STREETS OF BLOOD

US, 2009, 95 minutes, Colour.
Val Kilmer, Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson, Sharon Stone, Michael Biehn, Barry Shabaka Henley.
Directed by Charles Winkler.

Streets of Blood is set in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina and in its aftermath. The film shows, very vividly, bright scenes of the flooding of the city as well as the skylines of the city both at the time of the hurricane and six months later. This footage is very bright in comparison with the rather murky and dark photography of most of the action.

In fact, the film is quite murky in its presentation of characters and plot. It seems to indicate that the hurricane was a time of exploitation by corrupt police as well as by drug dealers. While this may be true, seeing it in the immediate years of aftermath of the hurricane, it seems rather exploitative.

Val Kilmer portrays a sullen but honest policeman, discovering his dead partner, the possibility of murder, the reality of corruption in the force. He works with his new partner, Curtis Jackson. However, it is finally revealed that Jackson is also corrupt, while wanting to be honest. Michael Biehn portrays evil personified as the agent in charge of investigating who is actually hiring Latin gangs to control the drug deals and is unscrupulous about getting rid of opposition, including Barry Shabaka Henley as the captain.

This is all framed with interviews by Sharon Stone as an investigator. She continually interviews the central characters, trying to be sympathetic, trying to uncover the corruption.

Audience reaction to the film was particularly negative and it went straight to DVD release. The director is Charles Winkler, son of prolific producer and director Irwin Winkler (Guilty by Suspicion, Delovely, Life of the House, The Net).

Better films about this kind of police corruption include Street Kings and Training Day. For a film set in New Orleans, made within five years of Hurricane Katrina, Werner Herzog’s remake of Bad Lieutenant with Nicolas Cage, including Val Kilmer in the cast, is much better.

1. The background of New Orleans, audience response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina? The experience of 2005, the floods, the damage, the survival of the city, the including of actual footage? The end credits? Rebuilding and the lack of rebuilding?

2. The use of New Orleans, the chaos at the time of the hurricane, corruption, drug dealing, gangs, the streets, the police? Investigations? Rebuilding and the lack of rebuilding? Explotation?

3. The murky tone of the film, the visuals, the story, the characters? The police, the interviews, the build-up to a showdown? The musical score?

4. The interrogations, Nina and her role, her personality, the style of the investigations? Talking with Andy, with Stan? Her conferring with authorities? Her job, trying to help the men?

5. Andy Deveraux, Val Kilmer’s presence, at the start, the death of his partner, the floods? The interviews with Nina? The new partner, his work with Stan? Stan covering his tracks? The investigations? Brown and his squad, the killings? The drugs, the brutality? The build-up with his team, the confrontation with Brown and his men, Brown’s death? The confrontation with Stan, the truth, Stan being shot?

6. Stan, partner, the interviews with Nina, Nina’s sympathy, the difficulties, corruption, his death?

7. The various members of the team? Their personalities, collaboration with Deveraux?

8. The assassins, the Latins, Brown and his orders, the brutality? The final confrontation and comeuppance?

9. Captain Friendly, integrity, his work, his being gunned down?

10. Brown, the corrupt agent, his arrogance, his death?

11. The overall effect of this kind of American police drama – in the setting of Hurricane Katrina? A pessimistic picture?