Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The General

  • 19981998
  • RR
  • 2h 4m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
8.8K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
18,628
3,083
Jon Voight and Brendan Gleeson in The General (1998)
Home Video Trailer from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Play trailer0:31
1 Video
99+ Photos
BiographyCrimeDrama
The real-life story of Dublin folk hero and criminal Martin Cahill, who pulled off two daring robberies in Ireland with his team, but attracted unwanted attention from the police, the I.R.A.... Read allThe real-life story of Dublin folk hero and criminal Martin Cahill, who pulled off two daring robberies in Ireland with his team, but attracted unwanted attention from the police, the I.R.A., the U.V.F., and members of his own team.The real-life story of Dublin folk hero and criminal Martin Cahill, who pulled off two daring robberies in Ireland with his team, but attracted unwanted attention from the police, the I.R.A., the U.V.F., and members of his own team.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
8.8K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
18,628
3,083
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • John Boorman
    • Writers
      • John Boorman
      • Paul Williams(from the book by)
    • Stars
      • Brendan Gleeson
      • Adrian Dunbar
      • Sean McGinley
    Top credits
    • Director
      • John Boorman
    • Writers
      • John Boorman
      • Paul Williams(from the book by)
    • Stars
      • Brendan Gleeson
      • Adrian Dunbar
      • Sean McGinley
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 51User reviews
    • 54Critic reviews
    • 81Metascore
    • Awards
      • 9 wins & 14 nominations

    Videos1

    The General
    Trailer 0:31
    The General

    Photos170

    John Boorman at an event for The General (1998)
    Brendan Gleeson in The General (1998)
    Jon Voight and Brendan Gleeson in The General (1998)
    The General (1998)
    Jon Voight and Brendan Gleeson in The General (1998)
    Jon Voight and Brendan Gleeson in The General (1998)
    Aoife Moriarty in The General (1998)
    Brendan Gleeson in The General (1998)
    Sean McGinley in The General (1998)
    Maria Doyle Kennedy in The General (1998)
    The General (1998)
    Jon Voight and Brendan Gleeson in The General (1998)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Brendan Gleeson
    Brendan Gleeson
    • Martin Cahill
    Adrian Dunbar
    Adrian Dunbar
    • Noel Curley
    Sean McGinley
    Sean McGinley
    • Gary
    Maria Doyle Kennedy
    Maria Doyle Kennedy
    • Frances
    Angeline Ball
    Angeline Ball
    • Tina
    Jon Voight
    Jon Voight
    • Inspector Ned Kenny
    Eanna MacLiam
    Eanna MacLiam
    • Jimmy
    Tom Murphy
    • Willie Byrne
    Paul Hickey
    Paul Hickey
    • Anthony
    Tommy O'Neill
    • Paddy
    John O'Toole
    • Shea
    Ciarán Fitzgerald
    Ciarán Fitzgerald
    • Tommy
    Ned Dennehy
    Ned Dennehy
    • Gay
    Vinny Murphy
    • Harry
    • (as Vinnie Murphy)
    Roxanna Nic Liam
    • Orla
    • (as Roxanna Williams)
    Pat Laffan
    Pat Laffan
    • Police Sgt. Patrick Higgins
    Eamonn Owens
    Eamonn Owens
    • Young Martin Cahill
    Colleen O'Neill
    • Patricia
    • Director
      • John Boorman
    • Writers
      • John Boorman
      • Paul Williams(from the book by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Field
    7.3
    The Field
    Hope and Glory
    7.3
    Hope and Glory
    The Van
    6.7
    The Van
    Intermission
    6.8
    Intermission
    Beyond Rangoon
    6.5
    Beyond Rangoon
    The Butcher Boy
    7.1
    The Butcher Boy
    Michael Collins
    7.1
    Michael Collins
    I Went Down
    6.8
    I Went Down
    The Tiger's Tail
    5.8
    The Tiger's Tail
    Afterglow
    6.0
    Afterglow
    In My Country
    6.0
    In My Country
    Leo the Last
    5.9
    Leo the Last

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The house of writer and director Sir John Boorman was robbed by the real-life Martin Cahill. Among other things, he stole a gold record that Boorman had on the wall (an award for the "Dueling Banjos" theme from Deliverance (1972)), which inspired Boorman to include that scene in the movie.
    • Goofs
      Set in 1984, the background of the anti-drug march features a car with a license plate beginning with "96," indicating 1996.
    • Quotes

      Garda: Hey Cahill! Which sister did you screw last night? Both?

      Martin Cahill: Yours.

    • Alternate versions
      Home video version is colorized.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Star Trek: Insurrection/Jack Frost/Shakespeare in Love/Psycho/The General (1998)

    User reviews51

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Gritty and Brutal Portrayal
    "The General" is the nickname of the real-life, contemporary Irish criminal, Martin Cahill. Brilliantly played by Brendan Gleeson, director John Boorman dramatizes Cahill's odd career as a very successful thief and robber. Shot in black and white the movie has a gritty realism that doesn't glamorize Cahill and his gang. But Cahill, as portrayed by Gleeson and Boorman, is a likable and quirky eccentric who does things his own way, a characteristic which causes him to fall afoul of both the police and the IRA.

    Not your typical A-List Hollywood crime melodrama, this movie is not for everyone, especially those looking for the typical Vin Diesel or Al Pacino crime flick. This is more like the Sopranos in the Irish slums. And, I recommend it highly for a Saturday night rental; just be forewarned that it is quite brutal and intense at times.
    helpful•14
    2
    • gbheron
    • Mar 2, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 18, 1998 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • Ireland
    • Official site
      • Sony Pictures Classics
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Kod adı general
    • Filming locations
      • Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland
    • Production companies
      • J & M
      • Merlin Films
      • Screen Ireland
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,214,198
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $26,771
      • Dec 20, 1998
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,214,198
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 4 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Jon Voight and Brendan Gleeson in The General (1998)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The General (1998) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in August
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    These Stars Are on the Rise
    See the gallery

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Back to top
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.