MovieChat Forums > The General (1998) Discussion > Cahills crimes

Cahills crimes

posted 19 years ago by celticforce10
14 replies | jump to latest

This movie really annoys me.This guy butchered and killed people yet we have guys like John Boorman expressing admiration for him.Let us look at Cahills crimes for a moment.He put a bomb under Dr Donovans car,nailed one of his gang members to the floor,plundered the Beit art collection from the nations heritage,robbed O'Connors jewellery factory-putting 30 people out of work in the process.These are only a few examples.I cant for the life of me understand or identify the root cause of the posthumous glorification of this vicious and self absorbed man.What does anyone else think ?

[–] bigkev49 19 years ago

he was a good character,simple as

Tíocfaidh ár Lá------Our Day Will Come

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] celticforce10 18 years ago

What makes me laugh is the way Cahill thought he was invincible and never thought he would be got to.

[–] Aberdeenfortheolympics 19 years ago

One mans hero is anothers villain you'll find people will argue for and against him.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] halumsden8 19 years ago

When they make movies like this, they dramatize and santize them for a watchable
show. Movies made before with criminals in them do not show a true character.
Sure, I have seen this movie. I asked a friend of mine from Dublin what he was really like. He said he mumbled alot and kept his face hidden. But he also said imagine the worst person you know and multiply it by 100. That will give you an idea what he was really like.

[–] caiomin4 19 years ago

The film is titled "The General." This is not his actual name, but the nickname he received from the media and the Dublin public. This indicates that the film is not necessarily centered on the man himself, but his impact. The film does show a more personal side of the notorious criminal, but his crimes remain quite visible. Most of the items in his home are stolen, and they are displayed clearly in the frame. Cahill pulls off some of his most daring crimes and takes inhumane action towards his fellow man in full view. I feel the glorification of the man is subject to personal interpretation. All people have their own set of values and morals, so it is no surprise that a criminal such as Cahill would be a controversial figure. The blurred line between fact and legend in the film is a microcosm of the different perceptions of Cahill in real life. All of this leads to the apt title of "The General," as opposed to something like "Cahill." The centerpiece is the popular perception of this infamous dubliner.

[–] nicole2004g 18 years ago

dont agree with you, Martin Cahill gives to after robbing the rich is himself to gangs & helped to ppl. as robin hood. he died by Inspector Ned Kenny, a sadly die./

[–] BassiMoto 18 years ago

It happens all the time with criminals. It doesn't seem to matter to some people the seriousness of their crimes. In the states there are some pretty high profile murderers who actually have fan clubs and young people are writing them letters telling them how great they are. That kind of worries me a bit.
It makes you wonder what goes thru peoples' minds.

"She is my Mirror of Erised, I look into her and see everything I've ever desired."

[–] Ghostshadow187 18 years ago

Cahill was a scumbag with ties to the INLA and a traitor that collaborated with the UVF. In the end, he deserved what he got. However it's just a film. I'm sure all the movie criminals based on real people (Bonny and Clyde, Chopper, Goodfellas etc.) have had their personalities distorted so as to make them more acceptable lead characters to the film audience. At least Boorman did a better job than that retarded film "Ordinary Decent Criminal".

Republicans dont watch stand up, theyre busy watching cartoons, trying to see who's gay.

[–] celticforce10 18 years ago

Cahill did not stand up for the poor.He despised them as much as everyone else

[–] rem483-1 18 years ago

Trouble is, Gleeson & Voight did too good a job on film.

[–] blackcarlover 17 years ago

in Veronica Guerin they have him nail one member to the floor, yet in The General to the snooker table (or Pool table then).

why?

LOL!

I want to all men!

[–] illpoetikill 17 years ago

i think its basicly a cold honest story, and like others said before me, its up to the individual viewer to decide the degree of evil and wrong doing that the man was up to. thats what good honest movies are supposed to do, rouse an emotional reaction. the only movie that comes to mind rite now, that left me with such a feeling is full metal jacket. its just the cold hard facts that shape great movies like these named, its the sheer genius behind the conceptual gimmick known as the truth.