INTERNAL AFFAIRS
US, 1990, 117 minutes, Colour.
Richard Gere, Andy Garcia, Nancy Travis, Laurie Metcalf, Annabella Sciorra, Elijah Wood.
Directed by Mike Figgis.
Internal Affairs is an excellent police thriller. It focuses on an investigation into the LA Police Department by the department's internal affairs. Andy Garcia is excellent as the policeman, on the rise, who heads an investigation into the seemingly efficient and charming policeman played with sinister charm by Richard Gere.
The film offers a story of police corruption, of police as hired killers, of the policemen who can arrange deaths as well as insinuate himself into the mind of his investigator and raise all kinds of self-doubts and doubts about his wife. The film moves at a lively pace and there is plenty of action. However, the film is also an interesting cat-and-mouse pursuit between the two central characters.
The film was directed by Mike Figgis, who also directed the very interesting moody thriller about a town's political corruption, Stormy Monday.
1. An interesting and entertaining thriller? Police drama? Psychological drama? The plausibility of the plot and characters?
2. The Los Angeles locations, sense of realism? The work of the police? The precincts, internal affairs? The sleazy world, the wealthy world contrasting with the ordinary world? Atmosphere, musical score?
3. The impact of the stars, their screen persona and acting against them or with them?
4. The title, the role of internal affairs in a police department? The ambiguity of the title with Peck delving into the internal affairs of Raymond Avilla? The intense work of internal affairs, quality police, their status, the relationships with the rest of the force? A place for ambitious police to rise? The skills needed, the work of detection, evidence? The relationship with authorities? Dislike by those under investigation? The continual physical danger?
5. The popularity of the police genre during the '70s and '80s? The background of such writers as Joseph Wambaugh? Dramatising police life? The hard life? Action, homicide, investigations?
6. The portrait of the police force: the human side, tensions in work, relationships? The exasperation of authorities? Frustration and helplessness? The experience of violence? Police killing civilians by accident? Judgments, the role of the law? The possibility of framing people? Partners and buddies? Debts to one another? The possibility for corruption, the changing of money, the power hold over others? The camaraderie and the impossibility of breaking into this? The pressures on the police, questions of morale? The funerals of dead colleagues? The film as a critique of the workings of a police force?
7. Richard Gere's screen presence, pleasant and charming, yet corrupt? The knife at the start, the judge? The importance of his link with van Stretch and their pulling together? Dennis Peck as a respected policeman? The initial audience response? Getting to understand him better? His manipulation, timetables, partners? Fletcher and the jobs? His affair with Penny? And the wives and their getting together, the kids? The irony of Peck's marriages, and the number of his children? Sinister niceness? His meeting Raymond, the questions about marriage, the clashes, the beating and the innuendo? Setting up van Stretch and killing him? The Arrocas plan? Wives and sexuality? The need for money? The build-up to his confrontation with Raymond, bashing him? Taunting him with the panties? The funerals? Arrocas, the sexuality, taunting? The shoot-out, his wounding Wallace? The background to his insinuations about Kathleen, the set-up in the restaurant? Threats, the children? The final confrontation with Raymond? His death? Portrait of an evil man?
8. The contrast with Andy Garcia's presence as Raymond? Intensity and sincerity, ambition, wanting the job, relationship with the authorities? His partnership with Amy Wallace? Suspicions of van Stretch? The questions? The focus on Peck? The meticulous investigation, the boss and the evidence? The interaction with Peck? The wife, sex, the gallery? The tension in his relationship with his wife? The hours that he had to work? Peck's lies, taunting him, his angers, watching Kathleen and Peck in the restaurant? His getting drunk, the lurid images of his wife with Peck? The attack on his wife, making up with her? Fletcher, the SWAT team? Arrocas, the wife? The search? The ambulance? The confrontation in the apartment? Amy's being wounded, the final shoot-out with Peck?
9. Amy Wallace and her status, as policeperson, her work, questions, ambitions? With Stretch, the lawyers? Communication with Raymond? The phone calls, the SWAT team, Arrocas? The injury, her being wounded? Fight for life? The implications about her sexuality?
10. Stretch and his work, relationship with his wife, child? Brutality and angers? The drugs? The confrontations with Dennis? Meeting Raymond? The questions and his lies? His wife's relationship with Peck? His being upset, talking to Peck, his death?
11. Penny and her relationship with her husband, the injury, the sexual relationship, no answers, betraying her husband, the relationship with Peck? The money?
12. Peck's wives, their relationship with him, the money, pregnancy, fear and the bath, telling the police?
13. The police authorities, the exercise of their authority, suspicions, the investigations?
14. Kathleen, her relationship with her husband, her own career, the exasperation? The meeting with Peck, the reconciliation?
15. The world of criminals, contracts, the arrangements of assassinations? The SWAT team?
16. The portrait of Arrocas, his wife? The world of crime, paid assassins?
17. The plausibility of the plot? The reality of police departments? The message about police departments, morale? The need for internal affairs? Its toll on individuals?
