A soldier in drag joins a gypsy caravan and accidentally becomes their magical oracle. Bob Hoskins directed THIS.
During WWII a youth deserts his country's army after a combat experience, but not before wounding his commanding officer with a knife in order to escape. The young man, now very emotionally distraught, dresses in women's clothes and eventually joins a passing gypsy caravan, who think him a young girl... as well as a kind of seer, or 'rawney'. In time, however, he regains some composure and becomes attracted to one of the gypsy girls, which only leads to problems within the gypsy band, especially when the wounded commanding officer finds him.
Direction
Hoskins' only feature—ambitious, messy, unforgettable
Acting
Dexter Fletcher carries fragile desperation perfectly
Production
Gypsy caravan world feels genuinely lived-in
Director
Bob Hoskins
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Bob Hoskins never directed again after this bombed—his one auteur moment, buried by history.
The 'rawney' concept comes from Romani folklore—a cross-dressing figure believed to have prophetic powers, which the film treats with surprising sincerity for 1988.
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