DEAD MAN DOWN

US, 2013, 117 minutes, Colour.
Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Terrence Howard, Dominic Cooper, Isabelle Huppert, F. Murray Abraham.
Directed by Niels Arden Oplev.

Promotion for Dead Man Down might give the impression that this is an action show. The film is book-ended (film-ended?) by two big shootouts, one is a drug-dealer’s headquarters, the other in a gangster’s mansion. But, for the most part, the film is a drama, a revenge thriller that leads to some deeper characterisations and issues.

After that first confrontation where we see Victor (Colin Farrell) save the life of the gangster, Alphonse (Terrence Howard), where we have made judgments about Victor, Alphonse and their gang, we are led to see a different side of Victor. His being part of the gang is to wreak revenge for the death of his wife and child two years earlier. We see him quietly watching the DVDs of the family.

But, across the way from his apartment – and they are several floors up – there is a woman watching him. Victor has a scarred heart. She has a scarred face, treatment after being hit by a drunk driver. She is Beatrice, French, a beautician, living with her mother. She makes more direct contact with Victor and surprises him and the audience with what she is after.
She is played by Noomi Rapace, the Swedish actress who was the Girl with the Dragon Tatoo. In fact, the film is directed by Niels Arden Oplev, who directed the first film in that Swedish Trilogy, Millennium. And her mother is played by Isabelle Huppert,a bonus for lovers of French films. Another brief bonus is the appearance of F. Murray Abraham as Victor’s uncle.
The world we are shown is certainly a world of violence, with some alarming scenes. And there is the puzzle that we do not see any police.

So this is the story of Victor and Beatrice and their relationship, the revenge motivation that has been mentioned, and the theme of sadness and grief.

There is a further complication with Darcy, a young man hoping to climb the gangster ladder, but who has a wife and young child with Victor as godfather. How does Darcy respond when he learns the truth about Victor.

The screenplay by J.H. Wyman is clever, making all kinds of links with some unexpected connections. However, the no police is a puzzle and there are some convenient plot devices that are contrived. So, realists beware. But, of course, this is not a documentary and contrivance is of the essence of this kind of storytelling. The world is brutal but the story is well told.

1. A thriller rather than an action film? American story, the Swedish contribution, director, star, production design? The musical score? Bringing a sharper perspective to the American story?
2. New York City, the uglier side of the city, drug world, the gangster world and the exploitation of buildings and estates, shootouts? The world of migrants and their experiences? The law and justice?
3. The title, the focus and Victor? Laszlo? The irony of the murder attempt and his not being dead?
4. The opening, Darcy and his baby, Darcy talking, hopes and ambitions, Victor as godfather? Introducing the theme of family and children?
5. Alphonse, his character, his gang, control, schemes, the building, the takeover, the deaths? Organizing the hit on the witnesses? The henchmen?
6. Finding the body in the ice chest, the notes, the pictures, the threats, the European way of writing seven? The setup?
7. The drug world, Alphonse’s suspicions, the aftermath? The violence, the interrogation of Harry, paying the girl? A New York where police were not evident?
8. The introduction to Victor, the audience judging him after seeing him and the shooting? His sitting at home contemplating, cleaning his balcony, watching Beatrice? The wave? Beatrice and the mystery? The children and their mocking her, writing monster on her goal?
9. Beatrice and her life? The doctor, the work and her face? The story of the accident, the drunken driver, in court, his short sentence? At home, French, her mother and helping her with her face and nails, her mother’s partial deafness? Her love of cooking? The love of mother and daughter? Beatrice and her contact with Victor in his post box, the phone calls, shaking hands across space? The meeting, the date, Beatrice and her look, revealing that she had seen the killing, the scene on her phone, asking Victor to do the hit? The effect on Victor?
10. The revelations about Victor, his wife and daughter, the home movies, his watching them? The Hungarian background, coming to New York, hopes? The death of his daughter, offering to testify, the murder attempt, his dead wife? The uncle and examining the guns, the deal? His capturing the Albanian, tying him up in the hulk, the torture? The revelation of Victor’s identity, his military training, engineer?
11. The theme of revenge, for Beatrice, for Victor? Victor and his promises?
12. Victor and his infiltrating Alphonse’s group? The various jobs? The threats to Alphonse, his concern, hiding in the apartment, Victor bringing him food, talk, speculating about who was responsible, his trusting Victor, yet knowing that he could kill him?
13. Darcy, his ambitions, research, going to the cemetery, the Hungarian section, the grave, the name, Alphonse going to the cemetery?
14. The effect of Beatrice on Victor? His visits, the mother making him welcome, the food? Making the date, after researching the man responsible for the accident, seeing him at the club, Beatrice and the audience assuming that Victor was telling him? His emerging after a bashing?
15. Beatrice, her change of heart, seeing the man alive, new hopes?
16. Victor going to the hulk, filming the Albanian, shooting him? Beatrice promising to post the parcel, the receipt?
17. Victor and his wanting to help Darcy, phoning, Darcy going to the apartment, the bashing of Beatrice, seeing the room, the photos, his anger? Beatrice coming to warn Victor, Darcy taking her?
18. The set-up, the irony of the parcel not containing the CD, the rabbit’s foot and the puzzle, the background theme of the rabbit’s foot, for Beatrice, for Victor? Victor driving to the mansion, crashing in, the huge gun, the shootouts, the henchmen being killed,
19. Beatrice, as target, her getting out of room, playing the CD, the effect on Alphonse and the Albanian, his name being mentioned, mutual shooting?
20. The confrontation with Darcy, the mirror, Victor not killing him? The finale with Beatrice and Laszlo? A new life?
21. The theme of revenge, and not taking revenge, the possibilities for a different and better life?