A passionate tale about an Irish boy who struggles to understand the world he lives in and consequently turns violent The Butcher Boy (1997) plays out like a comedy but eventually becomes too dark to embrace as such. The social message planted by director Neil Jordan is catchy but shallow, ultimately resulting in a conflicting story with a dead end.

Francie Brady (Eamonn Owens) lives in a dysfunctional Irish family where money is always an issue. His mother (Aisling O'Sullivan) regularly thinks about committing a suicide. She's had enough and putting an end to her life seems like the logical thing to do.

Francie's father (Stephen Rea) is a well-known drunk who enjoys his trumpet as much as he adores his telly. Nothing however rivals his love for the bottle. Not even the occasional "disciplinary lessons" Francie must endure.

Francie's best friend is Joe (Alan Boyle). The two kids live in a fantasy world where honor and friendship mean a lot. So much in fact that they symbolically cut their hands and become "blood brothers"!

The "enemy" is no other than the old and snobbish Mrs. Nugent (Fiona Shaw) whose manners Francie finds sickening. She constantly breaks into the boys' fantasy world disrupting the perfect harmony the two have achieved. During such moments Francie finds comfort in Virgin Mary's (Sinead O'Connor) presence (?!)

After he is molested at a youth home where the priest reveals a strange affection for his stories Francie returns home and becomes a butcher boy. Then all hell breaks loose!

Neil Jordan (The Crying Game) is a director who clearly understands what can go wrong in a child's mind. So much in fact that a few times I caught myself pondering whose story I was actually following: Francie's or Jordan's! Pain, anger, hatred, there were plenty of emotions raging in the butcher boy's tiny body. Yet, I did not care!

I do not know how to describe why Francie's story left me cold. I suppose it was his split personality, the way he presented himself. I saw a child living in a world where fantasies come true, a world where friends can become brothers. Then I saw a boy whose heart spewed so much hatred it eventually destroyed everything that makes him a child – the innocence, the naivety, the brittle but colorful fantasy world he believed in.

Was it intentional? Was I supposed to feel that way? Was Neil Jordan playing a strange game where good and evil were meant to be seen differently?

Whatever the Irish director's intentions might have been I certainly feel something in The Butcher Boy is missing! The story is strong and at times entertaining but the more I attempted to side with Francie the more it fell apart for me. I know that dysfunctional families can create plenty of trouble and I know that many use them as an excuse to justify violence. With Francie however neither the boy's actions nor his words were convincing enough to let me understand what took place in his heart!

How Does the DVD Look?

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and enhanced for widescreen TV's the print provided by WB looks very strong. Progressive, tight to the frame, with excellent color gradation, and very smooth contrast scheme, this DVD serves the film exceptionally well. There is no damage, dust, or scratches that you need to be concerned with. Overall, as expected, this appears to be another top-notch disc by the always reliable folks at WB.

How Does the DVD Sound?

Presented with an English 5.1 track and optional English subtitles (that are certainly needed here due to the often heavy Irish accents) the audio mix is extremely well done as well. I did not detect any sound deficiencies: separation was good. Indeed there is nothing to be concerned with here either!

Extras:

The key supplemental material on this disc is the commentary by director Neil Jordan. Because I did not connect with the main protagonist I made it a point to listen to the entire commentary and see what I might have missed. This being said, my impression is that Jordan aimed at creating a unique film where traditional Irish values are seen through a humorous prism with more than a few edges. The commentary is revealing and yet not burdening with unneeded information. Aside from that this disc contains four deleted scenes as well as the theatrical trailer for the film.

Final Words:

It is quite possible that I disliked The Butcher Boy because its premise now seems so familiar, perhaps even overused. The more I saw from Jordan's work the more I felt that his protagonist wasn't convincing enough. The somewhat predictable social message is also difficult to swallow despite the deceiving humor from the first half of the film. Perhaps you could give it a chance and discover more!