The critically acclaimed film The Irishman by Martin Scorsese explores the mafia life of Frank “the Irishman” Sheeran’s life and shows the crimes that he allegedly committed. The film portrays Robert De Niro as Sheeran and presents his murders as a hitman.

Yet one of the largest plot twists of the movies was when Sheeran murders his close work associate and boss, Jimmy Hoffa. Jimmy Hoffa, a powerful labor union based in Pennsylvania, was the leader of the Teamsters Union. Hoffa was allegedly involved with the mafia as he used illegal funds from the mafia to finance campaigns and other maneuvers. Through connections of the mafia, Sheeran was able to work under and become acquainted with Hoffa, creating a strong friendship between the two. Despite having a strong bond with each other, when Hoffa began threatening the business interests of the mafia, Sheeran followed orders to kill Hoffa.

The Irishman establishes strong relationships between the two characters but fails to show the rationale behind certain decisions. Sheeran’s motive behind Hoffa’s murder seems irrational based on their relationship which lasted years; Sheeran even notes his daughter Peggy’s particular fondness to Hoffa despite often possessing an air of coldness. As a result, Sheeran’s puzzling decision to carry out Hoffa’s assassination questions the power of loyalty and to what extent it should be exercised.

Sheeran was undoubtedly a loyal and friendly figure to many of the mafias, as shown through his role as a moderator in negotiations between unions. He was a trusted friend of Hoffa and followed Hoffa to nearly every business arrangement, allowing Sheeran to quit his role as a hitman of mafia and enter the labor union industry. In it, he became a local branch leader of the Teamsters Union in a different region as Hoffa. Yet while Sheeran’s loyalty to Hoffa continued to grow, he surprisingly still volunteered to assassinate Hoffa. With an unidentified motif, one could only speculate why he would kill Hoffa at all.

From self-interest, Sheeran had nothing to gain and just had much more to lose. Hoffa acted as a supporting figure to both Sheeran’s career and his family, and losing Hoffa meant that Sheeran needed an authoritative backing in the labor unions. In the end, Sheeran hurt himself and all of those who loved Hoffa without gaining a significant benefit. Hoffa’s assassination irreversibly damaged Hoffa’s family, especially because his dead body was never found.

Although Sheeran justifies his choice with loyalty, he certainly prioritizes loyalty to the mafia bosses at the expense of an old friend that he would always be indebted to. In this way, Scorsese leaves the viewers baffled by Sheeran’s decisions, and thus, creates a powerful narrative of how members of the mafia over time become oblivious to their loyalty that defies moral judgment.

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