The General

(, Main)

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Description

The General is the story of Martin Cahill, a working-class Dubliner who was the mastermind behind a series of daring robberies that stunned Ireland in the 1980s. Despite being the country's most wanted man, he eluded capture - with great cheek - until he finally fell afoul of the IRA. Blurred, fleeting images of Cahill appeared in the press - often with his hand in front of his face - but what he really looked like, what his character really was, remained an enigma.John Boorman's screenplay delves deep into the heart of Cahill and reveals a man who possessed a relish for defying the might of society, a rage at perceived injustice, a ferocious cunning, a sense of perpetual celebration, and a dark brutality - all the characteristics of a Celtic chieftain.By revealing the man himself, The General becomes the tragic portrait of someone determined never to conform or to be beholden to society.

Author Bio

John Boorman was born in London in 1933. After working as a film reviewer for magazines and radio, he joined the BBC in 1955 as an assistant editor, and later directed a number of documentaries. His first feature was 'Catch Us If You Can' in 1965. His latest film, Country of My Skull, opens in 2003. He is a five-time Academy Award-nominee, and was twice awarded Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival for Leo the Last (1970) and The General (1998). He is the author of Money Into Light: The Emerald Forest - A Diary, as well as the being the co-founder and editor of Faber and Faber's long-running series Projections: Film-makers on Film-making.