History Film / TheCryingGame

-->'''Fergus:''' Have you ever picked up your teeth with broken fingers?

Of course, the order eventually comes down that Jody has to die. Fergus is slated for the task, but can't bring himself to do it, buying Jody a chance for escape...which gets him about as far as the nearest road where he's quickly run over by an APC. The British army has found the IRA hiding spot, it seems. Distraught, Fergus runs for it, fleeing both the British soldiers and his former comrades in arms.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Fergus is out of the IRA, but in jail. He and Dil seem to be together, though, even if it's a long distance relationship.]]

* ChekhovsGun: A subtle one, when Jody forces Fergus to pull out his penis for him to urinate. [[spoiler: Considering Jody's girlfriend, the deliberate HoYay comes back thematically when Fergus' idea of sexuality is tested.]]
* CigaretteOfAnxiety: Dil lights up one after [[spoiler: her UnsettlingGenderReveal and Fergus goes to vomit.]]

-->'''[[spoiler:Dil]]:''' You're doing time for me. No greater love, as the man says. Wish you'd tell me why.
-->'''[[spoiler:Fergus]]:''' [[TheFarmerAndTheViper As the man said, it's in my nature.]]

* IfItsYouItsOkay: Implied to be the resolution for [[spoiler: Dil and Fergus]]. Even after finding out [[spoiler: that Dil is pre-op transgender, Fergus still loves her]].

* InsistentTerminology: Dil continues to call Fergus loving terms [[spoiler: after TheReveal, to his consternation.]]
* InstantTurnOff: Just when Fergus and Dil begin to make love, [[spoiler: Fergus discovers Dil's secret.]]
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: Dil, since Fergus takes the rap for her.]]

* ManslaughterProvocation: This is probably what [[spoiler: Fergus gets convicted of]].

%%* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: [[spoiler: Dil on Jude.]]

* ThisIsGonnaSuck: Dil's reaction [[spoiler: after Fergus discovers she is pre-op transgender]].
-->'''Dil:''' [[spoiler: You ''did'' know, did you? Oh my God.]]
* TransRelationshipTroubles: Main character Fergus freaks out and nearly abandons [[spoiler: Dil]] after realizing that she's a trans woman.
* TransTribulations: [[spoiler: In the famous twist, Dil is a pre-op trans woman. Fergus had no idea before she undresse. He gets pretty upset at first, even hitting Dil. However, he's soon apologized to her and still wants Dil after this.]]
* TraumaticHaircut: Dil. [[spoiler: The last thing she wants to be is a boy again.]] The only way Dil agrees is that Fergus insists that he's doing it for love; [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fToMiIveRss she still cries as her hair is cut]].

* WeDoNotKnowEachOther: Played with. When [[spoiler: the IRA comes after Fergus again]], he tries to get Dil to play along with this, since Jude has identified her as "the wee black chick". He puts her up in a hotel and cuts her hair, but his plan doesn't quite work out.
* WesternTerrorists: Fergus, Jude and Maguire are members of the [[UsefulNotes/TheTroubles Irish Republican Army.]] Their kidnapping of a British soldier kicks off the plot.
* WhamShot: Used for the infamous reveal. [[spoiler: As Fergus begins to undress Dil, the camera drops down and shows Dil's penis.]] Even the music stops.
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Fergus gets one of these when it's time to kill Jody. He can't bring himself to do it. There's an IronicEcho when [[spoiler: Dil]] wants to kill Fergus, but can't bring herself to do it, either.

* TransTribulations: [[spoiler: In the famous twist, Dil is a pre-op trans woman. Fergus had no idea before she undressed.]]

* SpiritualSuccessor: To Jordan's earlier films ''Film/MonaLisa'' and ''The Miracle'', which are also about men (or in the case of ''The Miracle'', a teenage boy) falling in love with women who turn out to be not what they seem.

-->-- '''Billy Crystal''' ([[FilkSong to the tune of "The Tender Trap"]]), during his famous song-and-dance bit at the 1993 [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscars]]

* LargeHam: Forest Whitaker is clearly having a blast as Jody with a very bombastic and gregarious performance despite being the fact that he’s being held hostage.

* SympatheticMurderer: [[spoiler:Dil kills Jude to protect Fergus and avenge Jody. Jude ''really'' had it coming.]]

'''[[spoiler:Fergus]]:''' [[TheFarmerAndTheViper As the man said, it's in my nature.]]

* InterruptedIntimacy: Just when Fergus and Dil begin to make love, [[spoiler: Fergus discovers Dil's secret.]]

-->'''Dil:''' "No greater love", as the man says.

-->'''[[spoiler: Dil]]''': You're doing time for me. No greater love, as the man says. Wish you'd tell me why.
-->'''[[spoiler: Fergus]]''': [[TheFarmerAndTheViper As the man said, it's in my nature.]]

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Jude repeatedly calls Dil an “{{it|IsDehumanizing}}” [[spoiler:as she’s being gunned down by the former.]]

-->'''Fergus:''' No way. I'm out.
-->'''Jude:''' ''(practically rolling her eyes)'' You're ''never'' out.

-->'''Fergus''': Do anything for me?
-->'''Dil''': Anything... ''(Fergus starts to cut her hair)'' '''[[AnythingButThat NO WAY.]]'''
-->'''Fergus''': You said ''anything''.
-->'''Dil''': Girl has to draw the line ''somewhere''.

** Also Miranda Richardson seems to be having the time of her life as Jude. Especially in the second half of the movie when she goes completely dark-haired.

* DeathByIrony: Jody has a chance to escape due to Fergus's reluctance to kill him (especially if it means shooting a man in the back), only to be run over by a British armored vehicle that was sent on a supposed mission to rescue hi.

** Fergus as well. He clearly feels strong romantic love (though not necessarily sexual attraction) toward Dil even after the reveal.