Bad Lieutenant

Harvey Keitel began his career as the leading actor in Martin Scorsese's "Who's That Knocking at My Door?" (1967). Over the next few years Keitel appeared alongside Robert DeNiro in Scorsese's "Mean Streets" (1973) and "Taxi Driver" (1976). The leading actor with immense acting talent was transformed to a supporting actor category in the subsequent years of his acting career.  The period of the Nineties was where Keitel reinvented himself in trademark supporting roles in movies such as "Bugsy" (1991), "Reservoir Dogs" (1992), "Thelma & Louise" (1991), and "Pulp Fiction" (1994).  Although these movies were hugely successful, Keitel has always remained an underrated and underappreciated gem in Hollywood.

Keitel stars in writer-director Abel Ferrara's "Bad Lieutenant" (1992) as a nameless corrupt cop who is a drug addict as well as a gambler who lost a big bet in a baseball league match. He finds solace in drugs and in his drug-addict friends. In this unforgettable film, we are given glimpses of a highly complex character--one that can be sexually deviant and dishonest but also one that can be noble.

The pace of the plot starts out somewhat slowly, until a young nun is raped brutally by two teenage guys. Instead of representing an investigative journey through the eyes of a main protagonist detective, the director presents a deeply flawed protagonist whose religious beliefs are thrown into a crisis by this incident. The nun, played by Frankie Torn, becomes the moral pivot for Keitel's character. In three brief but powerful scenes, the character of the nun exposes and reveals much about the capacity of human beings to do good and evil.

Being a conflicted Catholic, the detective is forced to examine the true meaning of God and forgiveness. This internal conflict makes him want to seek justice for the nun and leads to the unexpected climax.

Of course, Keitel is the focal point of this movie. In probably one of the most controversial and shocking scenes in the movie, Keitel's character stops two Jersey girls for a broken tail light. He starts questioning them about their license and registration. The girls admit that they do not have a license and that they have taken the car without their parents being aware of it. Realizing that he can use the situation to his advantage, he threatens to take them in and call their parents. Obviously, the girls are anxious to avoid this outcome. The detective then cunningly offers them an alternative. Instead of giving them a ticket, he asks one girl to take down her pants. He then asks the second girl to simulate oral sex. While all of this is happening, the detective masturbates in front of the two girls.

The director reveals in the extras that the script segment for this scene was very brief. All that was written was that the detective will force the girls into humiliating sexual acts. Harvey Keitel was given a free rein to improvise and respond without any specific direction. The resulting shot is realistic, gritty, and very uncomfortable to watch.

The extras also reveal that the movie had a very slim script, and there was a lot of room for the actors to improve during the shoot. The opening scene shows the detective dropping his two young sons off at school. The scene seems to show that his is a very typical suburban upper-middle-class family. However, after the scene there is no reference to his family or marriage or kids in the entire movie.

At some points it feels like the story has no clear direction. I understand that the director's intention is to create a different kind of movie--one that is less structured perhaps and more realistic than most other movies. In several scenes, the camera work has a handheld quality to it. The nightclub scene is especially memorable in this aspect--there are a few seconds of total darkness and then we only see flashes of Keitel's face as he wades through the crowds. The director clearly articulates his thoughts about a conflicted corrupt cop trying to bring criminals to justice.

Video:

Lionsgate presents the 1080p transfer in an aspect ratio of 1:78.1.  The movie is shot in a documentary style with no bright colors except in a church. The earlier DVD release showed the presence of lot of grain and noise; however, in this release the grain is reduced, although it is texturally present. The transfer is clear and devoid of any abnormalities marring the print. Nonetheless, the transfer lacks vibrancy, which is perhaps the director’s desired intent. The detail is better in this version, but there is inherent softness in some scenes. The close-ups are better defined and skin tones never drift away from their lifelike form. Overall, the video is a step up from the previous release.

Audio:

Lionsgate includes a lossless 2.0 English DTS-HD Master Audio track as an audio option. Mostly the movie is front-channel driven, and this lossless track does its job well. The dialogue remains audible enough and comes mostly through the center channel. The movie can also be viewed with English and Spanish subtitles.

Extras:

An audio commentary with director Abel Ferrara and director of photography Ken Kelsch is included in this Special Edition.

Also included is a retrospective documentary featuring the cast and crew. However, there is no interview with Harvey Keitel. The documentary is divided into three segments:  preproduction, script, and postproduction.

Parting Thoughts:

In "Bad Lieutenant" Harvey Keitel gives a powerful performance depicting a corrupt cop. The movie is sandwiched amongst his four most successful films:  "Thelma & Louise (1991)," "Bugsy (1991)," "Reservoir Dogs (1992)," and "Pulp Fiction (1994)." After seeing Keitel mainly in supporting roles, I was pleasantly surprised to see his acting talent on display in a leading role. I cannot understand how an actor of such amazing skills is always seen in a supporting role. Harvey Keitel shines in every scene in the movie. He is in total control even when the script flounders. Interestingly, the persona of the corrupt cop played by Harvey Keitel motivated other actors, notably the character played by Denzel Washington in "Training Day."  The movie is not a must-see, but for fans of Keitel, this movie showcases one of his best performances.