Abel Ferrara’s cult classic, Bad Lieutenant follows the downward spiral of an unnamed New York police lieutenant and his fall into a heady mix of drugs, sex and gambling.
The film is notoriously not for everyone, as the subject matter is extremely heavy, but it cannot be denied that Bad Lieutenant is an absolute tour de force by the fantastic Harvey Keitel. Much like his peers Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver and Al Pacino in The Godfather this role was meant for him. Keitel’s Lieutenant is not to dissimilar to Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, a New Yorker who has become sick and tired of the city around him but unlike Travis, who wishes to cleanse the streets of its filth, the Lieutenant is more than happy to wallow in it and let it consume him.
Without Keitel the film could have easily been throwaway trash, but Keitel brings an edge to the film, playing the ultimate anti-hero. The film plays out as a series of vignettes, cut sporadically from one to the next and increasing in depravity, in particular a scene foe which the film has become famous for, where the Lieutenant pulls over two teen girls for a broken tail light and forces them to give him a helping hand as he relieves himself. Some might instantly dismiss this as filth made just to shock, but on the other hand Ferrara’s film has a lot of subtext going on underneath it all, particularly in this scene, with its ideas of sexual empowerment and also vulnerability.
The film deals heavily with themes and iconography around Catholicism with the somewhat loose plot based around the Lieutenant’s spiral into self destruction and a case involving the rape of a nun. The Lieutenant seeks redemption in one particular scene, where Keitel hallucinates the image of Christ at first shouting and swearing at him but he soon crumbles away from his strong male bravado exterior.
Keitel’s performance is a rare act to see, as he puts so much into the role and it almost feels like Keitel was born to play this extremely dark often disgusting anti-hero; one moment he is dropping his two sons off at Catholic school and the next he’s taking two cheeky bumps of coke right outside. When it comes to drugs, the Lieutenant snorts, injects, and smokes pretty much everything under the sun as a way to cope with his disdain for life and his spiralling gambling addiction.
With this Blu-ray edition of the film the transfer to hi-def unfortunately is a little lacking. I personally feel like this is good, as the film wouldn’t feel the same with a glossy hi-def finish, as it needs that gritty realism that only film does so well. Besides that the disc does contain some suitable extras mainly the introduction, interview and commentary, all by Ferrara, which give you a solid and informative perspective on the film and filmmaking process.
Overall Verdict: Keitel’s performance has to be seen to be believed. The subject matter might not float everyone’s boat but Ferrara’s gritty ultra realist and often voyeuristic shot of New York’s underbelly make it a classic.
Special Features:
Original Director’s Cut
Original Theatrical Trailer
Filmed Introduction by Director Abel Ferrara
Interview with Director Abel Ferrara
Audio Commentary by Director Abel Ferrara
Original Cast and Crew Biographies
Stills Gallery
Reviewer: Gareth Haworth