Rampart

"You Could Just Stop Beating People Up..."

These words, spoken by Ned Beatty (in a rather great little performance), couldn't be less true. Dave Brown, a corrupt LAPD Police Officer, couldn't possibly stop. It's who he is. The film is set in 1999, in the midst of the Rampart scandal, though the film does not directly deal with that issue. It deals with the character of Dave Brown, yet another dirty copy in the City of Angels. And in times like the Rampart scandal, the D.A. is cracking down on such officers of the law.

My first viewing of Rampart, upon its release in early 2012, I did not enjoy it. Granted, it isn't a film meant to be enjoyed. What I mean, though is - I enjoy any good movie. We Need to Talk About Kevin isn't any kind of joyous entertainment, but I did *enjoy* it, as it is a great film. At first, I felt Rampart to be uneven, plodding, poorly directed, and without much of any substantial narrative. I did, however, love the performances, particularly that of Woody Harrelson as Dave Brown, who is the center-stage of every scene in the film.

Since my first viewing, I realized the film had lodged itself in my mind. I hadn't forgotten it. I remembered much of it. Whenever I generally forget most of a film, it usually means it wasn't worth remembering. I think the opposite is true as well. So, I decided to give it another shot, and ordered it from netflix.

After coming home from a long day of doing all sorts of various things, and accomplishing few of the things I wanted to get done today, I sat down for the first time all day at 10pm, and felt like doing nothing but watching a movie. And what better time than to give this film a rewatch.

Let's say - my original meager two-star opinion of the film has changed drastically. Upon watching it this time, I was even more mesmerized by Harrelson's performance; not to mention the fantastic supporting cast: Robin Wright, Ben Foster (whose role is brief, but he's phenomenal), Ice Cube, Sigourney Weaver, Cynthia Nixon, Anne Heche, and Ned Beatty all stand, in their own ways.

I'll get something straight. Dave Brown is an evil man. He will not hesitate to shoot someone for mere theft. His backstory before the film begins involves, five years prior, his premeditated murder of a serial date rapist, who had a wife and three kids. The wife suffered a nervous breakdown, was committed to an asylum for nine years, before she slit her wrists with a razor. Dave has no regrets about any of this. He maintains to the end that he was in the right.

Roger Ebert in his review, described Dave Brown as pure evil. This is accurate. He does show signs of humanity, such as his love for his daughters, or his friendship with "The General" (Ben Foster). But when it comes down to it, Dave cares not about these people. Perhaps they're the only way he can even begin to feel a little better about himself, but ultimately, like the scorpion and the frog, evil is in his nature.

Let's get past Dave Brown for a moment and talk about the craftsmanship of the film, which upon first viewing I noted as shoddy. It is not. The cinematography is wonderful; the sound-mixing amazing, particularly in a wonderful, red-lit night club scene. During the day on Dave's beat, the Los Angeles desert sun is always baking down; sizzling. You can almost feel the heat radiate off the streets through the screen. One scene I am still unsure of, which I greatly despised when I first saw it, is the only scene involving District Attorney Bill (Steve Buscemi). In this scene, the camera is constantly revolving, panning around the room, cutting from actor to actor, but never stops moving. I understand the intent. I am hesitant to accept the result.

Director Oren Moverman made his directorial debut with the (better) The Messenger. Harrelson was equally great in that film. But The Messenger was more refined, more emotionally involving, and more expertly crafted.

This is no slight against Rampart. It is simply a lesser film than the other, but The Messenger is a nearly perfect film. It's much like saying it's a slight against The Godfather to say The Godfather Part II is a better film. They're both great.

I highly recommend this film. It's just one of those movies that was (for me) better the second time around, and that's never the mark of a bad film. Perhaps I was in the wrong headspace when I first saw it. Perhaps I was distracted. Either way, I now recommend it as a film to be seen.

***1/2