Review of The Drop (2006) by Athena Y — 24 Sep 2015

The Drop is a real slow burner. Hardy's disappearance into the role is mesmerising on first watching. Second time round the story has complex corners enough for you still to be figurin'. Third time round the central concerns start coming right at you, through the lighting, the imagery, the dialogue. It's slowly becoming one of my favourite return-to films.

Like all great Noir films, it has the issue of identity at its heart. And yet, you say, Bob (Hardy) is so unflinching: he remains part of the mob, gets deeper in, in fact; he never breaks from the simple yet complex / honest yet hidden persona. Ah but, the film ends on a note where the issue of choice, of identity, of who we all are, suddenly arrives centre stage. After the final battle Bob allows the girl to leave, saying, "I am not this". As she leaves Rapace says, "Yes you are, You are them." We then watch as Bob contemplates the consequence of his actions - staying where he is and sending the girl away is a path that leads to banishment/ Hell etc. "There are some sins that you commit that you can't come back from, you know, no matter how hard you try. You just can't. It's like the devil is waiting for your body to quit. Because he knows, he knows that he already owns your soul. And then I think maybe there's no devil. You die... and God, he says, Nah, nah you can't come in. You have to leave now. You have to leave and go away and you have to be alone. You have to be alone forever.".

Bob says it for all of us. Then he chooses to return to the girl, to not choose banishment, the music rises and we have a new Noir hero, stepping out of the shadows, into the daylight, derailed by the dangerous woman. We have him trapped in a role, unable to step out but finding salvation within it. Like all great Noir, The Drop is small on movement, deep in character, universal in scope and breathtaking in its symbolism. Watch it again and look for how the themes of money, the woman and entrapment are played out in its lighting, framing, composition, colour, set design, dialogue etc etc. This film is a storm, trapped between some fantastic actors and captured perfectly by the director.