Welcome to Screen Gems, our weekend dive into queer and queer-adjacent titles of the past that deserve a watch or a re-watch.
The Debatable: The Crying Game
Writer/director Neil Jordan took home an Acadamy Award back in 1993 for his script to The Crying Game, a movie that often lands on Best of the 1990s lists. The story follows an agent of the Irish Republican Army named Fergus (Stephen Rea) who takes a British soldier named Jody (Forrest Whittaker) hostage. Over the course of three days, an odd kinship develops between the pair, and Fergus promises that if Jody dies at the hands of the IRA, Fergus will seek out Jody’s girlfriend Dil and make sure she is cared for. Jody does die, and Fergus goes on the run, hiding out in London and calling himself “Jimmie.” There, he befriends the beautiful Dil (Jaye Davidson) and feels an immediate attraction.
Spoiler alert: Dil is revealed as a transgender woman, and Fergus’ initial rejection of her–followed by his professing his love–fuels both praise and attacks on the movie’s treatment of an LGBTQ character. One key scene seems to attract most of the criticism: that of Fergus vomiting after discovering Dil is trans. As documented in Disclosure, the scene is extremely triggering for many transgender audience members, and understandably so: the moment plays on the anxieties that trans people face every day. It also doesn’t help that countless other movies–notably Ace Ventura: Pet Detective–have parodied the moment for cheap laughs.
But does a triggering moment make The Crying Game transphobic? In our interview with Neil Jordan, he also mentioned that he always thought of Dil as a kind of angel–the moral center of the film. Considering that transgender characters in film up to that point had been portrayed as vile killers (see also: Dressed to Kill, Sleepaway Camp, and many others), The Crying Game does, for better, worse, or possibly both, hold an important place in the history of queer people in movies. For that matter, many great queer films–Boy Erased, The Children’s Hour, Victim, Philadelphia, The Boys in the Band, Boys Don’t Cry–have elements that will trigger LGBTQ viewers. Great art often upsets by design; stirring uncomfortable emotions in audiences adds to the power of the piece.
But we digress. Is Dil a great transgender character or a transphobic one? Can both be true on some level? If the “twist” of the movie became a pivotal element of the movie’s marketing, does that make the story itself an exploitative one? If Neil Jordan didn’t have the proper language to discuss Dil at the time he made the film (referring to her at times as a “transvestite”), does that make his intentions nefarious?
Nothing we could possibly write here could settle these debates, perhaps because the issues are not cut-and-dry, and perhaps because the answers will vary from viewer to viewer. What we will say is that The Crying Game is an incredible political thriller featuring two great performances from Davidson and Rea. We also fell in love with the character of Dil–however the movie treats her, she’s one of the most pure-hearted, courageous queer characters in cinema. We recommend the film for its place in movie history, and for the important conversation it continues to feed 30 years later. As LGBTQ lovers of the movies, it’s important to see movies like this one, flaws and all, for that very reason. Watch it, and let the debate rage on.
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THAT Steve
‘I dunno. You decide’ is not a very good answer ever to the type of question posed by the title. If click bait was needed to fill space, another Madonna attack or Britney filler would even have been more satisfying.
NFresh
Stop using “transphobic” to mean anything you disagree with. It’s so stupid.
Dymension
Thank you.
Observant
Yes—exactly this. Thank you.
cuteguy
Agree
Ronbo
Instead of characterizing people, places and things as “transphobic” use the actual person’s words, their location and their actual situation. Ask the authors to substantiate, not just hate.
I’ve been called “transphobic” when I say that a woman’s first period is usually a very traumatic and dramatic moment in a woman’s life. When guys mature, we get masturbation – hardly the same thing as a lifetime of bloating, bleeding, natural hormonal emotions, etc….
When we agree to discount what being female is, we discount all females.
represents
No. That is an absolutely ridiculous to say. You sound like an oblivious heterosexual responding when gay men say something offends US.
Donston
I don’t see much argument for The Crying Game being transphobic. Many say it’s dated. Dil is also an interesting, complex character that isn’t made into an freak show out-and-out villain (which was a consistent issue with gender-queer depictions before then) but also wasn’t just presented as a mere victim.
