A MAN APART
US, 2002, 110 minutes, Colour.
Vin Diesel, Larenz Tate, Timothy Olyphant, Gino Silva, Jacqueline Obradors, Steve Eastin, Jeff Kober, Juan Fernandez.
Directed by F. Gary Gray.
Filmed prior to his high octane role in xXx, A Man Apart is another action show for Vin Diesel, somewhat inexplicably emerging at the beginning of the decade as a successor to Stallone, Schwarzenegger and Willis. The film was held back from release until the opening weeks of the war in Iraq and is interesting to view making comparisons with real events, especially the assumptions of US superiority, authority and being police leader of the world. It also shows undercover operations against Mexican drug cartels (which have required seven years of covert activity rather than several weeks) and daylight operations in the streets which seem to be indiscriminate gun mayhem with audiences unable to tell who is who as everyone is dressed in civilian clothes. Some of the police arrange the evidence to protect violent emotional outbursts on the part of a buddy who 'loses it' and throws a secret operation into turmoil when he takes justice into his own hands.
The drug world, as in Traffic, centres on California and Mexico. It obviously requires a great deal of commitment for police to stay in their roles to protect innocent society. It is shocking to see some of the violent episodes on the part of ruthless gangsters who assume their rights to superiority and the violent consequences of law enforcement. Diesel is a po-faced hero who unleashes fierce emotions that jeopardise himself and his work. The rest of the cast play the usual roles of police, wives and families or the usual suspects, suppliers, henchman and bosses.
1. American law enforcement, Americans combating evil throughout the world, in their own country, the warlike and warrior attitude?
2. Los Angeles settings, California and Mexico? Authentic, the streets of South Central Los Angeles, the beaches, the desert? Tijuana, Mexicali? The musical score?
3. Vin Diesel and his screen presence, his action superstar status, type, expressionless, blue-collar worker, undercover police?
4. The voice-over and the moral judgments about drug-dealing and its effect in the US? The American stance against drugs, against Colombia and Mexico? Issues of law and justice? The changes in drug-dealing over the 90s? The drug lords? The ending - battles won but the war continues?
5. The title, Sean and his being part of the team, the death of his wife, losing it, the confrontations with Lucero? The set-ups? The final confrontation and victory?
6. The opening and the drug information, the Mexico corridor, the visualising of the processing factory, the picture of the dealers, the distributors, the links, planes etc? An attack on the drug dealers and drug lords?
7. Sean as a personality, his work in the initial siege, chasing Lucero and arresting him? His love for Stacey, the phone call outside the glass window? At home with her, with his friends, the beach party, success, the decoration? The impact of the attack, her death in their own home, his being wounded, the effect on him, physically and psychologically?
8. Demetrius and the background with Sean, growing up in the city, their working together against Lucero for seven years? Ability to talk to one another? The sex talk at the party, his wife, daughter and the touch language? Frost and his friendship, their boss? The other friends? The aftermath of the shooting, their visiting the hospital, Big Sexy and his friendship? The scenes at the hospital, Sean recovering, angry, wanting to get out?
9. The visit to Lucero in prison, the confrontation, the death of his wife, Lucero's threats? His working finally with him, the leads, the death of Lucero's wife and child, the set-up? The deal with Sean? His escape? The finale and the confrontation at the café in the town? Arresting him again?
10. The picture of drug processing and dealing in Mexico, the factories, the suppliers, the range of suppliers? Lucero and the imprisonment, his network? The rise of Diablo, the raids, the vicious slaughter in South Central Los Angeles and Sean and Demetrius discovering it, Lucero's wife and daughter killed in the explosion, Ramon executed in Mexico? Matteo and his place in the hierarchy, reaction? The question of who was responsible? The Los Angeles connection, Joe, the confrontation with Sean? The set-up and its going wrong when Sean heard the killer of his wife boasting? The encounter with Hollywood Jack? The confrontations, street battles?
11. Frost, obeying the law, sacking Sean? Demetrius and the warning? The South Central connections, the set-up, confronting Joe? Getting the plane, Hollywood Jack, the killing of Hollywood Jack (just as he killed Sean's wife's assassin)?
12. Hollywood Jack, the hairdressing cover in Beverly Hills, personality, style and clothes, taunting Sean, hemmed in in the car, his shooting, Joe on the phone, the plane trip, the confrontation and his being killed?
13. Lucero's escape, Sean going again into Mexico, finding him, eyeballing him in the street? Lucero and his admission of the truth, his contempt for Sean? The undercover operation and their taking Lucero again?
14. The violence of the film, the vigilante-style activity? The necessity for drug police and undercover jobs, its effect on them? A culture of violence?
