Review of Bad Lieutenant (1992) by Francisco F — 24 Mar 2009

A really strong performance from Harvey Keitel carries the weight of this entire film. Keitel plays his nameless, despicable cop as a man who collides through an endless gauntlet of vices and sins, only to have them all topple him halfway through the film.

This forces him to re-examine his life and face his demons in hopes of having any true opportunity for redemption. This film really plays that redemption theme all the way through, but it is much darker than other films of its ilk in that it suggests that full redemption at some points is not truly feasible, and some people have slipped so deeply into the graves they have made for themselves that it is not certain they will ever make it out.

I should also make note of the fact that this, along with KIDS, are the two best films I've seen that have received an NC-17 rating (and both of which seem a little too tame for a rating that extreme).