The Irishman, titled onscreen I Heard You Paint Houses from the title of the book it is based on, is a staggering portrayal of one man on the margins of twentieth century American history. The film follows Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran (Robert De Niro) in his journey from World War II to his role as a hit man for the Italian mafia to his friendship with the Teamsters Union President, Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), and beyond. Over the course of its three-and-a-half hour run time, The Irishman offers a kind of coda to director Martin Scorsese’s previous gangster films; but The Irishman offers a different kind of statement, reflecting on—or noting the failure to reflect on—the decisions that lead a man down such a path. Ultimately Frank’s desire to be the “good soldier” and follow orders takes a toll on his own soul and threatens everything that he was supposedly working for. The Irishman continues Scorsese’s serious explorations of faith and religion on screen, deserving some comparison to Scorsese’s last feature, Silence (2016), in its exploration of religion. While the depictions of Italian and Irish immigrants Roman Catholic faith has played a role in many of Scorsese’s films, and the genre more broadly, The Irishman goes further underlines the what religion means to these men through their shared faith In the film’s final minutes, when Frank, finally confronted with his misdeeds, seeks absolution through confession with a priest, the film’s eternal concerns are made abundantly clear.
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” – Proverbs 14:12
– Anders Bergstrom
- Directed by: Martin Scorsese
- Produced by:
- Written by: Steven Zaillian Charles Brandt
- Music by: Robbie Robertson
- Cinematography by: Rodrigo Prieto
- Editing by: Thelma Schoonmaker
- Release Date: 2019
- Running Time: 209
- Language: English
Arts & Faith Lists:
2019 Top 10 — #3
2024 Top 25 Crime and Punishment Films — #10