Carter: Patriot Game vs Devil's Own

     In hindsight I think both of the film support the Antagonist approach to a way of life even though it is deviant in its own right. The antagonist actions are clearly confirmed as wrong through the two movies but their motives for completing these actions are sought out and justified on their side of the story. I believe that both movies do a great job in expelling the motives on both sides of the story, this being the Antagonist and Protagonist in the respective movies.
     The Devil's own features an Antagonist that has been committing crimes for years in Ireland, he now wants to move his activities to America and has just been presented with a chance. This is when he moves in with Harrison Ford's character Tom O'Meara, who is a cop himself, Rory becomes very close with the family immediately. His actions are still underway as a criminal but this is not affecting his relationship with the family which the head of house hold is a cop. In my opinion the movie begins to frame our attitude toward Rory when they are showing the relationship between him and his best friend along with how he interacts with Tom's family. They begin to paint him as a loyal character to the people who he surrounds himself with no matter the background. When the home is attacked and he comes back looking for the money the Camera Proxemics show how genuine he truly is, the camera is fix directly on him in a Personal angel, and the Density is highly detailed. He then begins to tell Tom that he doesn't want to cause the family anymore pain he just needs the money and will be out of their way, showing some appreciation for what they have done for him. The director has created a sense of emotional attachment to Rory as he's trying to do everything he can to get his best friend back.

     The Patriot games showed a sympathy for the killers also as the first couple of scenes open with Harrison Ford's character Jack Ryan saving the royal family from a designated killing on their lives. This results in him shooting and killing one of the perpetrators brother which in the end would persue Jack for the entirety of the movie trying to avenge the death of his brother. Sean Miller presented Jack with the news that he had killed his brother and that he intended to repay the debt when they were in court for his conviction. While exiting the court Jack and Sean have a quick conversation in which the camera proxemics were personal as they were about two feet away from each other, in this scene Sean tells Jack that he will be coming after him. The angle of the scene also interested me as Sean who was on trial for the attacking of the Royal family was looking down on Jack so the camera was above Sean. This could be taking as his journey to avenge his brothers life as justified somewhat. The director creates or attempts to create an outlet for sympathy as he has also lost something dear to him in the midst of this violence.

Whitman: Devil's Own and Patriot Games

Both Patriot Games and The Devil's Own feature Irishmen with similar backgrounds, but each film frames the characters in different ways to give audiences different attitudes towards somewhat similar characters. Both Sean and Frankie have led a life of violence and are members of the IRA. Both character's fathers were killed at a young age. And both snuck into America to complete a quest. Though similar, the films portray them very differently. Patriot Games portrays Sean as a violent villain. The audience sees him as pure evil and fears him. Frankie also is violent but the film frames our attitude to be more sympathetic of him.

Within the first few scenes these different portrayals are already apparent and the different attitudes begin to develop. Young Frankie watches the murder of his own father. As they are saying prayer, a terrorist breaks into the house and murders his father right in front of his own eyes. The camera proxemics of this scene is first personal but then slowly move to intimate. All the while young Frankie’s eyes are the dominant of the scene. His eyes are near the center of the frame and are the anchor point of the camera’s forward track. The next scene shows Frankie defending himself and his comrades from an attacking army. Through out the film Frankie is often well or at least clothed in natural earthy color like brown or green. this scene is no different. Though the scene is violent it has high key lighting especially on Frankie. These elements of mise-en-scene convey feelings of heroism like a patriot fighting for a just cause. This emphasizes how traumatic watching his father’s murder was and only reinforces how Frankie is violent only because he is a product of the violence he was exposed to at a young age. For this the audience sympathizes with Frankie and later must face a dilemma as his actions become more violent.

Sean on the other hand is portrayed as relentlessly violent. When meet his character he is not defending himself but viciously attacking a royal family car. Sean as well as the scene are very dark and dismal. In the scene there is very low key lighting. The day is very overcast and Sean is dressed in all black. This portrays him as ominous and villainous. Once he and his fellow comrades begin shooting up a car with a seemingly innocent family inside the audience instantly sees Sean as the antagonist lost to violence. The audience does not sympathize for Sean because his background is not set up by the film. All we see, and continue to see as the film progresses, is Sean driven by violence doing whatever it takes for vengeance. Unlike Frankie whom only uses violence because he is a product of the violent environment he was raised in.

