The Irishman (2019), directed by Martin Scorsese, is an epic crime drama that spans several decades, chronicling the rise and fall of Frank Sheeran, a truck driver turned hitman involved in the world of organized crime. Based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt, the film is a reflection on aging, guilt, and the price of loyalty, centered around Sheeran’s relationships with infamous figures such as Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) and Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci). With a star-studded cast, including Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran, the film is a monumental exploration of the consequences of a life lived in service to crime, with Scorsese’s signature mix of violence, dark humor, and philosophical musings.

The film opens with an older Frank Sheeran (De Niro), now in his 80s, reflecting on his life from a nursing home. He begins to recount the story of his involvement in organized crime, particularly his connection to the Teamsters union and the mysterious disappearance of union leader Jimmy Hoffa. Through Frank’s eyes, the film weaves a tale of betrayal, power, and regret, exploring how his loyalty to the mob and to Hoffa shaped the trajectory of his life.

Frank’s entry into the world of organized crime comes through his relationship with Russell Bufalino, a powerful mob boss from Pennsylvania, played by Joe Pesci in one of his most understated performances. Russell is a calculating and reserved figure, in stark contrast to the bombastic and larger-than-life Hoffa, whom Frank becomes close to over the years. Al Pacino’s portrayal of Hoffa is a dynamic one, capturing the fiery, charismatic, and ultimately tragic nature of the character. Hoffa’s disappearance remains one of the great unsolved mysteries in American history, and Pacino’s portrayal of the union leader is one of the film’s most compelling aspects.

The central dynamic in The Irishman is Frank’s evolving relationship with Hoffa. Initially, Frank is a loyal soldier in Hoffa’s army, helping him navigate the treacherous world of union politics. However, as Hoffa’s power grows, so too does the tension between him and the mob, which leads to a series of betrayals and, ultimately, Hoffa’s violent disappearance. Frank’s position as an enforcer for the mob and his loyalty to Hoffa put him in a position where he is forced to choose between his friendship with Hoffa and his duty to Russell and the mob.

The film is notable for its use of de-aging technology, wh

ich allows De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci to portray their characters at various stages of life, from young men in the 1950s to elderly figures in the 2000s. While the technology is not always flawless, it adds an interesting layer to the narrative, visually representing the pᴀssage of time and the characters’ evolving roles in the world of crime.

One of the most striking aspects of The Irishman is its meditation on time, aging, and mortality. As Frank grows older, the film becomes increasingly reflective, with Frank confronting the choices he made in his youth and the weight of the lives he took. The film is filled with moments of introspection, as Frank reflects on his actions, often in the quiet of his nursing home room, where he spends his days alone and disconnected from the world he once inhabited. This sense of isolation is amplified by the long, often lingering sH๏τs that Scorsese uses, which emphasize Frank’s solitude and the emotional distance between him and those he once knew.

The pacing of The Irishman is deliberate and measured, allowing the viewer to sink into the long, sweeping narrative. At nearly three and a half hours, the film demands patience, but the time spent with the characters is rewarding. Scorsese takes his time to flesh out the relationships between Frank, Hoffa, and Russell, giving each character room to develop, while also showing the evolution of organized crime and its impact on American society.

The film also stands as a reflection on the moral cost of loyalty and the corrupting nature of power. As Frank rises through the ranks of the mob, he becomes increasingly numb to the violence and betrayal around him, a theme that echoes throughout Scorsese’s work. The Irishman suggests that, for those in the world of organized crime, loyalty is often a one-way street, and those who serve the powerful eventually face the consequences of their actions.

The cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto is stark and often cold, with muted colors that underscore the bleakness of the characters’ lives. The long, meditative sH๏τs are often accompanied by a minimalistic score by Robbie Robertson, which adds to the film’s reflective tone. The use of lighting and framing helps to emphasize the pᴀssage of time and the isolation of the characters, particularly as Frank grows older.

The film is also notable for its quiet, understated performances. While De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci have delivered iconic performances in Scorsese’s previous films, in The Irishman, their roles are more subdued, and their power comes from restraint rather than bombast. This gives the film a different energy compared to some of Scorsese’s earlier crime films like Goodfellas or Casino, where characters were often driven by explosive emotions. In The Irishman, the violence is quieter, and the stakes are more existential.

Ultimately, The Irishman is a reflection on the pᴀssage of time and the choices we make in life. It is a meditation on the inevitable consequences of those choices, particularly in the context of organized crime, where violence and betrayal are constants. The film does not offer easy answers or redemption for its characters, but rather presents them as products of their circumstances, shaped by loyalty, fear, and the corrupting nature of power. It is a deeply introspective film, one that acknowledges the human cost of a life lived in the shadows.

