A true example of a hidden gem, the based-on-a-true-story crime film Kill the Irishman, directed by Jonathan Hensleigh and released in 2011, earned just over one million dollars at the box office, making it a motion picture that has sadly been missed by way too many people.
Set in Cleveland, we are first introduced to our lead, Danny Greene (Ray Stevenson – Rome; Thor) in 1975, a criminal who always seems to be in the line of fire – at this point, he dodges death by leaping from his moving car after realizing it has been wired to blow.
Hensleigh then transports us back to the beginning of the tale through narrator and cop Joe Manditski (Val Kilmer), as he provides us with a look at the complex gangland of Cleveland and the childhood of our main player (as he grew up on the same streets as Greene), eventually leading us to the point where Danny’s story skyrockets, in 1960, with him working as a longshoreman on the docks. It is an opening that in many ways pays tribute to Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas.
Under the eye of corrupt union boss Jerry Merke (Bob Gunton), the longshoremen are run into the ground, often fainting due to the hell-like working conditions. Danny, though not even a high-school grad, is an avid reader and knowledgeable man of the streets – a person that his friends and co-workers look to for guidance. They turn to him to run against Merke, the first step in his rise to criminal fame.
Dabbling with the mafia, John Nardi – his only Italian friend (Vincent D’Onofrio), Leo ‘Lips’ Moceri (Mike Starr), and others, it does not take long for the corrupt dealings going on behind closed doors to become public knowledge – leading to Danny’s arrest.
When released (after making a deal), he calls on Nardi to find work. Directing him to a connected and non-bigoted Jewish businessman, Shondor Birns (Christopher Walken), Danny takes on a glamourous job in debt collection. Spinning that into an opportunity to unionize garbage haulers through mobster Jack Licavoli (Tony Lo Bianco), he gets educated in the business through tough as nails Keith Ritson (Vinnie Jones), the newest member of his crew.
Through the ups and downs, he becomes known as “The Robin Hood of Collinwood”, as he does much good for the downtrodden people of his working class community. Continuing his expansion into the Cleveland mob scene, he begins to ruffle the feathers of multiple mob bosses in both his hometown and New York City. When word comes down to Danny that there is a bounty on his head for $25,000.00, he realizes he is walking a tightrope. Will he be able to dodge multiple hits and continue down the same path, or will his dangerous journey finally catch up with him?
Written by Hensleigh and Jeremy Walters, the pair have a way with words. Often off colour, it places us in the working class, politically-incorrect streets of Cleveland (circa 1960-70s). Polish, Irish and Scottish stereotypes are bandied about, demonstrating the harsh landscape these characters trudge through. Here are a few of my favourites. The first finds Danny at gunpoint. Thinking fast, he calls the giant thug ‘a Polack prick’ and follows it up with “what do you do if a Polack throws a grenade at you? . . . take the pin out and throw it back. You hear how the Polish firing squad died? . . . stood in a circle”. Later, Danny finds himself in a meeting with a union boss who insults his Irish potato-eating heritage. Quickly turning it around, he enlightens the Scotsman – “speaking of culinary tastes, Mr. Macleish, your Scottish aren’t you? Lets talk about haggis. Haggis is seasoned lard stuffed into a sheep’s colon. So I may be a potato eater Mr. Macleish, but I don’t eat fat out of a sheep’s asshole”. I think I’ll conclude with this flurry. At one point, Licavoli expects a kickback from Danny and ends by exclaiming, “You can characterize it any way you want”. Danny once again is ready, retorting: “Any way I want? . . . Really? . . . Okay. How `bout this. A gang of hairy greasy Wops, who came into existence when a Greek fucked a goat, want to extort hard earned money from a band of noble Irish stock”. He concludes the departure with, “oh, by the way. I know why you guys call each other ‘Ronnie the Crab’, ‘Peanuts’, and ‘Frankie B’, it’s because you’re too fucking stupid to remember each other’s names”. It is this type of street lingo that permeates the piece, perfectly capturing this seedy, uncouth underworld.
Revolving around a richly drawn lead, Stevenson exudes the charm, character and smarts of the wily gangster. . . yet, in an instant, a dark violence can pop up from deep inside, rearing its ugly, gruesome head. The motion picture also does a wonderful job of depicting a multi-faceted world. Though Danny is a street thug and gangster who works his way up, he is also a caring individual who tries to give back to his community. Likewise, the toll that his lifestyle takes on his family, and specifically his wife Joan (Linda Cardellini), adds a more human touch to the oft caricatured gangster character, with the relationship he has with his later girlfriend/mistress Ellie O’Hara (Laura Ramsay) adding another level of emotion to the plot. It is this dichotomy that permeates the piece; both Irish Catholic and murderer, caring community member and street thug, that makes for such a rich tale. He is almost a mythical idol that is whispered about by the people as well as someone to be frightened by. It is perhaps Danny’s final conversation that best exudes this, for when the young boy asks if he is the elusive man (and then proclaims that Danny is the idol of both he and his brother), Danny explains that they shouldn’t want this type of life. . . though he provides him with a protective Irish medallion as a keepsake for his flattering words.
Though it doesn’t add too much new to the crime genre, Kill the Irishman is a solidly crafted feature with a little bit of everything – action, drama, comedy and suspense. Featuring a superlative cast of character actors (Paul Sorvino, Robert Davi and Fionnula Flanagan also appear in this picture with interesting roles), each provides a solid portrayal that feels authentic to the time. Hensleigh also made the smart (and economical) decision of utilizing authentic newsreel footage from the time, giving us an inside look into the real comings and goings of Danny Greene. The score, written by Patrick Cassidy, must also be mentioned. Often having an Irish melancholic vibe, it suits the sombre complexity of the man. The colour tone also feels right. Often using earthy browns and Irish greens, this world feels dirty and gritty, a cement and brick filled asphalt jungle that is both the players’ reward as well as their confining prison. Just because this film did poorly at the box office, don’t get the wrong idea, it was no bomb – so help its legend live on.