MovieChat Forums > Harry's Game (1982) Discussion > weird ending - spoiler

weird ending - spoiler

posted 18 years ago by jk80
15 replies | jump to latest

I quite enjoyed Harry's Game, although it has aged quite a lot. It strangely suffers from the fact that a couple of the show's stars went on to have good TV careers and I found it difficult not to think of that when I watched it.

Anyway, I don't quite understand why the army sniper shot Harry at the end. He seems to think that he's an IRA man, in which case, why would one IRA man shoot another like that? They knew that Billy Downes was definitely the one they were after. Surely if somebody chases him and shoots him dead it's fairly likely that he's in the security services, and yet they shoot him without considering that possibility.
I don't mind an unhappy ending and was expecting one with a programme of this type, but I wish they had made it a bit more convincing.

[–] Nikon11 18 years ago

The British soldiers shoot Harry, thinking that he's IRA.

They know that the IRA will kill their own if he is a tout, or becomes too much of a liability. And that is what they thought was happening.

The soldiers didn’t care that Billy was shot dead – they just felt so much disgust and disdain for the IRA and the Irish, that they shot Harry thinking that they had rid themselves of one more of them.

[–] phil-foster 18 years ago

Discust and disdain for the IRA AND the Irish. Many of the British soldiers were Irish themselves. In my experience the disgust and the distain was for the IRA and all other terrorist cells in the province on both sides. Qualify your statement next time.

[–] Nikon11 18 years ago

Are you saying that British soldiers didn't treat the non-IRA population that way?

[–] festertlu 17 years ago

Its easy to get drawn into who did what to whom ending up arguing stupidly like most of the other boards. Lets just say that bad things happened by some bad people. The chance of soldiers shooting a person in an internal paramilitary feud would be quite high.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] Nikon11 17 years ago

"hippies and the Irish Americans"

I don't consider myself either.

I agree that some did and do want to be part of the UK - but you can't say that many in the locations where this movie takes place feel that way.

The two soldiers who shot Harry knew who Billy was - they were staking out his house. But they most certainly didn't know Harry - and thought he was IRA, taking him out - and then they did the same for him.

[–] mainboardmoderator 17 years ago

If you adhere to realism, the soldiers in a checkpoint positioned at the gate of a military base, or at the end of a street will not have specifics on likely threats ... they'll be told 'keep your eyes open.'

Sad thing is, owing to deniability, in the event of a mistake, they'll be hung out to dry whether they shoot the wrong person - or fail ro shoot the 'right' person.

Remember the US Marine Barracks in Lebanon in 1983 ... the guard element were forbidden to have a magazine locked and loaded in case they fired recklessly. Those men watched the truck bomber crash through the barrier and press on to deliver his deadly payload.

Odd thing though that cannot be cast aside - the IRA has not shot or blown up a single person since 9 / 11.

Suddenly Plastic Paddies who had viewed the IRA as heroic freedom fighters, were forced to reappraise. They are not quite the poor, disenfranchised victims of Brit 'oppression.' Nor is indiscriminate bombing and shooting, the way forward.

Brit troops in N Ireland are not, and never were there to prevent democractic procedures being followed. Indeed in 1969, one common message sprayed on walls in Catholic Districts of Belfast was 'IRA = I Ran Away.'

Since there are both Brit and US troops keeping the decidedly undemocratic Saudi king on the throne in that country ... and most of the 9 / 11 *beep* / scum were Saudis - and they want 'oppressive infidel troops' out - what do Americans think about that ?

Irish terrorists are free to bomb and shoot their way to 'freedom ' ... yet Saudis are not - at least when it involves killing Americans.

Time for some consistency in your perceptions - The IRA AND Al Qaeda are BOTH terrorist groups, neither believe in, or advocate anything remotely similar to democracy and should be dealt with similarly.

[–] Nikon11 17 years ago

My perceptions??

I don't know if you're talking about me, but I have no illusions about the IRA. I agree with your assessment.

[–] Zatoichi_Sanjuro 12 years ago

Odd thing though that cannot be cast aside - the IRA has not shot or blown up a single person since 9 / 11.

What a clueless, idiotic post. I suppose the PIRA ceasefire, and entry into the peace process, FIVE YEARS before "9/11" was due to the clairvoyant Brigade of the PIRA?

Brit troops in N Ireland are not, and never were there to prevent democractic procedures being followed. Indeed in 1969, one common message sprayed on walls in Catholic Districts of Belfast was 'IRA = I Ran Away.'

The ignorance continues. There effectively was no IRA in the mid to late 60s. The IRA at that time were so far Left, they were even against using violence as self-defence. In 1969 Loyalist mobs started burning people out of their homes for the crime of wanting equal civil rights. There was no effective IRA to protect the people, that's why supposedly 'IRA = I Ran Away' at that time. Out of the ashes of Bombay street the IRA of the Troubles emerged.

Time for some consistency in your perceptions - The IRA AND Al Qaeda are BOTH terrorist groups, neither believe in, or advocate anything remotely similar to democracy and should be dealt with similarly.

...just stop. Read a newspaper, at least one history book. You haven't a clue.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] docsavage80 16 years ago

They may have thought that Downes had turned informant, and Harry came from the IRA to get him. Also, they may have thought Harry served one of the Orange paramilitary groups.

[–] joannetrvr28679 15 years ago

well my aunty edna is in the back ground shots she wareing a purple jumper and dark trouses she has bloned hair and if you see a blue minni thats my uncle michale frist car befor my auntie wraped it around a lamp post never drived befor iam glade she got in the film well i was three when they filmed it 1982 my two couison was 4 6 at the time i thought the film was excerlant very well done and filmed in leeds area and a very old film well good actors i got it for my dad brithday he remeber it very well my mum and dad last saw it in the charltons were they used to lived so iam well galde they put it to dvd even thoe i laught at the flower wallpaper god the fashion has changed but they might bring the wallpaper bck i hope not well i dont mined the film pitcher its rough due to an old film its a very good film to buy and the loacal history of leeds and the ira history very well done i whish they was moor films like that eeven thoe iam 29 nearly 30 i think it should get 100 percent please buy it if you know leeds and ira story lines are tense in parts and your waiting to see whots hppends next lindrobson hasent changed a bit please buy it frm amazon befor you carnt get it befor the put it out of print well good film

[–] TheHeck 13 years ago

WTF, man. Ever heard of punctuation?

I came, I saw, I laughed, I left.

[–] Prismark10 12 years ago

This was a trait of Gerald Seymour books. He dealt with controversial subject matters and in a sense had a rather even handed conclusion.

The good guys win but with a bitter-sweet sting.

Its that man again!!

[–] t-l-s 9 years ago

It was a terrible ending

They have the man they are after - Their Action: they do nothing but radio
Unknown man comes up to him and shoots him - Their action: shoot him, even though their is at least a 50/50 chance that he is undercover and one of them after the same man they are after
Woman picks up gun, and is about to and then does shoot harry - Their action: they do nothing

It was a ridiculous way to have a bittersweet ending, to an otherwise great series.