Film Review: Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call, New Orleans

There are two particulars of theme that characterise a Weiner Herzog movie: masculinity & madness.  This does not change when directing a star actor in a Hollywood influenced film.  It may sink the heart of some that such a director of egminatic & brutally mysterious pictures is seen making a standard cop-off-the-rails flick.  Hold off the cyncism, for while this is particially true Herzog does subvert the form in his own bizzare way.  

One may be suspcious of how influenced this film is with Abel Ferrara’s 1992 ‘Bad Lieutenant’ starring Harvey Keital.  Apparantenly there should be none, but ask the question what are the two films about?  Well Ferrara’s ‘Bad Lieutenant’ is about a corrupt & rotten cop who develops a drug habit & Herzog’s ‘Bad Lieutenant’ is about a rotten & corrupt cop who develops a drug habit.  Hmm…no influence at all, eh?  Comparing the two films does bring out a major difference between Harvey Keital’s & Nicholas Cage’s cop characters.  Keital knows he is a bad bad man & with his overwhelming need for drugs, combined with his soul crushing guilt, he does attempt a redemption with his catholic God.  Cage, on the other hand, brings on the argument that in order to be good at his job he needs his addiction of drugs & gambling as it gives him that edge a good cop needs.  Prehaps the title needs a question mark at the end since he is capable of geniune goodness alongside his questionable legal actions & motivations. 

  

It is a shame for a director of this statue to try to make more commecially acceptable films but it is reassuring to see enough of the director’s hallmarks within it.  Such hallmarks are the straight up strange moments that puncuate the film, such as the long lingering shots of lizards, that is laugh out loud misplaced in such a film.  Another one is the uneasy nature of crime & pushiment when the good & the bad can so easily compliment each other.  The question that may be raised here is that in a universe characterised by ‘chaos, hostility & murder’ is that  maybe being good is simply trying to find ways that will help a person to survive in it?  Possibly, & that exploration is there if you want it.  Or if you just want to see Cage say “What are these fuckin' iguanas doing on my coffee table?”, then that’s there too.