Review of Bad Lieutenant (1992) by Garrett R — 03 May 2011

BAD LIEUTENANT is a character study of how a man (no less a New York City NYPD Lieutenant) succumbs to the addictive psyche through drug use, sexual temptation, and gambling. As with all bad cop movies, this 1992 Abel Ferrara film is a bumpy ride and a tough film to watch. It digs down deep and shows the audience how far one man and his so-called friends delve into the deep hole of dependence on sex, gambling and drugs. And his family doesn't know a thing about his life, sadly enough.

Abel Ferrara ably directs the movements and at times very steady camera shots. He was going for shock value from what his screenplay entails. Harvey Kietel as the bad lieutenant, however, makes the movie worthwhile and memorable as he fully inhibits the enduring emotional pain and adrift soul of the title character. His intense and emotional performance is reminiscent of Robert De Niro's work with Martin Scorsese (RAGING BULL, TAXI DRIVER) in how urban life can lead one to self-destruction.

On the downside of Abel Ferrara's BAD LIEUTENANT, the film's age can be seen from the gritty camera quality and the R-rated version (which I saw) is missing the visceral and immediate dramatic impact that the full-on NC-17 version has going for it. The pivotal rape scene, as deplorable yet narratively necessary as they are to a few stories, is thankfully alluded to but at the same time could have had more of the sequence shown for the audience to root for the Bad Lieutenant's moral and personal redemption that he can find in this crime case. Yet the MPAA had to cut most of the scene out for there to be an R-rated version. There's sense in that decision, yet why did there have to be an R-rated version instead of the full-on and necessarily NC-17 version? The story of BAD LIEUTENANT is more NC-17 than R, in the first place.

For example, BASIC INSTINCT (also in 1992), CLERKS, BOYS DON'T CRY, BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA, THE DREAMERS and DESPERADO were originally NC-17 films, but were edited down to R-rated films to earn more profit at the box office. These films did, and have had successful profits since their releases. Every one of the mentioned films were not heavily edited, only partially. BAD LIEUTENANT, on the other hand, is as heavily edited as the edited version of ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA that it's central dramatic core is impacted and the film's existence can be questioned.

In summation, BAD LIEUTENANT is Harvey Kietel's movie, with Abel Ferrara's script and direction backing him up. His intense and emotional performance makes this 1992 bad cop film worth remembering, yet the R-rated cut is missing the central dramatic core of the NC-17 version. If you're curious, see the original, uncut version instead of the heavily edited R-rated cut.