SHOOTER

US, 2007, 120 minutes, Colour.
Mark Wahlberg, Michael Pena, Danny Glover, Kate Mara, Elias Koteas, Ned Beatty, Rade Sehrbeigedza.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua.

This thriller is generally so fast paced and edited accordingly that you barely have time or space to think: action, adrenalin, chases, body count, politics, conspiracy theories, The Fugitive but, towards the end when gunner Bobby Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) lays siege to a Virginia homestead and is besieged himself by a large military force, the thought does come, ‘Eat your heart out, Rambo’.

John Rambo in First Blood (before Rambo became the Ramboesque warrior of the sequels) was a Vietnam War veteran, trained as a Green Beret in all kinds of lethal and survival skills. He is turned on by authorities and then manipulated by government officials to do some of their dirty work.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

It is a quarter of a century later. The battleground is Ethiopia and the Eritrean border. Special squads of highly trained snipers are in action to safeguard American forces. The only trouble is that these troops should not be there. They are in the pay of Washington politicians who tell the hero that there is no more Sunni or Shia, no more Democrats or Republicans, there are only the Haves and Have Nots and that is the be all and end all of power.

This means that we are watching one of those morally ambiguous thrillers that are exciting to watch – director Antoine Fuqua is no slouch with action, Training Day, Tears of the Sun, the grim King Arthur – but which make moral senses uncomfortable. We are exposed to an evil world, greed and abuse of power at the top, protected from law and justice by connections and friends in high places. (And the screenplay has some explicit shots at the current US administration.) It is easy to tut-tut from an armchair far away from this kind of world.

Bobby Lee Swagger, our 21st century Rambo-figure, has shown his skills in Ethiopia and was abandoned by superior officers. His best friend and partner was killed. Retired and hidden in remote mountains, he is approached by some Washington officials and asked to assist them in preventing an assassination attempt on the president. This is reverse Manchurian Candidate material. Bobby Lee is a victim of smooth talk and appeals to patriotism rather than obvious brainwashing. But, all is not at all as it seemed and he finds himself shot, then pursued by government and FBI alike – and he is a fine advertisement for the effectiveness of survival skills training.

The junior FBI officer that he chances on as he begins his flight (Michael Pena, one of the trapped firefighters in World Trade Centre) becomes curious, investigates more and more anomalies that turn up in the investigation and ultimately finds himself on the run with Bobby Lee who has also enlisted the help of his buddy’s widow (Kate Mara).

The film is very well crafted so that it is hard not to be involved, even when the only way to find justice is to adopt the gunfighting ethos of the 19th century West.

One of the surprises and strengths of the film is that we can scarcely believe that the patriotic and always-so-noble-on-screen Danny Glover could be such an unredeemable villain.


1.An exciting political thriller? Conspiracy theories? Vigilante action?

2.The global perspective of the screenplay? The opening in Africa, deals in Ethiopia? Troops, techniques, buddies, accuracy in killing? retreat? The United States, the remote north, Washington DC, Kentucky? Authentic atmosphere? Musical score?

3.The prologue, Bobby Lee and his colleague in Africa, the troops, the work of snipers and spotters, their skills, the orders, the betrayal of the men? Donnie’s death? Bob’s escape?

4.Bob and his retirement, isolated, enjoying the solitude, his simple lifestyle, the years passing, the companionship of the dog?

5.The focus on Langley, the officer in the wheelchair, Danny Glover as the go-between? The discussions, the approach, the set-up? The issue of the assassination of the president? Their going to visit Bob, the presentation of the issue? The irony of the later betrayal, the conspiracy, the vast money issues, the cover-up?

6.Bob and his listening to the proposal, his sense of alienation, the go-between and his spiel, the appeal to patriotism, the Constitution? Bob and his skills, his decision? The death of the president and his sense of responsibility?

7.His decision to go, his photographing the car, the numberplates, taking his time? The example of his testing his shooting – and accuracy at such a long distance? Going to Washington, to Baltimore, to Philadelphia? Scouting the locations, the exercise of surveillance? The Baltimore checkout? Philadelphia being the appropriate spot? The information, the reasons for the choice, the details about the shooting?

8.The event, the cars, the waving? The teams and Bob and his supervision? The archbishop and the president, the speech about the atrocities in Ethiopia, his plan to talk to the president? The policeman and his arrival, his shooting Bob? Bob’s escape, the encounter with the FBI agent in the street, getting his gun and car, cuffing him? The whole set-up for the false guns, the firing of the shot? The pretence about the president? The target being the archbishop?

9.The FBI agent, his age, lack of experience, security guard, his being cuffed? Listening to what Bob had to say? The FBI and the pursuit of the car, Bob going into the carwash, getting the bandage for his wounds from the car seat? The helicopters? Backing the car into the river, the search, his going with the barge? Taking the truck? The blackout in the shop, buying the necessary goods to help his wounds, the medication, his camouflage, driving?

10.The agent, the rookie, the briefings, the threats against him, facing a review, speaking to his boss, the psychologist? The phone, the work? The television information? His comments about the Napoleonic wars, the medicine? Their not listening to him? His continuing his computer research? The questions about the gun, the ballistics, going to the location? The death of Timmons? The church tower and finding the alternate shooting place? His detective work, discussions with the psychologist, getting the information, the computer questions about guns and ammunition?

11.Bob going to Kentucky, meeting Donnie’s wife, the regrets about Donnie, hearing the information about the death of the archbishop? His wounds being fixed? The gun?

12.Danny Glover’s mediator, his reaction, the search? The bounty on Bob?

13.Donnie’s wife, help, talking about Donnie, driving him, contacting the FBI agent, her disguise? The agent going into the authorised personnel area, the computers, the conspirators knowing that he had entered the computer, the database? The information about the controllers? Their picking him up? The torture?

14.The treatment of the agent, his teaming up with Bob?

15.Bob, on the lookout, the ID search, the fight, his escape?

16.Bob and the agent, teaming up, the attack on the house, single-handed getting through the bombardment?

17.Washington, the revelation of the deals, the conspirators, their plans, the exploitation of Ethiopia?

18.The rendezvous, the snow, the senator, his background, his henchmen? The shooting? Bob and his evading the shots?

19.The house, Danny Glover and his talk, supreme confidence? His arrogance, his death? The senator and his associates, their presumptions, their deaths?

20.The resolution? The FBI? The agent? The focus on the single man who can conquer all – almost single-handedly?