MovieChat Forums > The Jackal (1997) Discussion > Was Gere's Character Tortured?

Was Gere's Character Tortured?

posted 14 years ago by insp_laukinming
4 replies | jump to latest

I just saw this movie for the first time. When Sidney Poitier forced Gere's IRA sharpshooter character to open his shirt, there are some marks on Gere's chest, and Gere says something like "souvenirs of British hospitality". These sure don't look like bullet wounds, I assume they are torture marks and his line kind of confirmed that.

Question, if Gere's character was indeed tortured in the hands of the British, that'd be around 1989, and the Brits outlawed torture of IRA activists in the 70s. Even if they did torture his badly, they'd be using much more discreet methods than leaving something so easy to tell. What was the intent of this reference?

[–] scataphobia 14 years ago

I think that the quote was as thought out as the rest of the script for this plot-hole laden debacle. The real victims of torture were primarily the audience!

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Sam Lowry: Are you alright?
Jill Layton: Yeah.
Sam Lowry: Well, you don't deserve to be!

[–] siddownshaddup 14 years ago

Possibly the marks weren't tortue scars but maybe the British were overly enthusiastic about subduing him when they captured him i.e. they beat the @#$% out of him.

"Suicidal paranoiacs will say anything to get laid."

[–] Irish_Pete 14 years ago

I wouldn't worry too much about continuity in this film. It's just a plot device.

[–] Maegnas 14 years ago

Of course the "plot" was full of holes, more than in a block of Swiss cheese.

And, of course, it is widely known that the British never tortured anyone, either before and certainly not after they outlawed torture. This is communist propaganda that needs to be dealt with, immediately. If not, they will even claim that the US is torturing and abducting people too...

Be VERY careful what you say. It will be stretched, twisted, altered and THEN used against you!