The General

After living and working in Ireland for more than 25 years, Boorman decided to make a film about the country: The result quickly became one of the most acclaimed and popular Irish films, earning Boorman his second directing award at Cannes. The incredible life of notorious Dublin gangster and folk hero Martin Cahill (1949-1994) is evoked with a steady hand, the black and white images acting as a playful echo of the Warner Brothers crime classics of the 1930s starring James Cagney. The captivating interpretation of Brendan Gleeson, who knew Cahill personally and bears an astonishing resemblance to him, as an irrepressible, incorrigible and sometimes brutal villain, justifies the comparison with Cagney's famous gangster portrayals. In his first leading role in a movie, Gleeson took on Deliverance actor Jon Voight (as a police adversary) before starring in Boorman's next three films. (N.Y.)

Photo: Austrian Film Museum