transness that have been let go, as well as to the themes and tropes that remain unchanged.
Creator
Jordan, Neil
Source
Publisher
Woolley, Stephan
Date
1992
Format
video
Language
English
Type
film
Citation
Jordan, Neil, “The Crying Game,” An Archive of Trans Culture, accessed October 13, 2024, https://transcultural.oberlincollegelibrary.org/items/show/17.