PATRIOT GAMES

US, 1992, 116 minutes, Colour.
Harrison Ford, Anne Archer, Patrick Bergin, Thora Birch, Sean Bean, Richard Harris, James Earl Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, Polly Walker.
Directed by Phillip Noyce.

Patriot Games is the second Tom Clancy novel to be filmed. The first was the successful Hunt for Red October with Sean Connery.

As the film indicates, by the end of the '80s there was no clash with the former Soviet Union. This time the villain is the IRA, or a rogue breakaway group from the IRA. The Americans confront the IRA - especially with the help of the CIA and its capacities for surveillance.

Harrison Ford has taken Alec Baldwin's place as former Marine Jack Ryan. Ford is good at conveying anguish as well as being a strong hero. Anne Archer is his wife, Thora Birch their daughter. The supporting cast includes Patrick Bergen as an IRA man and Sean Bean as Sean Miller, one of the most obsessive of villains. James Earl Jones reprises his role as the Admiral and Richard Harris does a cameo as an IRA fundraiser in the United States.

The film was directed by Australian Philip Noyce (Newsfront, Heat Wave, The Dismissal, Cowra Breakout, Dead Calm as well as the American Blind Fury). He went on to direct the next Jack Ryan thriller, Clear and Present Danger. Cinematographer is Australian Donald Mc Alpine and costume designer Australian Norma Moriceau.

The film is well paced, is an action gung-ho American thriller using the CIA in a sympathetic way and the IRA as villains. It is popular action entertainment.

1.The writing of Tom Clancy, adaptation for the screen? Action, the United States, the CIA, the IRA? Technology?

2.The English sequences, London? The United States in contrast, Virginia, Washington, the countryside and the coast?

3.The action sequences, editing and pace, especially the finale? The emphasis on technology, the CIA and surveillance, the IRA and weaponry? Stunts and special effects? The musical score?

4.The title, the IRA and the CIA code for them? War games?

5.Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, his reputation, Marine? Family? The hotel, London, the champagne? Sally? His lecture and the response? The situation in the streets, his going into action, being wounded, protecting his family, not thinking, saving Lord Holmes? The police, the interrogation, hospital and recovery? Lord Holmes and the knighthood? The newspaper response and Ryan as hero? The situation for vengeance from the IRA?

6.The portrait of the IRA, the rogue group, Sean and the attempted kidnap, his relationship with his brother, his brother's death? The confrontation with Jack, the failure of the plot? The planning, the drivers, the taxi? Inside information? Sean and the arrest, the interrogations, his stubbornness? The trial, the cross-examination of Jack and the point made about his not thinking? The guilty verdict? Miller's contempt, vengeance? Kevin O'Donnell in Ireland, the IRA members, the confrontations, the murders - the setting up of the man with the woman, the man in the empty house? Kevin and his control, the engineering of Sean Miller's escape, inside information, the hold-up, the murders of the officials? Going to the United States, the plan for vengeance, the attack on the freeway? The failure to kill Kathy and Sally? The group going to Libya, the training camp? Cooley and his bookshop, fleeing to Libya, his wanting to participate in the action, with the gun, his death? The plan for the attack, going to the United States, the attack on the house, the infiltration, stalking the victims? The deaths? Sean pursuing Jack on the boat? The fire, on the same boat, his violent death? The background of Paddy O'Neill and the public utterances, sympathy for the IRA, collecting funds in the United States? The television interviews? Paddy's pursuit of Jack and his being spurned? The sequence in the bar and Paddy rejecting Ryan?

7.Kevin and his control, the bonds with the Millers? The girlfriend and her participation, driving, seduction? The contact in Holmes' staff, the betrayal and information? The killing in Ryan's house? His own death? The rendezvous with Cooley, the shop and his contacts? Under surveillance by the CIA?

8.Jack, Kathy and Sally, the impact of the trial, the guilty verdict? Going home, the effect? Going back to ordinary work, Jack and his lecturing? Kathy and her eye surgery? Sally at school? Kathy not wanting Jack to go back to the CIA? The Admiral and the visitor, the escape and the threat? Jack being stalked in the streets of Annapolis? His escape, the pursuit on the freeway, trying to contact Kathy by phone? Her being pursued, the crash? The injuries, the recovery?

9.Jack and his decision to return to the CIA, discussing with the officials, the Admiral hearing him? Kathy changing her attitude? Langley, the staff, the data, the file on the Patriot Games? The capacities of the CIA for surveillance, technology? Jack and his flashback memories, his guesses, the girl, the link with Kevin, identification of camps in Libya, the satellite surveillance? Cooley under surveillance and his fleeing to Libya? The organisation of the SAS raid - and the ability of the people in Langley to watch in detail what was happening? The slick and ruthless raid?

10.Lord Holmes, Minister for Northern Ireland, the resentment of the IRA, the connection with royalty? The traitor on his staff? The planned visit to Jack's house, the arrival, the meal? The transition from the happy meal to the house under siege, the attack, the lights?

11.The siege itself, the violent action, suspense and people stalking one another? Kathy and Sally hiding? Jack pursuing? The green light and the IRA able to see within the house? The deaths? Escaping from the window? Going down the cliff, the regrouping of the IRA, the boat chase? The action in the boat - Sean and his obsessiveness, killing Kevin and the woman? The final confrontation with Sean and Jack? Sean as a larger than life villain, loyalty, violence, love for his brother?

12.The aftermath, Jack and the CIA, the IRA and its continuing its terrorism? Kathy's pregnancy - and the uncertainty for the audience of the boy or girl?

13.The gung-ho American style, American enemies, violence and terrorism, the sympathetic attitude to the CIA, its personnel, surveillance and action? Action thriller of the '90s?