IN THE LINE OF FIRE
A film review by Jon Webb
Copyright 1993 Jon Webb
This film is a series of cliches, strung together with great talent and enough originality to give you the feeling that you're watching real cinematic art, which in fact you are.
The plot is familiar (legend of the Fisher King): discredited cop gets a chance to redeem himself but must first overcome the demons of his past. The scenes are familiar: cop comes home to his empty apartment, pours himself a drink, and gets The Phone Call. Cop finally looks like he's going to lay his object of desire, is interrupted (he must of course stay pure, as the knights did in the antecedent of this story). Etc.
Three people make this an interesting film: Wolfgang Petersen, the director, who twists each scene and gives it a resonance informed by, but not parodying, all the previous films that tell the same story; Clint Eastwood, who (as in UNFORGIVEN) reflects on growing older and how this affects his macho image; and John Malkovich, who explores his character's psychosis with freshness and humor.
For example, under Petersen's direction the scene where the cop finally seems about to get laid becomes funny as weapons and hardware fall to the floor (and Eastwood's comment later in the scene makes it hilarious).
Petersen understands the medium, he knows what kind of story he's telling, and he doesn't waste time building up suspense when you know exactly how a scene is going to end. He just lets it happen, and then gets back to the interesting stuff, which is what happens in between the obvious stuff.
Eastwood is getting old, and is more and more willing to expose himself and let the camera do its worst. Here he's still holding on to the idea of the macho cop who can lay any woman but you can see how earnestly he needs to get that fix, the pretty lady who falls to his charms, and how he's not willing to go all the way and give (as opposed to risk) his life to get the bad guy.
John Malkovich adds little touches to his portrayal of the psycho who's out to kill the President. The way he tilts his head after he shoots a couple of people who present themselves as convenient targets, the way he goads Eastwood to shoot him, this is great stuff.
-- J
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