NARC

US, 2002, 118 minutes, Colour.
Jason Patric, Ray Liotta.
Directed by Joe Kernahan.

Narc is a very dark police thriller. It is filmed darkly, taking us into the shadows of the drug world as well as the criminal world of Detroit and also the police force.

Jason Patrick portrays a policeman who is put on suspension after his investigation of the murder of another policeman. As a way of rehabilitation, he is invited back to share investigations with an officer played by Ray Liotta. Each is suspicious of the other, they investigate themselves as well as the crime. It leads them into the world of drug dealing, arms dealing, corrupt policemen.

The film is very strong, a character study, with tough action and language.

The film was written by Joe Carnahan who has written a number of action films, one with the symbolic name: Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane. He also wrote and directed Smokin’ Aces and a remake of Bunny Lake is Missing. He also wrote a sequel to LA Confidential, White Jazz by James Elroy.

This is an interesting and challenging addition to police thrillers, murder investigations, buddy cops.

1. A strongly gritty drama, a police thriller, drug squads, undercover police work, narcs? And the effect of the individuals, on their families?

2. The idiosyncratic visual style, the lighting, light and darkness, hand-held camera, cinema, verite, the echo of television programs like Cops, realistic yet stylised, the colour contrasts, the tones, the songs and the musical score?

3. The significance of the violence, the tough police, the exercise of brutality, the drug dealers, their killings, their lifestyle? Realistic and audience assessment of this world of violence?

4. The title, its reference to Nick, to Harry, to the murdered undercover agent?

5. The prologue, the addict and his particular drug, being pursued by Nick, the chase, stabbing the man in passing and his death, Nick's shooting, hitting the woman, terminating the pregnancy, saving the child? The criticism of reckless endangerment? His resigning from the force? The years of undercover drug investigation and its toll on him, his wife?

6. The transition to Nick, the shower, the baby, his wife, their happiness together, the past, yet her continued to suffer, the gentle love scenes, her still loving him despite his going back, her inability to life with this, her deciding to leave? The impact of this kind of undercover work on wives?

7. The panel and the interview, his anger, their offering him a job, discussions with the authorities, the various theories and the nature of the investigation into the undercover agent's death, his accepting it? His going through the archives, looking at the documentation, looking at the photos of the agent and his wife?

8. The introduction to Harry, age, experience, the brutality towards prisoners, bashings, his being on the edge? His relationship with the dead man? As partners, his being on the investigation, his wariness about accepting Nick, the discussions, each explaining his life story, memory of his wife and her cancer, his anger about Nick interviewing the widow, his status, methods, the theories about what happened, their being visualised at different times, with different perspectives? The set-up of the drug dealers, getting their confessions, tape recording, the irony about the truth - his story of finding the little girl and the flashback, Nick getting the document and finding that he had supported her, that she was the wife of the dead agent, and that he was protecting her? Harry and his attitude towards the agent, discovering that he was an addict, tailing him, confronting him, not wanting to let the girl lose her husband's pension, his killing himself, so Harry doing a cover-up, the drug dealers and their opinion that Harry had shot him? His disappointment and the effect of the suicide?

9. Nick, his personality, integrity, working under cover, the leads, finding the dealers, confronting them, being shot, the nature of the guns (and police stock)? The different quality of the drugs, the two men and their confessions, Harry and his brutality, Nick locking Harry out, getting the tape, their accusations, their being visualised, Nick's dilemma, Harry coming in, the confrontation, Harry being shot and telling the truth to Nick as he died?

10. The portrait of addiction, the streets of Detroit, the junkies, the dealers, the brutality? Undercover work, the temptation to succumb, selling police guns and badges, corruption? Fear, the police?

11. An inside story, its tone, pace, audiences sharing the experience of the narcs?