Dowon Hwang, Duncan Morrison, and Ben Smith
Patriot Games (1992) Portrayal of the IRA
Based on the novel by Tom Clancy, Patriot Games explores the relationship between terror and justice in a primarily Western European setting. Patriot Games is the story of an American hero and ex-marine Jack Ryan (played by Harrison Ford) who saves his family and many others from a revenge-seeking terrorist member of the Irish Republican Army, Sean Miller (Sean Bean).
Patriot Games (1992) Movie Poster
Although it is true that the IRA used fear and violence in the late twentieth century, the portrayal of the IRA in the film depicts an exaggerated version of the IRA, a version that seeks no proper goal besides causing mayhem in the British government. Instead of seeking to benefit the cause of the Irish Republic, director Phillip Noyce chooses to represent the IRA as a blood-thirsty group of terrorists set on crippling an entire nation.
This use of the IRA serves only one purpose in the grand scheme of the film; to make money. The more villainous and savage that Noyce made the IRA, the more profit it would yield for those involved. American audiences nationwide are well known for their affinity towards action and violence in movies, as those movies tend to gross the most amount of money. Using the prejudice towards violence, Noyce throws away the legitimacy of the IRA and their cause in order put more money in his pocket.
Harrison Ford as ex-Marine Jack Ryan
Sean Bean as IRA member Sean Miller
In this project, Patriot Games will be analyzed from an IRA point of view, comparing the real IRA to the IRA portrayed in the film. Taking into account multiple sources, such as the esteemed Irish Echo and New York Times, the reception of the Patriot Games by critics from the United States and Northern Ireland will be observed by Dowon Hwang.
Jack Ryan and family during the London Attack
Exploring the book The IRA: On Film and Television, Duncan Morrison takes a look into the perception of the IRA in Patriot Games from an outside perspective.
Jack Ryan fighting an IRA member
Using clips from the movie, accessed on YouTube, side by side comparison between the two different IRA’s will play a big role in determining whether or not Noyce pushed the idea of a villainous IRA to make more money. Ben Smith examines two scenes from the movie, along with two real instances of IRA terror, to clarify this issue.
The goal of this project is to examine the representation of the IRA in Patriot Games, and determine whether or not director Phillip Noyce correctly depicted the all-important Irish Republic group in the late 20th century.
Patriot Games (1992) Portrayal of the IRA
Based on the classic Tom Clancy novel, Patriot Games explores the relationship between fear and perseverance.
Patriot Games (1992) Movie Poster