Hall: Patriot Games vs. Devils Own

Patriot Games and The Devil's Own put forth different opinions within their plots, concerning the Provisional Irish Republican Army (the I.R.A.). The Patriot Games, "boldly presented the I.R.A. in an unflattering light" (Pfeiffer 202). Whereas Harrison Ford is reported as commenting, "The film was pretty unabashed in its admiration for the I.R.A. and all things Irish" (Pfeiffer 234). These opposing interpretations of the I.R.A.'s struggle against the Catholic Nationalists for Ireland's independence from the United Kingdom reflect the different ways in which the antagonists are portrayed within the two films. The level of villainy associated with the actions of the antagonists in each film, are also affected by the different character's portrayals and incentives. 

In Patriot Games, the I.R.A. itself is not necessarily the antagonizing forces within the film. However, it is a radical faction originally tied to the I.R.A. that attempts the attack on Lord William Holmes (Fox). While it is rather evident during a conversation between a member of the I.R.A. and Kevion O'Donnell (Bergin) that the other "brigade commanders" think that direct attacks upon the royals and ruling class. The fact that these people associate themselves with the purpose of the I.R.A. is damning to the I.R.A.'s image. 

This splinter I.R.A. group is first introduced when they attempt to assassinate the family of the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. This terrorist attempt is directly opposed to the value that American's place with the idea of a family and immediately creates a condemning image of evil within the audiences' mind. The most integral member of this faction is Sean Miller (Bean). He is directly involved with the attempt and watches the protagonist, Jack Ryan (Harrison) kill his little brother. This sets into action a feud between Ryan and Miller. 

The only redeemable aspects of Sean's situation is the audience's understanding of Sean's obvious feelings of being repressed by the United Kingdom (demonstrated when his is struck by a bad-mouthing detective) and general empathy towards his grief at the loss of his brother. Sean possess the qualities of loyalty to country and family, passion, and determination, but these qualities, usually admired by the American audience, are diminished and transformed into damning qualities that only serve to promote Sean's vilification. These qualities are what lead him to directly engage with violence towards the film's protagonist, Jack Ryan (Ford). The extremism of Sean's actions and his desire to kill the pregnant wife and child of Jack (two potential victims whose death would be the epitome of evil in America), expel feelings of empathy towards him, since his drive to destroy is now incited by a personal, specific desire for revenge.

Sean's damning intent is first voiced at his trial. Sean is dressed in dark somber clothes. Jack is also dressed in a dark blazer but his shirt is a light blue and there is light shining off his head (perhaps interpretational as a semblance of a halo designating righteousness). His face is a contrast of shadows and light throughout the film, culminating in almost complete shadow before his outburst at Jack. This enhancement of shadows demonstrate's Sean's growing intent to extract revenge. In the beginning of the courtroom scene, Jack and Sean are both off screen center with more social proximities between themselves and the camera. As the scene continues, the camera zooms slowly closer and closer to personal proximates and individual head shots of the antagonist and protagonist. This also increases the intensity of the situation, allowing the audience to grasp the vengeful nature that Sean will encompass throughout the movie. 

Contrasting Patriot Games, The Devil's Own puts forth a completely different introduction to the controversy between the nationalist and loyalist controversy. The antagonist, Francis "Frankie" McGuire (Pitt), is shown as a young boy enjoying an idyllic existence with his father. This is brought abruptly to an end when the father is shot down in front of Frankie and his family, because of his Irish republican sympathies. This scene in contrast to the opening scene of Frankie as an adult, causes the audience to view the I.R.A. as a group attempting to defend their country and take back their rights (a cause that the American audience can definitely get behind). This proposed idea of I.R.A. intentions, is reflected onto Frankie. Empathy towards Frankie is also more pronounced than in Patriot Games, as the audience is more inclined to empathize with a small child and that child's need to defend the beliefs that instigated his father's murder. Unlike the character of Sean Miller, Frankie does not specifically fight for revenge, he fights for a cause bigger than himself.

