THE DEVIL’S OWN

Well before its release, THE DEVIL’S OWN has earned notoriety because of its star’s vocal criticism of the pre-production process. In his interview in Newsweek magazine, Brad Pitt, who costars with Harrison Ford, called this movie “the most irresponsible bit of filmmaking — if you can even call it that — that I have ever seen.” The subsequent brouhaha resulted in Pitt’s public apology, again in Newsweek, and in the reshooting of the movie’s ending. Unfortunately, this last minute overhaul probably did more harm than good.

Pitt portrays Frankie, alias Rory Devaney , an IRA terrorist hiding in New York City. A local judge with IRA connections arranges for “Rory” to stay with Tom O’Meara (Harrison Ford), a painfully honest 23-year veteran of the New York Police Department who has no inkling of Frankie’s nefarious occupation. Surprisingly kind and courteous, Frankie forms a genuine bond with the O’Meara family, especially with Tom and his 8-year old daughter. Inevitably, however, complications arise as Tom’s family is placed in peril by Frankie’s presence, and both men’s loyalties, to each other and to their own ideals, are severely tested.

Unfortunately, the characters’ inner moral struggles are obscured by this movie’s relentless violence. Perhaps due to the last-minute editing, the plot and its best scenes seem to have been sacrificed for fast-paced, brutal action sequences. One intense violent scene follows another, leaving the viewer exhausted and numb.

The heavy editing leaves dangling second story lines, such as Frankie’s budding romance with a young Irish woman. Even worse, character development in THE DEVIL’S OWN is inconsistent and somewhat unrealistic. One wonders why Ford’s cop-with-the-heart-of-gold would so fiercely want to protect Frankie, a man who gravely endangers the O’Meara family, beats Tom in an escape scene and kills fellow police officers.

Surprisingly, the film does promote family, integrity and fierce loyalty to one’s principles. Tom O’ Meara nearly quits the police force after he must lie to save his partner from disciplinary action. Frankie suffers a similar, though more subtle and brief, crisis of conscience when he attends a church service and must reflect on his own failure to live up to Jesus’ example. Even his total dedication to his political cause inspires grudging admiration from the viewer as his side of the story comes to light.

THE DEVIL’S OWN diverges from the typical Hollywood action flick by pitting two men against each other who cling tenaciously to a values formed by their unique American and Irish experiences, while sharing the link of an Irish heritage (reinforced by the Irish soundtrack). As a result, the movie’s heroes are ambiguous ones, and it becomes difficult to decide whether to root for Tom or Frankie.

THE DEVIL’S OWN is further redeemed by its exposure of the consequences of killing and strife. The ruthless violence is deflated by the children, whose periodic appearances serve to prick the heroes’ consciences. Though it is never overtly stated, this motif reminds the audience, and the characters, that children are the true victims of violent political conflict.

This powerful theme is never adequate explored, however, and is ironically overwhelmed by the film’s graphic brutality. Without revealing the conclusion, the ending is disappointingly sappy and anti-climactic. THE DEVIL’S OWN could easily have ended with a scene dramatizing its moral dilemmas and left its audience grasping for answers. Instead, the film takes the easy way out and largely ignores the questions it poses. The only questions remaining is what might have been if Brad Pitt kept his mouth shut.