Bad Lieutenant
USA
1992. Director: Abel Ferrara
Cast: Harvey Keitel, Victor Argo, Paul Calderon, Zoe Lund
Let me tell you a story about this fellow policeman
here. You may know him as a trusty catholic father of two great kids.
He goes to church regurarly, has a nice house and a nice car. You know,
the full package. But he's also a gambler of the worst kind. A junkie,
a thief, a killer and a general loser. One day he bets a huge amount
of money on one baseball game, on a team that can't win. He know it's
a dead deal. But it's his very last hope for a better existence, if
he wins. Which he does against all odds. Anyway, one day, after having
sexually offended two teenage girls in their car, he hears about the
brutal rape of a nun in her church. Seeing what has happened to the
nun, and also hearing that she forgives her rapists, our friend completely
cracks up. Has she really the right to forgive? But if Jesus can forgive
such a horrible crime, well, then he must do so as well. Maybe Jesus
can forgive him too eventually. He finds the two young rapists and offers
them forgiveness, his gambling money and a bus ticket out of town. Exhausted
but satisfied he prepares for home. Sits down in his car. You know,
just sits there. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, another car stops by
and someone yells "Hey cop!" and shoots our friend dead as
he's sitting there.
Many see Bad Lieutenant as just another speculation in violence and depravation in which Harvey Keitel stand naked in a church (which he doesn't, but you are led to believe so thanks to some supsicious ads). It may be just that, but it's also the most daring cop movie in decades, one which raises plenty of controversial questions. At one hand it don't appear as having to be about any cop at all, just one guy (he hasn't even got a name in the movie). But on the other hand it couldn't be about anything else but a cop. He has sworn to serve and protect, but has instead turned into this worst kind of anti-social monster on a clash with self-destruction. It's the way beyond anti-hero who becomes the definite hero. The one who sacrifices himself for what he thinks is the right thing. Tormented by guilt, because he knows he's guilty to every sin conceivable, the sudden opportunity of one good deed (forgiving the boys and giving them another chance) becomes his chance at redemption and forgiveness. But does he in turn have the right to do what he does?
New York filmmaker Abel Ferrara is a rare filmmaker who still refuses to take prisoners, some 13 years after stirring controversity with Driller Killer. He has also a great reputation as being one of the most unpredictably obstinate directors of all time. However, there's no denying the highly impressive body of work bearing the Ferrara name, although there's plenty of stinkers as well. Bad Lieutenant could be a personal exploration of Catholic guilt, but it could just as well be just another uncompromising and hard-hitting exploration of New York low-life. Ferrara is no stranger to neither way of filmmaking and he probably don't give a fuck what we think. Although personally I think Bad Lieutenant is the most satisfying and complete Ferrara movie so far. One that stays with you for a long time after the final gun-shot.
© The Inzomniac's Movie Madness Review.