Despite the positive opinion that Frankie generates as an individual throughout the film, the actions that he takes to further his country's cause are not conducive to American ethics. This is prominently displayed through a reflection of the protagonist's, Tom O'Meara (Ford), code of ethics. Tom and his family becomes somewhat of a surrogate for what Frankie lost in the beginning of the film. Tom and Frankie's burgeoning relationship and the personal scenes which display Frankie's capacity for love, are starkly different from the scenes portraying Sean Miller as an individual whose only capacity is for anger, grief, and immorality. 

This scene demonstrates this sharp contrast: the close up camera proxemics of the frame, and the intimate proxemics of the characters demonstrate a close familiarity, trust, and happiness. Tom is the more dominant character within the frame because of his central location within it. His position seems to envelop his partner, Eddie (Blades), and Frankie within his protection and incorporate them into his world. The bright lighting of this shot enhances the idea of happiness, and good will. Nobody's face is contrasted in darkness and the equal plane and front facing shot point to them as possible equals. This analysis pertains more to Frankie and Tom than Eddie. Eddie is the only one dressed in somewhat dark colors, and the angle of the camera almost seems to denote a small distance from Tom despite their proximity. This could be foreshadowing to his later betrayal of Tom's trust and Tom's decision to protect him. Patriot Games does not demonstrate any scenes such as this one, constricting our ability to relate to Sean. The Devil's Own abundance of such scenes allows us to place Frankie in an additional reality, separate from the violence. 

Mather - Patriot Games and The Devil's Own

The film Patriot Games was released in 1992 and stars Harrison Ford as CIA analyst Jack Ryan. Early in the film, Ryan thwarts an IRA plot to assassinate members of the Royal Family in London, involving him in affairs that will not only threaten his life, but the life of his family. During his interruption of the assassination plot, he manages to wrestle a gun from one of the masked gunmen, and shoots another one, killing him. The man who died turns out to be the brother of Sean Miller (Sean Bean), who is part of the Provisional IRA, and seeks to exact his revenge on Ryan throughout the film.

The Devil's Own (1997) is another film that also concerns the Irish struggle for independence. In this, Harrison Ford plays Tom O'Meara, a NY cop who volunteers to house an Irish immigrant. Little does O'Meara know that the immigrant he is housing is actually one of the IRA's deadliest members. Frankie McGuire (Brad Pitt) while in hiding in the United States is tasked with buying weapons to further the IRA cause over in Ireland. The two develop a friendship, and it can be seen that Frankie is a good hearted person who has to do unfortunately bad things to further a cause he believes in, one that took the life of his brother.

Both films portray the Irish as murderers who will stop at nothing in order to achieve their goal. In the case of Patriot Games, Miller goes as far as killing his own team in order to pursue Ryan in the boat at the end of the movie. This scene is particularly dark, with the only light coming from the spotlight on the boat, indicating the evil intentions that Miller has in store. When Miller is confronted about the chase for Ryan being irrelevant to the mission, he screams that it is HIS mission to kill Ryan, and shoots both of his teammates dead. The character proxemics are close, which reveal that the three of them do have a personal relationship with each other, even though the scene takes a turn for the worse. The fact that they are all clothed in black helps show that even though they die, and even though they aren't as "bad" as Miller, they are still part of the bad guys, having depicted them in several scenes previously doing things most would consider evil.

In The Devil's Own, Frankie is depicted several times doing good things, such as being particularly kind to O'Meara's daughter. However, the film also makes sure the audience recognizes the danger that Frankie McGuire brings to the table. In one scene in particular, Frankie goes to meet the man he was supposed to buy the weapons from, but instead kills him and his guards, and takes the weapons to his boat. The character proxemics in this scene are public, in that Burke (Treat Williams) and Frankie are very far apart, indicating that they are anything but friends. The dominant objects in these frames are the characters, emphasizing the importance of what is being exchanged between the two. The light covering only half of Burke's face shows that he is two faced, that he is about to double cross Frankie, namely by killing his friend and tossing his head at Frankie. Frankie then proceeds to kill everyone in the warehouse handily. The brutality that Frankie shows gives the audience reason to root against him, even if they are sympathetic to his cause.