In conclusion, The Irishman is a masterfully crafted film, combining Scorsese’s sharp storytelling with poignant reflections on time, loyalty, and mortality. The performances by De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci are exceptional, and the film’s contemplative pacing allows the viewer to fully immerse in the world of organized crime. While it may lack the kinetic energy of Scorsese’s earlier works, The Irishman is a fitting, elegiac farewell to the gangster genre, offering a sobering reflection on the legacy of a life of crime.

A Farmer’s Misplaced Hammer Led to the Largest Roman Treasure in Britain

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November 16, 1992 was the day which changed Suffolk-resident Eric Lawes’ life in a huge way. What he thought would have been an innocent search for a hammer he had misplaced on his farm in Hoxne Village, Suffolk, England ended up bringing him much more than he had bargained for — namely, uncovering the hiding spot of a long-hidden treasure. Based on the Guardian’s coverage of the story, Eric Lawes had been previously gifted a metal detector upon his retirement as a parting token. He decided to put his retirement gift to good use in order to locate the hammer which he had had some trouble finding. According to a 2018 Smithsonian Magazine article, when the device started recording that there was a strong signal coming from the earth, he knew that he was about to discover something big. As he started digging, it soon became clear to him that he had unearthed a treasure trove.

The Guardian reports that, when Lawes saw that his preliminary digging had yielded a few gold coins and silver spoons, he immediately contacted both the local archaeological society and the police department. Archaeologists came to the property the following day and had the area of earth holding the treasure carefully sectioned-off and removed. Their hope was that at a later stage, in their laboratory, they could examined the items in order to identify both their age and how they were stored.

When all was said and done, close to 60 pounds of items made from silver and gold were found on the site. These included more than 15,000 Roman coins, 200 gold objects, and several silver spoons. For archaeologists, this find — which later became labeled as the Hoxne Hoard — was an incredible discovery. AP News reported that archaeologist Judith Plouviez was over-the-moon about the discovery, saying that it was “an incredibly exciting and amazing find.” What’s more, another archaeologist, Rachel Wilkinson, told Smithsonian Magazine that this discovery was “the largest and latest ever found in Britain.”

Ordinarily, archaeologists would use radiocarbon dating as a means of identifying the age of ancient relics. However, they couldn’t locate any suitable material from the haul. Consequently, they determined the age by examining writing on the coins, as well as the ruler carved into them, estimating that the treasure was probably buried in either 408 or 409 AD.

Roman-era archaeologist Peter Guest told Smithsonian Magazine that “if you look at them a little more carefully, then they should be dated to the period after the separation of Britain from the Roman Empire.” He offers as part of his evidence the fact that almost all of the coins found in the Hoxne Hoard were clipped – in other words, small chunks of their edges had been taken off. These clippings would have been used to create coins which were similar to the Roman coins of that era.

Guest has a logical reason for this, arguing that “The Roman Empire wasn’t supplying Britain with new gold and silver coins, and in light of that, the population tried to get over this sudden cutoff in the supply of their precious metals by making the existing supplies go further.”

Archaeologists also believe that the treasure belonged to a Romano-British family. During that time, considering that there was so much societal discord and upheaval, it was common for Romans who had settled in Britain to bury their most prized possessions.

That said, one archaeologist is of the belief that the hoard had a lot of sentimental value for the Romano-British family to whom it is believed to have belonged. In her book The Hoxne Late Roman Treasure: Gold Jewellery and Silver Plate, Catherine Johns claims that the manner in which the treasure was kept supported this claim. Some of the items which were recovered had been packaged in small, wooden boxes which were lined with leather. What’s more, pieces of wood, locks, and nails, among other things, surrounded the gold and silver pieces. This leads Catherine to assert that the package was carefully buried and not simply chucked away in a rush.

Interestingly enough, the items unearthed might shed some light on the identity of the family who owned them. They cite a gold bracelet bearing the inscription “UTERE FELIX DOMINA IULIANE,” which roughly translates to “use this happily Lady Juliane”. A second name “Aurelius Ursicinus” has also been discovered. This has consequently led some to believe that Juliane and Aurelius were the couple and the original owners of the treasure. That said, that has yet to be confirmed.

All in all, the discovery was a real treasure for archaeologists, and by extension, for Lawes. According to Smithsonian Magazine, in recognition of his discovery and willingness to contact authorities, the British government rewarded him with over £1.7 million, an amount which he shared with the farmer whose land was dug out in order to get the treasure. Funnily enough, apart from the treasure, Lawes also found his lost hammer — which now resides in the British Museum.