Kellogg: Patriot Games vs The Devil's Own

In 1992 and 1997, Harrison Ford starred in Patriot Games and The Devil’s Own, respectively. Both films focus on the Irish Republic Army’s (IRA) struggle to gain independence. An Irish antagonist challenges Harrison Ford, who plays the protagonist in both films. While both films tend to shed a negative light on the violence surrounding the Irish Republic Army’s efforts to gain independence, the audience is able to sympathize with the antagonist to a certain degree.

            In Patriot Games, Sean Miller (Sean Bean), the films antagonist, is a member of the Irish Republic Army. At the beginning of the film, Sean and his younger brother Patrick attempt to assassinate the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Lord William Holmes (James Fox). However, Jack Ryan (Harrison Ford), former CIA agent, disrupts the assassination attempt and kills Patrick in the midst of a shootout. Patrick’s older brother Sean is then apprehended by police and taken into custody. Although Sean had attempted to unlawfully murder Lord Holmes and his family, the audience sympathizes with Sean over the loss of his younger brother. While Sean blames Jack for killing his younger brother, the audience can see that he also feels guilty for involving his brother in the first place. In the image above, Sean is being question by police. The dominant color in the frame is blue and the lighting is very dim. This low lighting is used to signify Sean's sadness of the loss of his brother. Additionally, the character proxemics are social as the police offers keep their distance from Sean. This representing foreseeable disconnectedness Sean will experience during his time in prison.
            As the film progresses, Sean cannot bring himself to forget the death of his brother. He eventually escapes police custody and travels to the U.S., seeking revenge on Jack and his family. While in the U.S., Sean unsuccessfully carries out an assassination attempt Jack’s wife and daughter. However, they are left badly injured in the attempt. Jack is infuriated by this and decides to rejoin the CIA. Jack does extensive research on Sean’s history, during which he learns that the Royal Ulster Constabulary killed Sean’s father in Belfast in 1979. Once again, the audience is able to sympathize with Sean, even if only for a short moment. Sean was presumably a young boy at the time of his father’s death, which is a hard thing for anyone to deal with.

            Frankie McGuire (Brad Pitt), the antagonist in The Devil’s Own, is also a member of the Irish Republic Army. At the beginning of the film, Frankie witnesses his father murder. Immediately, the audience feels sympathetic for Frankie. The film fast forwards to the early nineties where Frankie fights on the frontline of the Irish’s struggle to gain independence. Frankie evades being killed and travels to America under the name Rory Devaney. While in the states, Frankie stays with Tom O’Meara, an Irish American police officer living in New York with his wife and three daughters. O’Meara is unaware that Frankie is one of the Irish Republic Army’s most deadliest members. O’Meara and Frankie build a strong friendship and Frankie takes on a brotherly role among O’Meara’s three daughters. The audience can see that Frankie is good-hearted and well intentioned. Once again, the audience sees Frankie as a likable person and is able to sympathize with his unfortunate involvement in the IRA. Frankie has voluntarily chosen a life of violence as a result of seeing his father killed at such a young age. Frankie firmly believes in the cause of the IRA, and is willing to go to great lengths to see that the Irish gain their independence.  The image above, Frankie's pistol is the dominant aspect of the scene. The subsidiary contrasts lie within the cars in the background, as this tells the audience that Frankie is ruthless and is willing to shoot an American police officer in public if he has to. The scene is also very dense and highly detailed. Frankie is in the foreground of the scene, signifying his importance and the tensity of the situation.
           Both characters' fathers were killed at a young age, as the result of political conflict in Ireland. As a result, both Miller and McGuire turned to a life of violence. The audience is able to sympathize with both characters. However, Frankie McGuire is a much more respectable person as he has proven he genuinely cares for others, such as Tom and his family. Miller, on the other hand, has sociopathic tendencies and simply seeks revenge on Jack Ryan and his family.