FATAL BEAUTY
US, 1987, 94 minutes, Colour.
Whoopi Goldberg, Sam Elliot, Ruben Blades, Harris Yulin, Cheech Marin, Brad Dourif.
Directed by Tom Holland.
Fatal Beauty is one of the many police actioners of the '80s. It is, as again with so many films, set in the drug world and takes an anti-drug stance.
The film is very tough and violent, strong in its language and in its confrontations. It stars comedienne Whoopi Goldberg as a tough undercover policewoman, with a past in drugs and suffering from the death of her child, who becomes a crusader on the Los Angeles streets. Reuben Blaze and John T. Ryan are also police. Sam Elliott is a sympathetic security man for one of the drug kings of the city - who falls in love with Goldberg, follows her and saves her life.
Harris Yulin is the drug chief. Jennifer Warren has a good role as a callous mother supplying her son with drugs. However, Brad Dourif adds yet another sinister villain to his gallery (Blue Velvet, Child's Play).
The film was directed by Tom Holland, writer of Psycho 2 and writer and director of Fright Night and Child's Play.
Nothing new, just another variation on a theme popular - as well as significant in the '80s.
1.The popularity of police films? This film as an example? The drug world of American cities in the '80s?
2.The atmosphere of the city, the streets, the bars, shops, apartments, mansions? Authentic atmosphere? The musical score?
3.The title, the reference to drugs, synthetic drugs, the factories, the money behind them, dealing in distribution? Bad mixtures destroying addicts?
4.Whoopi Goldberg adapting her comic style to Rizzoli: her dress, behaviour on the street, contacts, the threats to victims, blowing her cover? Her relationship with the officers? Her visit to Conrad Kroll and confronting him? The meeting with Mike, his following her, his attraction to her, her turning him away, lecturing him on drugs? Her final explanation of her own life? Her pursuing Leo? Pretending to be a drug dealer, getting in with the head man, the arrest, the siege and the shooting, Mike to the rescue? The young punk at the sandwich bar and her dealing with him? Her other contacts? Going to see Cecile Jaeger, the punch-out with her, the later phone call, helping her in the hospital? The build-up to the arrest in the department store, the shoot-out and the chase? Mike's being wounded? Her sense of achievement?
5.The world of drugs: Conrad Kroll and his wealth, security men, his police contacts, confronted by Rizzoli, reporting her, meeting her in the store, Leo shooting him? Leo and his associate, the mad raid on the factory, the manic behaviour, the violence, the siege in the house, the shoot-out in the store, Leo's callous attitude when Rizzoli was crushed by the door, his death?
6.The small-time users, the distributors? Contacts, young couples, in the store? Children overdosing and dying? The boy coming and telling Rizzoli about his mother? His committing suicide?
7. Mike, his work, attraction towards Rizzoli, on the side of the law, her lectures about drugs, rescuing her in the siege, his buying her a dress, their communicating? His finally being wounded after saving her? A future?
8.The presentation of the police, undercover, the work and dangers, shoot-outs?
9.The tough style of the film: visual violence, chases, shootings? The language of the film? Realism - over-realism? The impact as entertainment? As message against drugs?