It’d be nice if this site stopped proposing questions without putting any effort into answering them or even investigating the question. I know it’s “queer media’s” thing to try and tow the middle line as much as possible. But it’s just cheap.
Grrrowler
Portraying a transgender person as a sympathetic character is not transphobic. Even Fergus’ initial reaction to Dil could be interpreted in different ways. intent is what matters and it seems highly unlikely that the film was intended to be “nefarious” against transgender people. Jordan was able to work only with what he had at the trim. We can’t expect people, and filmmakers, from a different era to express the sensibilities of our present time. And, them not using our language doesn’t make them transphobic.
MynameisSid
Also a stunning song by Boy George.
Bosch
Portraying the difficulties of being trans in a specific time and place is quite the opposite of transphobia.
I feel like we have forgotten, as a people, that it is the value judgement which makes something transphobic, homophobic, or racist. Nothing in this movie motivates the viewer to devalue the trans character; you’re supposed to empathize with her.
DennisMpls
I’m a passionate fan of the film. My answer to the question posed by the title of this article is: this is classic queer cinema and NOT transphobic. Of course, I’m not trans, but the idea that something is “phobic” because of a triggering scene doesn’t make sense. I’m gay, and there are MANY triggering scenes in gay movies. I’d say most of them have scenes that meet that threshhold.
As Neil Jordan said, Dil is the “moral center” of the film. She is also the most intriguing, most charismatic, and most sympathetic. To me the key was not Fergus’ initial reaction to Dil’s anatomy and his throwing up. In 1993 a straight guy thinking he was dating a cis woman would be guaranteed to have a shocked reaction to discovering the truth at the point of having sex. Rather, the key – overwhelmingly so – was that he was able to move beyond that initial reaction and come to see Dil as an authentic human being worthy of his love and respect. In 1993 that was rather revolutionary.
DennisMpls
I also have to express disagreement with those who think the title is clickbait, and those who take issue with David Reddish not himself answering the question of the title. I don’t think he’s “towing” any line. There is indeed disagreement in the community about this movie. The goal of this article is to raise the issue of this nearly 30 year old classic, and stimulate thought on the part of the reader. In this context it is BEST for Reddish to instigate the thought process and NOT answer it for himself. If he HAS a strong opinion he could post a comment here iin this section.
cuteguy
Don’t trans ppl have an ethical obligation to disclose and be transparent (no pun intended)?
DuMaurier
I’d say so, and it’s also an EXTREMELY good idea in general, but as I hazily recall, Dil honestly believed Fergus already knew before they got together–because of the kind of club it was or something, I can’t recall. But the “surprise” wasn’t intended to be one, I’m pretty sure I’m accurately remembering.
(As an aside, I actually don’t remember seeing Dil as transgender–or “transsexual”, the term I would’ve used then. I thought I was seeing a gay man with a strong feminine side and an attraction to presenting as a woman, partly for professional reasons, party personal ones. Oh well)
Doug
Also… don’t they end up being a couple at the end, anyway?
Bosch
Little extra rant: we are not going to be able to beat real social phobias if we focus so much on red herrings.
There is enough real transphobia and real homophobia out there, we don’t need to create symbols to fight. We need to fight the real thing.
And what really needs to stop is taking things that were intentionally and explicitly pro-, and turning them into something anti-. This movie is pro-trans decades before the issue is taken seriously by the public, and we should champion it.
GentlemanCaller
Oh please. Fergus’ visceral (literally) reaction is a legitimate depiction not of transphobia but of the “extremely triggering” (to use your own language) experience of an cis heterosexual male to the unexpected unveiling of a surprise that makes him question everything about the situation and his own identity in that moment. The abuse, suffering, and discrimination against trans folks is heartbreakingly true; but don’t let that blind you to the fact that even basically good individuals can have awkward reactions to such a surprise.
Jim
Debate?
Get over yourself. It’s good film that stands up and when considering when it was made ground breaking.
