Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

The Crying Game Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 21, 2017

Winner of Oscar Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, Neil Jordan's "The Crying Game" (1992) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage trailers for the film; audio commentary by director Neil Jordan; alternate ending; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Fergus and the soldier

Neil Jordan’s The Crying Game is one of the quintessential ‘90s films. It genuinely surprised critics and casual filmgoers and it created big and lasting ripple effects in the industry from which it emerged. Unlike other very good and equally successful films from the era, The Crying Game never disappeared into oblivion.

The film is broken into two contrasting parts. In the first a British soldier named Jody (Forest Whitaker, Bird) is kidnapped by members of an IRA cell and relocated to a cabin somewhere in the countryside. It is here that Fergus (Stephen Rea, The Butcher Boy) and Jody quickly develop an unusual relationship while waiting for the leaders of the cell to negotiate an important deal with the British government. But when the negotiations abruptly collapse, Fergus is immediately ordered to kill Jody. On the night before the execution, Jody shows Fergus a picture of a beautiful girl whom he never stopped loving. Eventually, British soldiers surround the cabin and in the ensuing chaos Jody dies while Fergus miraculously escapes.

In the second part Fergus travels to London and assumes a new identity, hoping that his former partners will forget about him and he can redirect his life. Shortly after he gets a job in a construction company, however, he visits a night club where Jody’s lover, Dill (Jaye Davidson, Stargate), occasionally performs. Despite his desire to erase his past, Fergus begins seeing Dill and very quickly falls in love with her. But their relationship is put to the test when two of Fergus’ former partners, Jude (Miranda Richardson, Damage) and Maguire (Adrian Dunbar, Innocent Lies), reappear and demand that he helps them take out a prominent target. Around the same time, Fergus also makes a shocking discovery that casts an entirely new light on his relationship with Dill.

The secret behind the brilliance of The Crying Game is very simple: the film is based on a terrific script. This isn’t to imply that Jordan’s direction is in any way flawed, but if one were to ever attempt to argue that he is a better writer than he is a director this film can definitively be used to build a very strong case in favor of the former. Indeed, the characterizations and the evolution of the relationships are scripted with such pitch-perfect precision that they even give the film the bulk of its unique ambience. The framing and lighting preferences, the camera movement and editing choices only add minor stylistic enhancements to what is already a wonderfully structured film.

The cast is excellent, but the strength of the performances is again largely determined by the script. Even seemingly minor exchanges, such as the ones between the impish bartender (Jim Broadbent, Le Week-End) and the two lovers, actually carry a lot of weight and the actors clearly respond with the right attitude. On the other hand, the more dramatic material is completely free of artificial emotions.

Jordan and cinematographer Ian Wilson allowed plenty of natural and unfiltered light to enter the film, giving it a distinctive organic appearance that works perfectly for the desired atmosphere.

The soundtrack blends original music by Anne Dudley and classic and popular songs like Percy Sledge’s “When A Man Loves A Woman”, Mungo Jerry’s “Baby Jump”, and Pet Shop Boys/Carol Thompson’s “Let The Music Play”. Two versions of the title song, “The Crying Game”, are also heard throughout the film. The first is a classic recording by Dave Berry, while the second is the sultry ‘90s version by Boy George that became a club hit.

The Crying Game Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Neil Jordan's "The Crying Game" arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute.

The release is sourced from a brand new 2K master which was struck from the original 35mm negative. It is a fantastic master that will remain the go-to source for Blu-ray releases and almost certainly DCPs for a very long time. The film now looks strikingly healthy and all-around beautifully balanced. The darker/club footage, in particular, conveys the type of organic depth that was completely missing from the the old R1 DVD release. When there is plenty of light close-ups and wider outdoor shots boast remarkable clarity and sharpness (see screencaptures #3 and 4). The color grading is also very convincing. There are solid and very healthy primaries and an excellent range of nuances. This is very important because Neil Jordan and cinematographer Ian Wilson allowed plenty of natural and unfiltered light to enter the film and some of the gentle nuances were noticeable on theatrical screenings but not on DVD releases. There are no traces of compromising degraining or sharpening adjustments. Overall image stability is excellent. Finally, there are no distracting damage marks, debris, cuts, stains, warps, or other age-related imperfections to report. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Crying Game Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

The lossless track has excellent depth and clarity is as good as it can possibly be. The film's original sound design, however, is unlikely to impress folks that appreciate the dynamic intensity of modern big-budget productions. Here the biggest and most effective contrasts are created by the wonderful soundtrack. The dialog is stable and clean. There are no mixing/digital errors to report.

The Crying Game Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer One - original trailer for The Crying Game. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Trailer Two - original trailer for The Crying Game. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Alternative Ending - presented here is a rare alternative ending which was sourced from an even rarer VHS. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Alternative Ending with Commentary - director Neil Jordan addresses the alternative ending and how it was shot. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• The Making of The Crying Game - in this archival documentary director Neil Jordan discusses his career in the film business and the production of The Crying Game. Also included are clips from interviews with producer Stephen Woolley, Stephen Rea, writer Jane Giles ("The Crying Game"), and writer and managing director of Renaissance Films Angus Finney, amongst others. In English, not subtitled. (51 min).

• Northern Troubles - a short but very interesting piece that offers two distinctively different takes on the Troubles in Northern Ireland. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• Commentary - in this audio commentary, director Neil Jordan discusses his childhood years, his time in the film business, the production history of The Crying Game, the socio-political environment in which it emerged, etc.

• Booklet - 32-page illustrated booklet with essay by Ashley Clark, Juliet Jacques, and Brian Hoyle, and technical credits.

The Crying Game Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The British Film Institute delayed its Blu-ray release of Neil Jordan's The Crying Game a couple of times and frustrated quite a few fans of the film, but I have to say that the wait was well worth it. The release is sourced from a very beautiful new 2K master struck from the original camera negative and the film looks and sounds as good as I hoped it would when it transitions to Blu-ray. I will make sure that the release appears on my Top 10 list at the end of the year. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.