Bad Lieutenant (1992)

Touches You

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

An Exercise In Nonsense

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

The title makes it really obvious what the film is about, and I recognised it because of the leading actor as well, I was hoping the four stars out of five critics give it would be fitting, directed by Abel Ferrara (The Driller Killer, King of New York). Basically a nameless corrupt New York police Lieutenant (Harvey Keitel) struggles with various personal problems and various addictions. The Lieutenant abuses his position with his vices, indulging in heavy gambling that has got him in trouble with the mob, taking a high amount of drugs such as cocaine, and abusing his body having sex with various hookers, he even takes advantage of two teenage girls caught speeding and without a licence, exploiting them for his own pleasure. But then he is faced with a situation that forces him to reassess his life, the Lieutenant is investigating the brutal rape of a Nun (Frankie Thorn) by two young men. The Lieutenant is searching for the men, but the Nun refuses to identify them, as she has stuck with her religion and forgiven them, and to make matters worse the Lieutenant has bizarre visions of Jesus (Paul Hipp), causing him to break down begging for forgiveness. However a witness points him to the two rapists, rather than arrest them he puts them on a bus with a cigarette box containing $30,000 from a drug deal he did, in the end however the Lieutenant pays the price for his lifestyle, he is shot while parked in his car by a passerby, many bystanders realise he has been murdered and gather. Also starring Victor Argo as Beat Cop, Paul Calderon as Cop, Leonard L. Thomas as Cop, Robin Burrows as Ariane, Victoria Bastel as Bowtay, Paul Hipp as Jesus, Brian McElroy as Lieutenant's Son, Frankie Acciarito as Lieutenant's Son, Peggy Gormley as Lieutenant's Wife, Stella Keitel as Lieutenant's Daughter, Shawn McClean as Korean Store Hood, John Steven Jones as Korean Store Hood, Anthony Ruggiero as Lite and Vincent Laresca as J.C. Kietel certainly gives a brave performance as the bad lieutenant who takes advantage of his authority, he even get nude and talks dirty while masturbating, it is odd that the characters have no names, but it kind of adds to the strangeness of the film, it is overpowered by surreal imagery, as well as brutal violence and sexually explicit material, I'm not sure if it was quite my cup of tea, but it was an interesting enough neo-noir crime drama. Worth watching!

I really wasn't expecting too much from 'Bad Lieutenant' but the experience it provided was way more than I had contemplated. As the title suggests - the lieutenant is very bad indeed. However I expected a degree of cheesiness and quips - instead we are shown a centralized and harrowing insight into addiction and the pain and depravity that comes with it. The drug taking scenes are quite shocking and unforgettable. There is also a scene where the lieutenant stops two young girls in a car that is so intense and unexpected it's truly one of the most memorable scenes I have ever witnessed on film. At the heart of it all is Harvey Keitel - with what must be one of the greatest acting performances of all time. He absolutely absorbs the role of a man who was weak enough to give into all of the temptations around him. He does things he shouldn't. He doesn't care about anyone around him. He is absolutely selfish, corrupt and completely past caring. He is a man on self destruct mode. Keitel pulls off every scene so convincingly that he is either a real life maniac or an actor of the very highest quality. Some people will not enjoy this because it does lack any storyline outside of Keitel's character and there is no background on him - even his name! However the movie is about him in the moment he is in - it's a focus on a man completely absorbed by addiction who wants to be on anything he can, anywhere he has to - to get a release outside of his own mind. Ultimately it's a very dark and disturbing story of a man in a very dark place. And quite unforgettable.

Most people will dismiss this as one of the worst movies they've seen. Mainly because the movie has an amoral main character and because the movie isn't entertaining and mostly uncomfortable to watch. But with the subject being mainly corruption and the theme redemption with an unlikeable character I find it understandable. I myself love this movie since I am into heavy stuff that makes me think and fill me with dread. This movie manages both if you ask me. I feel it is such a strong movie with some existential philosophy about a corrupt man starting to feel guilt about his life. Leading to his quest for redemption. The story plays out well, showing our main character's irresponsible ways ranging from gambling, drug abuse, taking bribes to harassing young women. I think it is such a tragic movie. The director certainly did a great job if you ask me, considering the hard subject he did his job quite thoughtfully making the story and plot convincing. Leading to a movie in my opinion one of the best tragedies ever put on film.Now Harvey Keitel is an actor I have the utmost respect for. I have yet to see a bad movie he has been in. He often plays roles that are hard to play and where most actors tend to slip a Little in playing their characters, I think Harvey often does his job strongly and convincingly. I imagine if another actor tried to do what Harvey did in this movie many actors would have made the character laughable instead of uncomfortable, pitiful and convincing. He is a subtle actor even in his most outrageous roles, also quite graceful. This movie is no exception in his acting. I could relate to his character, even though he was such an amoral character with very few redeeming qualities. I only feel this way to a few actors and just to name a few like Gary Oldman, Denzel Washington, Al Pacino and Michael Caine (I didn't write them all since it isn't about them). So yes, I am very fond of Harvey Keitel. He is a rare talent that doesn't get much recognition. But he is a professional and he keeps his life private which I respect even more.This is a thought provoking movie where the audience has to take part in the Lieutenant's life which is a corrupt life. It has a simple plot in which the Lieutenant is trying to find the rapists of a nun and find redemption. The story is good in which it perfectly shows how corrupt our Lieutenant is and it is full of subtleties where the Lieutenant even though harsh and corrupt, hides a good man that went wrong ways with wrong decisions. Oh and the existential part? The lieutenant is looking for redemption and try to do one good thing in order to forgive himself, what can be more existential than that? Trying to find meaning to his life which he has been wasting a lot. What a waste his life was by the way. After each time I watch the movie I begin to feel grateful for my dull life, because although it is dull I haven't sunken as deep as the Lieutenant. So in my opinion this is a movie that has to be watched again and again. Although it doesn't fall into everyone's taste. It is a hard movie to watch after all.

Harvey Keitel pulls out all the stops in an audacious, brave performance. Playing a corrupt, heavily multiple substance-abusing cop in NYC, he is one tortured soul, hell-bent in an inferno of decadence, neglect and self-destruction. The case of a nun's rape (in church, no less!)draws him in, though, suggesting a chance of salvation.Plays and feels like a leftover, heavy and dark Scorsese piece, replete with catholic symbolism of guilt and repentance. Still a strong, effectively gritty experience with one genius stroke that adds an unexpected, looming pitch of suspense: Having Keitel's character following the world series of baseball playing in the background, on which he keeps playing a high-stake money betting battle.5 out 10 from Ozjeppe.