Shake Hands with the Devil

Theres an old Irish proverb that goes, "Those who shake hands with the devil often have trouble getting their hands back," and in this picture its Cagney who has firmly gripped the devils outstretched hand. A college medical professor at Dublins Royal College of Surgeons, Cagney spends his days lecturing students but at night wears the hat of a militant member of the Irish Republican Army. The 1921 conflict between the IRA and the British Black and Tans is apparent from the opening frames, as a group of militiamen break up a seemingly innocent funeral service. It is innocent only in appearance, however. When the wooden casket is sent crashing to the ground it is a supply of guns that falls out, not a corpse. Cagney is a man driven, obsessed with the idea of living in an Ireland free from British rule. As Cagney the doctor heals patients, so will Cagney the revolutionary heal his war-torn country. Cagney tries to influence some of his students, especially the innocent Irish-American Murray, to set down their stethoscopes and take up arms. Murray resists until he witnesses the murder of a friend by the Black and Tans. He takes refuge with the IRA and soon begins to understand what they are fighting for. (texte officiel du distributeur)