NO MAN'S LAND

US, 1987, 105 minutes, Colour.
D.B.Sweeney, Charlie Sheen, Randy Quaid, Bill Duke.
Directed by Peter Werner.

No Man's Land is a tough police thriller. However, its central characters are drawn well, the situations well developed and the confrontation exciting and dramatic. There are plenty of car chases and crashes and special effects. However, the overall effect is a worthwhile thriller.
D.B. Sweeney is the young rookie who is asked to go undercover to infiltrate a racket of stolen and transformed cars. Charlie Sheen is the wealthy young man involved in the racket. The two become friends, the policeman envious of the lifestyle and manner of the wealthy man. Police are corrupt, there are shoot-outs, and finally a confrontation between the two.

1. Interesting thriller? Expectations? The quality of the film, characters and situations, the strength of the writing?

2. Los Angeles, the city itself, wealth, ordinary homes? The highways, the cars, stunts, chases and crashes, special effects? Musical score?

3. The title, the war overtones, Benjy the policeman in the middle between good and evil?

4. The prologue, the car theft, the quick stripping of the car and the changing, the murder of the policeman? Setting the tone?

5. Benjy and his age, young and naive, the Porsche, his home? Skill with cars? Thanksgiving dinner, the bonds with his family? Bracie and the proposal? His being willing? The motives for going undercover? His skill, his new name, developing his cover? Interest, the Porsche, work and skills? Malcolm giving him the job? Ted Varak and his interest, suspicions or not? Their becoming friends? Going to the clubs, the affluent life? Meeting Anne? Fixing Varak's car? The jobs, the skill, home? The pressure from Bracie? The meetings, his being late? Anne, the gentle relationship, sexual relationship? At home in the house, breakfast? The possibilities for his future? Malcolm's death, the danger? Christmas? On the job, going to the disco, Varak murdering the killer? The discovery of the truth? Varak's reaction? The visitor with the presents and Anne finding out the truth? The set-up with the policeman, the pay-off, Varak saving him by killing the policeman? Benjy's dilemma? The final meeting, the confrontation, the words between the two, friendship, hostility, the mutual shooting? Benjy surviving? Going off the job? His future?

6. Ted Varak, his wealth, loner, taciturn, links with Malcolm, the upset at his death? His love for Anne? Seeing Benjy, the fixing of the car, testing him, training him, the jobs, friendship, welcoming him home, the lifestyle, the links with the crime group? The police interrogations? His murdering the assassin at the disco? The police pay-off, his saving Benjy and running down the corrupt policeman? His knowing the truth? Anne's warning? The decision to face Benjy, the confrontation, his bitterness, the shock in his death?

7. The sketch of the police, corrupt or not, contacts, interrogations, pay-offs, murders, the commissions, the authorities?

8. Bracie and his toughness, his idea and the proposal, the meetings with Benjy, the interrogation, saving Benjy, the glimpse of his family life, his death, his wife and child?

9. Anne and her studies, Catholic background, love for Ted, at home, in love with Benjy, the sexual relationship, seeing the visitor and discovering the truth, warning her brother?

10. The affluent world of Los Angeles, of cars, stealing, the dealers, the reconstruction of the cars, the agents and their deaths?

11. Contemporary story, thriller, values?