A PRAYER FOR THE DYING

UK, 1987, 107 minutes, Colour.
Mickey Rourke, Alan Bates, Bob Hoskins, Liam Neeson, Sammi Davis, Allison Doody.
Directed by Mike Hodges.

A Prayer for the Dying is based on a Jack Higgins novel. It is a portrait of an IRA gunman, his disillusionment with his work, especially after he blows up a bus of schoolchildren instead of the intended target.

Mickey Rourke is very effective in the role of Martin Fallon, the IRA gunman (and has an authentic Irish accent as well - which does make it somewhat difficult to understand his speeches). Alan Bates is an artificial London gangster, an undertaker, who is the last target for Fallon. Bob Hoskins has the role of a priest, an ex-SAS fighter. Also in the supporting cast are Sammi Davis as the blind niece of the priest, and Liam Neeson as a ruthless IRA gunman.

The film is set mainly in London. It was directed by Mike Hodges (such thrillers as Get Carter, Pulp, Terminal Man). The film has significant religious themes which come to the fore with the confrontation between Mickey Rourke and Alan Bates in the loft of the church, an explosion and the IRA gunman falling onto a life-size crucifix and then its falling on him - and his final repentance and acknowledgment of God in the presence of the priest.

The film was not well received at the time, some difficulties about IRA sympathies and Mickey Rourke's alleged pro-IRA stances. However, the film is an interesting thriller.

1.Impact of the thriller, gangster action, the IRA background?

2.The work of Jack Higgins, his popularity, adventure stories, his perception of action, the Irish and the British?

3.The Irish settings, the countryside? London, the funeral parlour, the church, the clubs? The Irish in London? The musical score?

4.The title and its religious tones? The terrorist, the gunman, the weariness of the gunman, his change of heart, forgiveness, prayer and death?

5.The impact of the Irish sequences, the IRA gunman and his contacts, his setting up of the target, the bomb? The bus and the children? The deaths of the children? His waiting, decision to escape to London, his wanting out of his killings? The emotional reaction to the death of the children?

6.Mickey Rourke's portrayal of Martin Fallon: the explanation of his background in Ireland, his recruitment into the IRA, his ability to kill, terrorism, the IRA war? The IRA causes? The impact of the death of the children? Going to London? Meeting his friends, refusing the job? The target of Jack Meehan? Chauffeur? The IRA contact and his pursuit of Fallon, the girl, the execution of the contact? The girl and her pursuit of Fallon?

7.Fallon and his journey towards death, experience of purgatory, the prayer of the priest and his niece, his own latent faith, the confrontation with Meehan, the explosion and his falling onto the crucifix, clasping the body of Christ, the crucifix falling on him, his death, repentance, absolution, his murmuring the word "God"?

8.Meehan and his background, the petty gangster, the artificial style, sexual orientation? His relationship with his brother? The dapper type, the assassinations? The police? The funeral parlour front? (And Alan Bates made up to look something like an embalmed corpse?) The work at the parlour, the embalming, the burials, the cards? His gangster squad? The attitude towards Fallon? The old lady and the robbery? The spike and the hands? The clubs, the threats? The bashings? The death, checking Fallon? The priest and the hotel?

9.Meehan and his plans, to kill Fallon? The prostitute, the boat, the escape? His brother's death and his grief? The bomb in the church loft? His muttering his brother's name, the explosion and his death?

10.Fallon, the killing, the encounter with the priest, not shooting him, the confessional, going to the church, the encounters with Anna, the organ and her playing? The attraction, falling in love, the return? The carnival? The sexual liaison? The confrontation with Meehan, the thugs? Killing Meehan's brother? The cremation? Saving the priest, their talks, the memories? The build-up to his death - his being ready to die?

11.The portrait of the priest, Bob Hoskins and his style as the priest, ex-SAS, the military background? The funeral, not being shot? The encounter with the police? The priest and his taking care of his niece? Meeting Fallon in the church? The organ playing? Discussions, wanting to save Fallon? The police and the organ? His anger with Martin, the hotel and the bashing? The explosives? In the loft, being urged to take Anna to the carnival to safety? His return, his caring for Fallon, putting his cassock over him, asking him for an act of contrition, his happiness in Fallon's saying, "God"?

12.Anna, her place in the presbytery, her relationship with her uncle? Blind, playing the organ? Liking Martin? The carnival? The night with Martin? The violence, the possible rape, her fear? Being taken to the carnival by her uncle, the explosion, her returning to the church and her grief at Martin's death?

13.The police, tracking the terrorists, the gangsters, interrogating the priest, the seal of confession, the frustrations?

14.Liam Neeson as the IRA contact, in Ireland, pursuing Fallon to London, the various leads, the meeting in the park, not killing Fallon, going for the drink, the girl, her cover, her shooting him?

15.The world of the terrorists and their war, causes? Comparisons with the criminal world, prostitution and children, the thugs? The confrontation on the boat - and the thugs being forced to strip and dive into the water?

16.The meshing together of action adventure with gangster thriller? With humane touches? And religious themes?