THE BOONDOCK SAINTS
US, 1999, 105 minutes, Colour.
Willem Dafoe, Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus.
Directed by Troy Duffy.
The Boondock Saints is a film about Boston gangsters and their pursuit by local police, who seem to be on their side, especially the Irish, and the FBI. It has the conventional gangster material, but is treated in extraordinarily strong operatic style (in the vein of Martin Scorsese's films). The film is stylish in its cinematography, editing, dramatic flourishes. It is also operatic in its presentation of explanations, events seen after the explanations, characters, especially FBI agent, artificially re-enacting some of the events and walking through the events while they are happening. The film is also highly blood-drenched.
This makes the film an oddity, not something that is immediately entertaining, difficult to follow at times, with repellent characters. The film highlights the 90s and the Irish Boston Mafia, their support by the local police and public opinion (calling them saints) and the contrast between the Russian Mafia which has arrived in the United States.
Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus are the two Irish Mc Manus brothers who start to wreak vengeance on the incoming Russian Mafia, brutally eliminating most of them with the help of their rather insane Italian friend, Rocco. Willem Dafoe is the FBI agent, vain, shrewd, intelligent, orchestrating (literally) to music his investigations. The film also highlights the fact that he is a gay man. When he overhears one of the brothers speaking to a priest in a confessional, where he himself had gone to get advice from a priest, he realises that the young men are doing the work that he really wants to do. He then continues to support them. They finally go to court - and are acquitted - and set out on a career of vigilanteism. However, writer-director Troy Duffy gives the audience something to think about as the television news interviewers ask various people on the Boston streets the pros and cons of their opinion on such vigilanteism. Opinion is divided.
1. The impact of the film? As a gangster film? Boston settings? The Irish and their clans? Their violence? The incoming European Mafia, especially from the former Soviet Union? The disruption of the traditional loyalties and boundaries?
2. The Boston settings, the authentic feel of the city, homes and bars, police precincts, the streets, warehouses, hotels? The feel of the 90s and the clashes of the Mafia? The musical score, the use of classical music, especially by the FBI agent?
3. The title, the support of the Irish in South Boston, public opinion, the newspaper headlines, the vigilantes being seen to be ridding the city of unwanted criminals and therefore saints? The finale with the interviews with the various people, the diversity of opinion?
4. The focus on the two boys, the initial sermon, the warnings from the priest, their lighting the candle and ignoring the priest? Their age, style, manner, bonding? Who was the leader? The bar, St Patrick's Day, the interactions with the barkeeper, his having to sell the bar? The Russians and their taunts? The police discovering the bodies of the Russians on the streets? The reconstruction of what they did, the fights, the violence, in the rooms, their being tied up and chained, one being about to be shot, the other throwing the lavatory on him, their taking the money?
5. The local police, support of the Irish, the speculations on the street, the various theories, especially the policeman with all his theories - and always wrong? Being sent by the agent to get the coffee? His saying they would disappear? Their turning up?
6. The FBI agent, his personality and style, dominance, intelligence and theory of detection, putting it into practice? His skills? His lording it over the others? His taking them on all the investigations, a kind of admiration group? His interview with the boys, his trying to understand the mystery, trying to understand them? The further killings, his literally conducting the investigations, reconstructing the scenes? His own personal life, the gay man, the man in his bedroom? His homophobic remarks in the gay bar? His interest in the boys, following their massacre in the hotel, reconstructing it? The speculations, the final shooting and his entering into the scene? His making the distinction between the Irish and the Italians? His drinking, frustration, going to the confessional, talking to the priest, overhearing the conversation? His decision to let the boys go, the courtroom scene, his own increasing vigilanteism? Willem Dafoe and his sinister presence and screen presence?
7. The boys themselves, their Irish bravado, the injuries, bashing the Russians, handcuffed, throwing the toilet? Giving themselves up? Their becoming heroes? The decision to massacre the incoming group? Their friend Rocco, his psychotic behaviour? How sane, insane theirs? Going through the ceiling, falling through the roof, hanging there and doing the shooting? The further shooting of the Mafia types? Their attitude towards the Mafia family? Wanting to escape, the clashes with their Italian friend? In the courtroom, their defence, their future?
8. The Italian family, the Mafia chiefs, Rocco and his telling the joke, his humble jobs? His being seen as a threat to expose everyone to the police? His own personal madness, violence? With the brothers, the massacre in the hotel? The aftermath, the further killings? The Mafia family itself, the chief? Finally in the court, the testimony, the lies?
9. The Eastern European Mafia types, muscling in, their confidence, meeting in the hotel - and the shock of the massacre?
10. The Boston police, the Boston media, the television coverage, the interviews?
11. The captions introducing all the characters? The film easy to follow? The role of each Mafia group? Law and order in Boston? Violence? The role of the FBI, the police? Vigilanteism?
