THE BRAVE ONE
US, 2007, 124 minutes, Colour.
Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, Naveen Andrews, Nicky Katt, Mary Steenburgen, Jane Adams.
Directed by Neil Jordan.
With autumn political conferences, issues of crime, gun possession, the carrying of knives, stop and search, gang murders receive a great deal of headline attention as well as comment. Promises about policing are made. Fear amongst the public makes for alarming reading. Crowded goals and judges’ decisions become problems.
This is the material of comment columns in papers. However, sometimes a film comes along that raises the issues in a story form, dramatically, that heightens our emotional response to crime and the inadequacies of the law and makes us think. The social comment becomes part of the film review.
There have always been films about angry vigilante activity, about people taking the law into their own hands, films like Death Wish. They make emotional sense for bereaved and angry victims and their families, but what is the morality of such vigilante action?
Now comes a film about crime, brutality, the law and vigilante action. But, it is a film which acknowledges such action without condoning it, which acknowledges the anger that eats at victims. But, it is also a film which goes inside the mind and heart of a victim whose partner is viciously killed while she is bashed. Does she really survive? Is she the same person? How can a person who calmly observed society before now become a different person, a stranger to herself, consumed by anger and acting in vengeance?
These are some of the questions raised in Neil Jordan’s excellent film, The Brave One.
Dublin-born director and novelist, Neil Jordan, has been making films for a quarter of a century, making a variety of impressive but very different films. Amongst his films The Company of Wolves, Mona Lisa, The Crying Game, Interview with a Vampire and Michael Collins stand out. He brings these skills to The Brave One, making one wonder what such a serious-minded director is doing with a vigilante theme.
The answer is that he wants to raise the issues through a dramatic story. He wants to present the various sides to vigilante arguments but, more than any other such film, he wants to go into the mind of the vigilante to see what the violence is doing to the psyche, the conscience and the soul. No matter how seemingly just the cause, taking the law into one’s own hands to become judge, jury and executioner takes its moral toll.
This is a Jodie Foster film. She is also a very serious actress who won Oscars for portraying a rape victim in The Accused and Clarice Starling who confronts Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. Here she plays a radio personality who tapes the sounds of New York City as background to her broadcast musings on life in the city. By using her voiceover commentary, we hear what the experience of the bashing and death mean to her and how they change her.
The New York detective, played by Terrence Howard, who is committed to the law and his own personal integrity meets and is interviewed by the radio personality without knowing who she is let alone what she is doing in vengeance. He too is frustrated in criminals escaping justice and is close to moving to his own independent action from a different perspective.
Strong production values, New York city itself as a vivid character, fine acting and a thoughtful script means that this is a parable about vengeance, not solving the issues neatly and clearly, but providing a range of questions. It is a question parable.
It is a very relevant and demanding parable for today.
1.The impact of the film? Its quality, challenge?
2.The vigilante tradition in American films? Crime, violence against the innocent? Emotional response? Intellectual response? The nature of vengeance? The crossing of the line, the inadequacy of the law, the inadequacy of justice, the administration of personal justice?
3.The interior life of a vigilante, her character, changes, a stranger to herself, her inner life, her conscience, the sense of loss, wanting to die? The satisfaction of the vengeance?
4.The street scene, New York, Erica’s broadcast, recording, the night, the day, the sounds, the people? Her voice-over and literate commentary? The tone, Erica, her life, love of the city, attitude towards life in the city, feeling safe?
5.The visuals, the city, the range of locations, Central Park, the tunnel, the apartments, police precincts? The crime scenes? The subway? The radio station? The musical score and its moods?
6.Erica and David? Their relationship? The phone call, chatter, love, the house, jokes, life, the janitor? Going to the art gallery and Erica’s friend? The dog, the leash, getting away? The incident, the challenge, the brutal bashings, it being videoed? David’s death? Erica going to hospital? Her unconsciousness, the sexual imagery and her love for David? The effect?
7.The portrait of the police, Mercer and his associate? The case, Erica getting better, frightened, alone, the radio work, her boss wanting her to have a break? Arguing, going out, recording the sounds? Making the program? Going back on the air, nervous, hesitant, her pausing? Her talk? Mercer listening? The boss’s panic? The success, the letters coming, the boss apologising? The voicing and the interior life of Erica?
8.The stranger theme, seeing herself as a different person from before the attack, her acting as normal, yet her change, the janitor’s response, her friends?
9.The decision to get the gun, making enquiries, going to the shop, the refusal, the month’s notice, the illegal gun, the thousand dollars? Her learning to fire? Her fears, defence, the rationalising of having the gun? Its effect?
10.Erica and the gun, the shop, the robbery, the killing of the person behind the counter, her hiding, the stalking, the shooting? The later episode on the subway, the boy and his radio, the old man, the men accosting the passengers, shooting them, leaving? The effect?
11.Mercer, the mother and her being bashed, the little girl, the husband and his criminal background, on the television news?
12.Mercer in himself, his partners, the blend of the serious and the comic, going to the crime scenes, Mercer and his anger, discussions with his ex-wife about custody of the child, the issues of working pro bono and her wanting money? The supermarket and his going to find out what happened, the bullets? Going to the subway? The information, bringing the people in, checking the information? The boy with the radio? Finally bringing him in and his admission that there was a woman on the train?
13.Erica, meeting with Mercer, discussions? Her interview with him? Her not wanting to do phone-in – and the range of people phoning in? Her listening, cutting them off? The law, the issue of crossing the line, integrity? Mercer and his listening? The build-up to the final night?
14.Erica and her phoning Mercer? His hearing the elevator noise? Her tracking down the criminal, meeting him on the roof, his reaction? The elevator, the weapon, his death? Mercer and the detail of checking the call and its origins?
15.The pimp, the young prostitute, Erica accosting him, the gun, the shooting, his running over the girl, her going to the hospital? Mercer taking Erica to meet her? Their discussions – and the girl not giving her away?
16.Erica, the murder of the criminal, the blood, the stitches? His questioning? Indicating that he knew that she was the vigilante?
17.Mercer’s warning, her attitude, not caring whether she was caught or not? The ring, going to the pawnshop?
18.The pawnbroker, the information, the girlfriend from the gang, refusing to give information, texting Erica? Her going and tracking the gang, seeing the dog, the confrontation, the memories of the video, her shooting, Mercer saving her?
19.Mercer, his crossing the line, giving her his gun, his being wounded, the cover-up?
20.The experience of sharing Erica’s grief, vengeance, troubles of conscience? The effect? The parable nature of the film – with open questions? The audience for or against?