Tom Mather

Richard: Patriot Games and Devil's Own

Patriot Games and The Devil’s Own are two interesting films in the way they shape the audience’s understanding of different cultures.  The relationships between the protagonist and the antagonist in both films give the audience a sense of the culture during that time.  In Patriot Games, I thought it was interesting how the antagonist was so passionate about killing Harrison Ford’s character after he killed his brother.  I found this interesting because the Irish were in the wrong and you cannot be in the business of murder and not expect a risk of getting murdered yourself.  I probably did not think the antagonist’s attitude and hatred would be that strong after they were just trying to take someone else’s life.

In the Devil’s Own, we began to feel compassion for the antagonist because he does not entirely seem like one.  We see that he has feelings after his partner was killed at the beginning.  This made the audience feel sad for him and made it appear as though he was not just a killing machine but was a human being as well.  Towards the end of the film when he was escaping on the boat, he just wanted to get back home.  He did not want to do harm but just wanted to get back home and deliver what needed to be delivered. 

At the end of Devil’s Own, Brad Pitt’s character says, “It’s not an American story…It’s an Irish one.”  This is significant because it lets the audience know that happy endings do not always exist.  In the typical “American Story” Harrison Ford probably would have pulled him to shore and got medical help and everyone would have survived.  It’s an Irish one, and he is saying they don’t always have happy endings like what would be expected. 

In this scene, we see the framing is being used here.  There is not much room for the characters to go because they were both in a closed area.  They are also holding on to each other.  We see the detail of the arms and the watch and the camera zooms in to both characters’ faces.  This gives the audience the full reaction of the characters.  We see that both characters are expressing too different emotions.  One is hopeless and one is hopeful.  This shows the juxtaposition of the two characters and their different backgrounds.

In Patriot Games the scene where Harrison Ford kills the Irish man’s brother uses angle as a way to portray a deeper meaning of the scene.  The Irish man is looking up towards the camera because Harrison Ford is standing up.  It almost gives the scene a sense of superiority on the hands of Harrison Ford.  When you usually stand up, the character is usually in charge.  This scene does that.  This shows the superiority that maybe Americans may portray and maybe the anger that some Irish people may have portrayed.  

Mather - Presumed Innocent Blog

Presumed Innocent, released in 1990, is a courtroom drama starring Harrison Ford as Rozat "Rusty" Sabich, a highly touted prosecuting attorney in an American city. It is an intriguing film in which it perfectly brings to light the idea "that no human is perfect and that no human does not have a dark side"(Pfeiffer 185). Sabich is seen throughout the county police department as the "right-hand" man to the lead prosecuting attorney, Raymond Horgan (Brian Dennehy). His life is torn asunder when he comes to find out his colleague and former lover, Carolyn Polhemus (Greta Scacchi), an ambitious sex crime prosecuting attorney has been murdered. After being given the case by Horgan, Sabich (Harrison Ford) recruits one of his friends to be the lead police investigator in the crime. However once the evidence starts to roll in, it all starts to point to Sabich as the main suspect. From here on, the system that Sabich fought so valiantly to defend, was now accusing him of raping and murdering his colleague. It is unclear throughout the entire movie whether or not Sabich is guilty of the crime or not, but there's no doubt the other characters in the movie doubt Sabich's innocence in the matter.

The first moment happens when Sabich's fingerprints are found at the scene of the crime on a glass in Polhemus' apartment. He is called into his superior's office where this evidence is brought forward. It is here that the accusing attorney blames Sabich for conveniently "forgetting" to reveal the results from the forensic lab. Despite having an alibi that he was babysitting, the glass in the apartment becomes an important piece of evidence that also conveniently disappears from the trial as well.

