The Crying Game (film)
| Fandom | |
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| Name: | The Crying Game |
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| Creator: | |
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| External Links: | at Wikipedia |
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The Crying Game is a 1992 film.
The film follows Fergus (Rea), a member of the IRA named "Fergus," who has a brief encounter with a British soldier named Whitaker, a prisoner by the group.
Fergus later develops an unexpected romantic relationship with Jody's lover, Dil, whom Fergus promised Jody he would take care of.
Spoiler and Note
Most of the fan discussions about this film discusses a major twist.
The early fan discussion of this film may display dated language and statements.
Sample Fiction
- Lavender Blue by M. Fae Glasgow writing as Gael X. Ile (Pæan to Priapus V: Multum in Parvo)
- One Who Has Made a Long Journey by Jane Mailander (Bene Dictum II: Half 'n' Half)
- 2,036 Days to Go by Michelle Christian ("Doyle visiting Fergus of The Crying Game in prison and seeing old friend Dil there.") (Chalk and Cheese)
- Secrets of the Human Heart by Karen J. Stewart (Rerun #11)
Fan Comments
1993
[The Star Trek: TNG story, Heart Sister]: Re "woman with a penis" -- The name of this story is HEART SISTER and it appears in ON THE EDGE.***SPOILER ALERT*** The viewpoint character, Tasha Yar, perceives this person as being a woman. Even with the appearance of a penis — a bit different than Fergus's perception upon seeing Dil's penis in THE CRYING GAME. Like the film, this story explores the definitions of what is a "woman?" At any rate, this person explains to Tasha that she is a product of "prenatal biological engineering." The story strongly implies (at least to me) that the person possesses XX chromosomes and that all of her secondary physical gender traits are those of a woman, save for the presence of a penis.
***END SPOILER ALERT*** Have you read the story? Just out of curiosity, is it your view that a penis renders a person into a "man?" Please clarify. [1]
I'm going to raise this sticky subject again: can a heterosexual story story which contains emotional responsibility, centers on a real or presumably equal relationship ever be included in the category of "slash'— or is homoeroticism a necessary and crucial element? I'm not taking sides on this hot-potato question as I am undecided about this. I used to lean on the homoerotic-is-necessary side until I began doing ON THE EDGE and read stories which might as well have been slash, except they featured a man and a woman rather than two people of the same physical gender.
Tell me, people: is a Fergus/Dil CRYING GAME story a male/male story or a male/female story? Depends on one's definition of "male" and "female." [2]
Your Wave Theory makes a lot of sense! I find myself squarely within the Fourth Wave in my sensibilities, though I have a bit of Third Wave tendencies in my like for Bodie/Doyle A/U stories. More than that, the Wave Theory explains the diversification of slashdom in a way which traces the way the fandoms have developed through the years. I now have a better understanding of the "we're not gay" stories (though they still don't make a lot of sense to me — I want my characters to be queer). Not even sure if a penis is necessary in the newer developments in slash. Lesbian stories have experienced an exponential growth just in the past year. Then there is the question as to whether a penis really makes someone "male" or not (as in THE CRYING GAME, where all of the fan stories I've seen in this universe refer to Dil as "she").[3]
I think I saw THE CRYING GAME before anyone else - within its first week of release - a brief comment in TIME magazine about gender bending was enough to clue me in that there was something definitely of interest to be found in the film - this was way before the media was going on about "the secret" - and so enjoyed hugely the scene with Jody and Fergus going out to pee. When Dil revealed all I gasped "I knew it!" even as the friend I was with gasped in shock and disbelief. I'd also met a black transvestite named Velvet once, who had something of Dil's voice; created a fascinating resonance all the way through the film.
A friend at work went to see the film and came back commenting on all the surprising twists and turns the film took - I agreed completely, though for different reasons - I had fully been expecting someone to die by the end of the film, and was pleasantly surprised when that didn't happen.
Fascinating comment on how all the hets were portrayed as noxious, and how Fergus, "by tapping into his gay potential' becomes a positive character - I hadn't looked at it in that light, but your comment is going to stay with me. [4]
References
- ^ comment by Nina Boal, editor of On the Edge, printed in Strange Bedfellows #1 (May 1993)
- ^ from Strange Bedfellows #1 (May 1993)
- ^ Strange Bedfellows #2
- ^ Strange Bedfellows #3