Relentlessly in Pursuit

A review on the film 'Veronica Guerin'
By Jo Cruz

Veronica Guerin first studied accountancy and political research and founded a public relations company before she joined Sunday Business Post and Sunday Tribune. It was only in 1994 where she joined the Sunday Independent and became an investigative journalist wherein she wrote about the criminal underworld of Dublin, Ireland. With her works and articles, she had to use nicknames to dub criminal drug lords in order to avoid Ireland’s libel laws.

Because of her line of work, she and her family received numerous death threats from these criminals. She was also brutally attacked by John Gilligan, a convicted criminal, in September 13, 1995. But this did not discourage her or stoop her down. She kept on going for the pursuit of truth. “I am simply doing my job,” she said. “I am letting the public know how this society operates.” With her passion and devotion for her controversial and dangerous job, this eventually led to her assassination in June 26, 1996 where she was attacked by two gunmen at the Naas Dual Carriageway and was shot five times at the back. Her death enlightened the Irish about the reality of criminal drug lords at the time. After her untimely death, one hundred fifty arrests were made and a hunt against Irish organized criminal gangs. Vital reforms of Irish laws were also made.

Because of this, her life story was made into a movie.

The movie was better than expected. It was a straightforward story of a crusading journalist taking on forces larger and more powerful than herself. It was both sentimental and emotional yet very much realistic. Its realistic impression of criminal low lifes as vicious and sadistic thugs was brutally honest which made a convincing portrayal. They did not also make an effort to glamorize or give the characters a sympathetic dimension which helped the image of the criminals be as ruthless as possible. Cate Blanchett’s performance and portrayal of Veronica Guerin was brilliant and very much believable. She was even able to capture the gestures and vocal rhythms of Veronica Guerin herself which awed not only the local Irish audience, but also its international viewers. The film also had a good stable and solid script which made the film more captivating and easier to watch. Although having these good points at hand, the film however digressed from reality in the end wherein they portrayed the aftermath of Guerin’s death as rather “salvific” wherein the drug related problems in Dublin somewhat completely vanished because of her sacrificial death to society. This is not entirely true and can be considered as Hollywood’s attempt to fictionalize stories to make it more sellable.

Veronica Guerin’s pursuit for truth and justice is deeply admirable. She devoted her career and life to exposing various criminals and drug lords for justice to be put to place. Journalists like her, in my belief, are considered to be as contemporary heroes. They risk their lives for the propagation of truth and justice for the masses. Although most of these journalists, like Veronica Guerin, have given their lives for the line of their work, their memories and efforts will forever remain in the hearts of many.