Friday 25 June 2010

FILM: THE OUTSIDER (1981)


Financed by Paramount Pictures, The Outsider (shot under the working title of 'Michael') was a controversial film from the start.

The story concerns a young American veteran of the Vietnam War (Craig Wasson), who, disillusioned by that ignoble war, looks to the Ireland of his grandfather's (Sterling Hayden) boastful memories for a truer cause to fight for.

Arriving in Ireland to help 'the boys' he quickly discovers that this conflict is as grey as any other and that years of violent conflict have corrupted both the IRA and the British Army.

Worse will follow when he realises that he is regarded only as an 'outsider' who's been played by the IRA as a PR pawn.  

They have it in mind to have him shot with a British bullet so they can blame the army and bolster donations from the US.  Meanwhile, the British plan to finger him as  an IRA informant ensuring a certain death sentence.

Despite his noble motives Michael finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.




The Controversy

Based on a novel by Colin Leinster, the screenplay for the film was ruffling feathers before the ink was even dry.

Although most of the action takes place in Northern Ireland the film was shot mainly in and around Dublin as there was clearly going to be no cooperation from the British authorities, nor indeed would filming be welcome in the nationalist areas given the picture it was to present of the IRA.

These were of course highly sensitive times with the murder of the Queen's cousin and a deadly ambush on the British Army at Warrenpoint the year before in 1979.

That the film was perhaps most critical of the American perspective of the Troubles did not cut any grass and it did not receive a release until nearly a year after production was completed.  Even then it received a very muted release and was soon allowed to disappear.

Indeed, for whatever reason, the film has never made it to a DVD release, though it continues to air on television occasionally, and is strongly regarded by those who see it.





1 comment:

  1. Thank you for this site!
    Could you tell me how I could see THE OUTSIDER? Do you have a DVD I could purchase?
    sorrellm@aol.com

    ReplyDelete