THE BONE COLLECTOR
US, 1999, 118 minutes, Colour.
Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Queen Latifah, Michael Rooker, Mike Mc Glone, Luis Guzman, Leiland Orser, John Benjamin Hickey, Ed O'Neill.
Directed by Phillip Noyce.
The Bone Collector is based on a novel by well-known crime writer, Jeffery Deaver. It focuses on painstaking detective work, especially focusing on a decorated detective and author who has been made a quadriplegic in a freak accident at the scene of a crime. Despairing, he has arranged his own death when he becomes a vegetable after a spasm. However, he is invited to investigate a case. The scene of the crime was discovered by a young rookie, Angelina Jolie, who, it emerges, is still in grief over the suicide of her police officer father.
The film focuses on Washington in his bed, using all kinds of technology to be in contact with Jolie, who is his eyes and ears at the crime scenes. At first, she is repelled by what she sees, especially the mutilated corpses. However, she gains control of herself and together they solve the crime.
There is good support from Queen Latifah as Thelma, Denzel Washington's nurse. Michael Rooker, instead of playing a criminal, is the incompetent police chief. Other police include Mike Mc Glone, Luiz Guzman and a genial Ed O'Neill.
The film is dark, the murderer picking up his victims in a taxi, using a book of the turn of the century to use as model for his killings - and, it emerges, to take revenge on Washington, who had given an adverse opinion on a case with which the murderer was involved and had led to his being sentenced for six years. He attempts his revenge - but is saved, too slickly, at the ultimate moment.
The film is an interesting take on new police procedures, the complementarity of the immobile Washington with Jolie at the scene of the crime. The film was directed by Phillip Noyce who, in Hollywood, directed Patriot Games, Slither, Clear and Present Danger, The Saint. He later moved to lower-budget films and greater critical success with Rabbit- Proof Fence and The Quiet American.
1. The impact of the film? Its subject matter, crime, detection? The complementarity of the immobile detective and the rookie at the scene of the crime? The plausibility of the crimes, the investigation, the solving of the mystery?
2. The New York settings, underground, the darkness, sewers and rats, the uglier, seamier side of a city? On the surface, the streets, the apartments? The musical score?
3. The title, its reference to what the killer was doing, his capacities as a medical assistant, souvenirs? The opening credits and the 19th century book, the illustrations? The killer leaving clues for Lincoln? Putting them together, the publisher's logo, the finding of the book, the illustrations, the realisation by Amelia that the killer was modelling himself on the book? Her going to the scenes of the crime, the final confrontation and the revelation of the truth?
4. The opening, Lincoln Rhyme and his abilities, the accident? Quadriplegic, in his bed, despair, persuading his doctor friend that he would terminate his life if he had a spasm and became a vegetable? His lying in bed, the technology around him? Thelma and her care of him? The visit by Paulie and the introduction to the case? His getting interested, sitting up, the technology in his room? The meeting with Amelia? The collecting of evidence? The hostility of the police chief and his obtuseness? The other police and their support? Rhyme and his sitting in his bed, watching, guiding Amelia? Her breaking off, her change of heart? The recurrence of his spasms, Thelma's response, Amelia's response and care? The visit of Richard Thompson and his assistance? The development of the case, the further murders, the maps, the underground, the book logo and the jigsaw? The build-up to the final murders, contact with Amelia, the contact broken? The visit by Richard Thompson, the killing of Thelma and the police guard, the confrontation, the fight, Rhyme using his body, his teeth to confront Thompson? His about to be killed? His deciding to live, the Christmas celebration, the friendship with Amelia and the tenderness? A portrait of a police detective?
5. The contrast with Amelia, the memories of her father, his suicide, her grief? Her relationships and their lack of commitment? Her being on the job, her being urged to look at a scene, finding the body? Her decision to stop the train? The reaction of the police chief, the support of the officers? Her photographing the evidence? Her being invited by Rhyme to be his eyes, going down the manhole, the explosions and the steam in the New York streets? The inability to save the woman victim? Her discovering the other bodies, the rats, her rushing from the scene? Her not wanting to continue, Rhyme looking up the information about her, persuading her to continue? Her work, the hostility of the chief, her taking the evidence to Rhyme? The jigsaw, her going to the bookshop, finding the book? Realising where the old man and the child would be, going to save them, the realisation that Rhyme was the target, her return, shooting the killer just in time? Her tenderness for Rhyme, during his fit, watching him sleep? The Christmas celebration and her presence?
6. The killer, in the background? Picking up the victims in the taxi, never being seen - the affluent couple and the killing of the man, the woman tied up in the subway? The man taken and hanging with the rats attacking him? The other murders, the old man and the child and in the water? His coming to Rhyme, killing Thelma? His explanation of the opinions, Rhyme as an expert, questioning his opinions, his going to jail, wanting revenge? The viciousness of the fight with Rhyme? His being shot?
7. The portrait of the police, the chief and his arrogance, obtuseness, laying down the law, putting Amelia off the case? His gaffes? The other police, their friendship with Rhyme, the visits, giving him information, moral support?
8. Thelma, the dependable nurse, her care for Rhyme, his spasms? Audience response to the brutality of her murder?
9. The victims, the couple in the taxi and realising their fate, the man taken, the old man and the child?
10. The plausibility of the plot, this kind of serial killer, motivations, brutality, random victims? The credibility of the police work, the detection, the intuitions necessarily for putting the pieces together, the presence at the scene of the crime with all the detail being collected and presented?
