MAN ON FIRE

France/Italy, 1987, 92 minutes, Colour.
Scott Glenn, Brooke Adams, Danny Aiello, Joe Pesci, Jonathan Pryce, Laura Morante.
Directed by Elie Chaquorie.

Man on Fire starts well, has an interesting international cast, was co-written and directed by Elie Chaquorie. However, it gradually descends into a variation on the one man hero with his weaponry defying all comers.

Scott Glenn is an ex-CIA man who becomes a bodyguard for the daughter of a wealthy Italian family. The parents are played by Brooke Adams and Paul Shenar, Jonathan Pryce is their secretary. Danny Aiello is one of the kidnappers and Joe Pesci is Glenn's police associate. The rest of the cast is Italian.

The girl is kidnapped, Glenn is wounded in an attempt to save her, he comes out of hospital, gets an armoury and goes after all the kidnappers with great destruction. There is a sentimental ending with everything restored.

The potential was there for a strong thriller and many of the sequences work very well. It is the resorting to the Rambo-like violence that destroys the impact of the film.

1.Interesting thriller? Violent thriller?

2.International production, the French director and co-writer? The American and English stars? The Italian cast? Italian locations? The city, the villa? Stunt work and special effects? Musical score?

3.The title, Lenny, his burnout, his job, his relationship with Sam, her being kidnapped, his vengeance?

4.The portrait of Lenny, the CIA background, burnt out? Taking the job with the family? Relationship with the parents, relationship with Sam, friendship, devoted to her? The happy experiences? His friendship with David and the police? The kidnapping, the violence, his being wounded? Hospital, getting out, walking with a stick? The note from the servant in his bag, the pursuit of the homosexual and leading him on in the theatre and the toilet? Killing him? The further leads, tracking down criminals? The confrontations and shootouts? The weapons supplied by David? The apartment, the kidnapper and the car ride, the information, the crash and the death? His confrontation with the kidnappers, the massive shootout and the rescue of Sam? In hospital, the fabrication of his death (and the interesting voice-over at the beginning)? His letter to Sam, reunited with her?

5.The family, the parents and their wealth, love for their daughter, hiring Lenny? Their grief, the papers, the advice of the police? Phone calls? Their secretary and his concern? The waiting, not giving the money, hoping that Sam would not be killed?

6.David, friendship with Lenny, his being wounded, letting him out of the hospital, supplying the arms? The local police and their concerns, the investigation of the deaths? The final plan and Lenny's survival?

7.The kidnappers, their motivation, brutal methods, shootouts? The connections? The servant and his connection with the homosexual, his death at the phone? The porno theatre, the toilet, Lenny leading the criminal on, information and death? The other criminals, their brutality? Danny Aiello and his videoing Sam, his control, the confrontation with Lenny, the car, going to pieces, his death? The final squad and the shootout? The portrait of ugly international kidnappers?

8.The familiarity of the plot, how effectively done, the drawback of the violence?