Only a media whore would create this tempest in a tea pot.
XannaDont
Classic. “Stand by your man…” Such a sweet ending!
dhmonarch89
OK- we’ve got 7 million problems to deal with TODAY- let’s STOP all the retro active shaming and policing! The planet is imploding around us- work to change that, Movies/history are a done deal- you can’t change them, but you can change today and tomorrow- the The Crying Game won’t matter a damn when we’re out of water!
Seth
I’m not trans so I’ll leave it up to those who are to decide if this depiction is offensive.
JT in Texas
Here’s a thought, stop trying to apply 2021 standards to a movie that came out 30 years ago. The plot of this movie is rather well-known. If think you’re going to be “triggered” by it then maybe don’t watch it.
stan2015
No its not. The film is a pollical thriller with a huge twist, The film is about falling in love not with a gender but a soul. Fergus falls for Dil and so does the audience! Even though we know Dil is a man we still see her as a woman because Fergus does and in reality Dil is a woman. The film is not transphobic. If anything it shows two men transforming each other. One of the best films ever made. I love this film so much that I even had the poster
john.k
As a 72 year old gay (cis!) man who has seen a lot there is nothing much that “triggers|” me – except reading about people being triggered by all sorts of ridiculous things. What happened to resilience?
eeebee333
Hands down the best movie of the 90s. There’s so much to it. It is for sure a political thriller. It’s also a story about attraction and love. I disagree that Fergus fell in love with Dil. I think Fergus fell in love with Jody, and so he felt responsible for Dil. And don’t forget Miranda Richardson’s character. A devoted IRA terrorist and a woman scorned.
JessPH
It’s a product of its age.
If this was done or remade today, the vomiting scene would probably be gone.
Hank31
The scene might be gone due to political pressure, but that would still be the real-life reaction of nearly all men.
Paulie P
Classic. Stop creating something that isn’t.
mastik8
Well, that worked. A click-baitey headline containing a false dichotomy designed to instigate an argument generated 26 comments. Ad revenues up?
Kangol2
Agreeing with Mastik8 that the headline did provoke a lot of commentary, which is what Queerty and its advertisers wanted, and with the general response that it’s presentism to suggest this film is transphobic or that, really bizarrely, the character of Dil was transphobic. I still don’t really get that one. When this film came out Jaye Davidson was an out gay, androgynous actor who preceded the non-binary moment we’re now living in, and portrayed Dil with considerable nuance and sympathy. The Crying Game itself is an excellent film that, in a way that Hollywood seems incapable of doing now, gave viewers a fairly contemporary, politically relevant story with real depth and a bit of a narrative shock.
represents
Honestly speaking, this is the first time I’ve heard that The Crying Game may be seen as transphobic. And while I may disagree, I am definitely wanting to hear from trans people who may have that opinion. I am VERY disappointed in a lot of the comments here. Some of you are not trans, so I really don’t think you have the right to devalue trans opinions about a subject which has to do with them. Nor do you have the right to decide just WHICH issues are important to our community and which aren’t. Some of you sound like when heterosexuals blow off our issues and concerns. You don’t have to agree with anyone who calls The Crying Game transphobic. Just don’t devalue their opinion. ESPECIALLY if it’s coming from the trans community.
Cam
I would love to hear from some Trans people on whether they think the movie is transphobic, or whether it is a movie where one of the characters has a transphobic reaction. Just like there are movies where a Gay/Lesbian character deals with homophobia, but it isn’t a homophobic movie, then there are other movies that are just dated and homophobic.
Halfnhalf
When I first watched the crying game, I knew there was a big twist later in the movie, but didn’t know what it would be. When I saw the scene it was quite emotional for me. I was repressing my own gender identity. I started crying. I wasn’t sure why, but I had this overpowering feeling of identification with Dil. A few years later I eventually came out for the first time actually accepting myself as trans. It’s a very special movie that helped me deal with my internal transphobia, as in being afraid of being trans. Some of you wanted to know how a trans person felt about this movie. I love this movie and it has a special spot in my heart.