The second moment where his innocence is brought into question is when he is confronted by Tommy Molto (Joe Grifasi), who outright accuses him of the murder. To which Sabich sarcastically responds "yeah, you're right, you're always right." Molto makes this accusation with little to no evidence, and clearly no regard for Sabich's position as a member of the justice system.

The final scene that depicts an undermining of his innocence is when Sabich finds the murder weapon in his house, and confronts his wife about it. The entire scene is particularly chilling, as she describes how she "fooled them all", including Rusty about the murder. In the scene, the camera is at a slight angle looking up at Rusty, putting him on a higher ground than his wife, indicating his innocence over hers. One half of the scene is particularly bright, whereas the other half is shadowed, hinting at a darker side to Rusty. The light perfectly splits on his face, contorted in anger and confusion. The fact that half of his face is dark, but the other is light shows that while Rusty has a high moral standard being a member of the justice system, he also has a darker side in which he may have known more about the murder than he cared to let on.

Tom Mather

Munoz: Devils Own & Patriot Games

It’s funny how throughout the film The Devils Own we first follow and learn the life of the antagonist first and not see the protagonist after we reach to the United States. Its also funny how both protagonists are American, which is my first view of how the American value and view is put into the films trying to not only show the whole issue and history of the IRA and PIRA but give a good image of the US.  I believe that in Devils Own we see a little of more patriotism towards their country and what they believe will bring them not only freedom but peace. Patriot Games in the other hand has more of a sense of revenge with no good intent leading the audience to have no sympathy what so ever.

            Both antagonists are shown doing immoral things to achieve their goal even though one is more of a cold blooded than the other. Both antagonists also have family members killed thus leading to the triggers of why they join the cause and where the whole revenge begins.

            Patriot Games we don’t have much sympathy for the Irishmen considering we don’t know much about the history of what is happening in Ireland but we are in London and the first wrongful act and coldness for a bigger purpose is killing the cosine of the Royal Family.  Though they fail they still murder two people. Then the IRA goes to the press expressing that its not them acting but rather different people which then we understand that this side objectives are made by the antagonists. “Patriot Games had boldly presented the I.R.A. in an unflattering light, and Politically Correct forces began attack the scripts allegedly right-wing tone.” (Pfeiffer 202) this comes to say that even in the real life they started to have some criticism. Though I feel they do in some way give a bad light in this film I guess no one can really give a non-bias view considering if you give an I.R.A person to shoot the film then it will show their view which yes could make us sympathize with them but will also show all the other parties as the antagonists, its all depends on the perspective and side in which you are born to.  The one seen in which the lighting key is an important part of the filming is when they liberated their fellow IRA comrade who is being transported, after they kill all the policemen they rally 3 cops including a well-known inspector. Having a low-key lighting from the street and the darkness of the night they are murdered cold-blooded in the bridge where it was out of their way shooting these law enforcers. Another seen which the camera angle when they kill Dennis Cooley is seen as less and replaceable and then shot giving not only a bad image to the Irish but as well it shows that they think that they are superior.
                The Devils Own is a complete different story in which showing the fight in Ireland gives us a little of history and feel of why Rory is doing what he is doing.  In this film I think they framed the IRA a little better except for the fact that they are trying to get mass weaponry into Ireland to kill more people. It is tough to position yourself in the other side when you haven’t had that experience just like Rory tries to explain Tom, when he confronts Rory in the basement about the money about his father being killed and living in a constant war. We sympathize with Rory because we see that he wants to be good and does nice things especially to Tom’s family but when he has to do unmoral things to reach his goal he will do it. Throughout the film we see a standard character proxemics between Tom and Rory but at the end when they have both shot each other they are more personal even emotional where they both have this connection that understand what they both are trying to do the good thing for their country but even though they have shot each other they forgive each other. As well Tom is seen as a parental role for Rory considering his father died and have a last emotional moment where Rory’s last words is that Toms is a good man. Finally we see that Rory did understand how he was going to end but the audience will miss Rory especially the part of Rory that is so good to Toms little daughter as to Sean Miller in Patriot Games. Miller never did anything for anyone except for himself and we clearly see this when he shoots his comrades to pursue his own mission.