RAMPART

US, 2011, 19 minutes, Colour.
Woody Harrelson, Robin Wright, Cynthia Nixon, Anne Heche, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Foster, Jon Bernthall.
Directed by Oren Moverman.

Rampart is a tough film, using the police genre, but not in unexpected ways. It is based on the screenplay by celebrated author, James Ellroy, who wrote Black Dahlia and LA confidential. Writer-director, Oren Moverman, worked on Ellroy’s screenplay. Moverman had worked with Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster earlier in The Messenger and utilises the talents very well here.

Rampart is a section of Los Angeles, the setting is 1999, the decade of riots and the Rodney King episode. Harrelson portrays Dave, a local policeman, a controller and open to corruption. He is also presented as racist and violent, and has been involved in the murder of a rapist some years earlier. He is interrogated by internal affairs and is confronted by the local Board. He has served in Vietnam and he is proud of that, his father being a policeman, and his intention being to clean up the city of Los Angeles. However, he is arrogant, throws his weight around with groups of young men, even with his own fellow-police.

In his private life, he has had two wives and two daughters. They live close by, in something of a commune. But the women are tired of his behaviour, his womanising, his violence, and they want separation.

The film has a very strong cast along with Harrelson. Cynthia Nixon and Anne Heche portray the two women and Brie Larsen is the older daughter. Sigourney Weaver is the internal affairs investigator. Audra McDonald? is a woman that Brown picks up at a bar. Robin Wright is a lawyer that Brown meets also at a bar and they begin a sexual relationship which is ambiguous because of her work as a lawyer. Ned Beatty portrays a friend of his father.

Fans of police films would not choose this as an entertainment – but it is a film which raises issues about police, racism, violence. Comparisons could be made with LA Confidential and The Gangster Squad, a film about crime boss in LA, Mickey Cohen.

1. The film based on the work of James Ellroy, his research into the LA police force of the decades, LA Confidential? The writer-director working on Ellroy’s script? The strong cast?

2. The police genre, usually glossy, this unvarnished and an unpolished film? The hand-held camera, the sense of realism, yet quite stylised?

3. The title, LA police force, the traditions, the 1990s, corruption, violence, racism?

4. Audience interest in the police force, in David Brown, changing sympathies towards him?

5. His behaviour, scaring groups of black youths, his racist attitudes and language, his brutality, physical and psychological, the precinct, with fellow police, chatter and talk?

6. In action, his partners, his forcing the officer to eat her fries? His participation in action, racist type, language, his background in Vietnam and its effect on him? His ambitions in the police force, to do the right thing, his ideas, crime and cleaning up LA?

7. His two wives, daughters, living in a kind of menage, meals together? His attitude towards his wives? towards his children? Helen and her ignoring him? Barbara and Helen, Catherine and Margaret, their feelings of betrayal, initiating divorce?

8. The picture of the daughters, age, school, the contacts? The young girl, friendly, at table? Helen visiting, going to understand her father, the conversation? Her dissatisfaction? His? The two girls visiting at the end? His love for them? Ambiguous attitudes from them?

9. Importance of the past case, Date-rape? The rapist’s death? Deliberate or not? The varying descriptions to different people, to the supervisor, internal affairs? Superiors?

10. Hartshorn, his friendship with his father, advice, support, issues of money, on the beach? Turning against him?

11. Internal affairs, his tone against the supervisor, the fact that she was female? The different interviews with her? The board and her presence on it, his attitude towards the board, his disregard? And yet his extreme articulation about the issues, his background with law?

12. Leaving home, going to the bar, the conversations with Sarah, talking, going back to her house, the sexual encounter, her puzzlement at his attitudes afterwards?

13. Linda, attracted to the bar, their talk, the sexual encounter? The friendship, the further contacts, the sexual attraction and tension? Her job with the lawl, seeking her out, his reaction? At the motel, strained relationship, his puzzlement? Her ousting him?

14. His collapse, his life and his wanting to control, his contact with General Terry, reliance, the cigarettes, leaving him?

15. His final admission and motives?

16. The police genre, the same but different?