A Prayer for the Dying

A Prayer for the Dying
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Mike Hodges
Produced by	Samuel Goldwyn Jr.
Written by	Jack Higgins Edmund Ward Martin Lynch
Starring	Mickey Rourke Liam Neeson Bob Hoskins Alan Bates
Music by	Bill Conti
Cinematography	Michael Garfath
Editing by	Peter Boyle
Distributed by	The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Release date(s)	September 11, 1987
Running time	107 min
Country	UK / USA
Language	English

A Prayer for the Dying is a 1987 thriller film about a former IRA member trying to escape his past. The film was directed by Mike Hodges, and stars Mickey Rourke, Liam Neeson, Bob Hoskins, and Alan Bates. The film is based on the Jack Higgins novel of the same name.

Plot

The film begins with Martin Fallon (Mickey Rourke) and his IRA team tracking two British Army Landrovers on a lonely road. They have planted a bomb ahead to kill the soldiers. At the last minute, a school van overtakes the Landrovers, and hits the bomb killing all the children. This totally shakes Fallon who wants to leave the violence and goes to London in order to eventually move to the US.

He lands in London and takes sanctuary in a church pretending to be a reporter escaping from the UK. He contacts a prior contact in London who introduces him to a local mob leader. The mob leader and his psychopathic younger brother know of his past and offer him a passport and lots of money in order to complete one last job. Reluctantly he agrees. Meanwhile he starts falling in love with the blind niece of the parish priest (Bob Hoskins). To his horror, the job is to murder the priest since he has witnessed the mob leader's younger brother committing a murder.

Fallon takes on the job to ensure that no one else kills the priest and to plan his next move. He confesses to the priest who urges him to escape London along with his niece. The mob leader finds out his plans and cautions his brother to remain low while he figures out a way to kill them both. But his brother decides to take matters in his own hands and goes to the church but she manages to stab him with a pair of scissors and kills him. The mob leader is distraught at the death of his brother and attacks Fallon in a fit of rage, pushing him over a railing on the roof of the church, causing him to fall through a lower roof into the church. The mob leader is killed moments later by a bomb. In his dying moments, Fallon confesses to the priest about his past who grants him absolution. Fallon dies in peace.

Production

Originally Franc Roddam was going direct A Prayer for the Dying but left during pre-production due to creative differences.

Mickey Rourke was paid £1 million to star in the film. This was part of the play or pay deal.

Originally Inseminoid music composer John Scott had composed the film but was fired due to creative differences from the producers and they hired Bill Conti to finish the score.

Both Mike Hodges and Mickey Rourke have disowned the film as it wasn't the finished film they intended to make. Also the Producer did the cut that was for their audience.

Director's Cut

They were rumours that there was going to be a director's cut of the film as Mike Hodges had a critical hit film Croupier. That release was going to be by MGM. Both region 1 and 2 have the original theatrical release.

External links

• A Prayer for the Dying at the Internet Movie Database
• Film review (Washington Post)
• Film review (Chicago Sun-Times)