Cast: Kurt Russell, Scott Speedman, Ving Rhames, Brendan Gleeson, Michael Michele, Lolita Davidovich
Director: Ron Shelton
Producers: David Blocker, Caldecot Chubb, Sean Daniel, James Jacks
Screenplay: David Ayer, based on a story by James Ellroy
Cinematography: Barry Peterson
Music: Terence Blanchard
U.S. Distributor: MGM
Ron Shelton's Dark Blue bears more than a passing resemblance to Antoine Fuqua's Training Day, with perhaps a touch of L.A. Confidential thrown in for good measure (David Ayer's screenplay is based on a story by L.A. Confidential's novelist, James Ellroy). As with Training Day, Dark Blue centers on a cop who has strayed into a moral void where, in his opinion, idealism gives way to pragmatism. Denzel Washington won an Oscar for his portrayal of a police officer gone bad; Kurt Russell is no less riveting here, although the character is less clearly rotten. Unfortunately, both movies suffer third-act collapses. In neither case are the flawed endings disastrous, but, for discerning viewers, the end-game melodramatics may leave a slightly bitter taste.
Sgt. Eldon Perry (Russell) is a member of the LAPD's elite Special Investigations Squad (SIS), a group of cops who aren't concerned about the means, just the ends. The hard-drinking Eldon has been given the job of breaking in a new partner, Bobby Keough (Scott Speedman, whose acting prowess is not the equal of his matinee good looks), who is the nephew of the powerful and corrupt head of the SIS, Jack Van Meter (Irish character actor Brendan Gleeson). It's an ill-kept secret that the officers in the SIS play by their own rules, but no one, not even Internal Affairs, is willing to challenge Jack – until Deputy Chief Arthur Holland (Ving Rhames, gruff but strangely subdued) steps up and makes it known that he intends to have Eldon's badge.
The wrangling between Arthur and Eldon represents only a small fraction of Dark Blue's plot, most of which deals with Eldon and Bobby's investigation into a quadruple homicide that occurs in a Korean-owned convenience store. The murders are the byproduct of a robbery that was ordered by Jack. Now, eager to remain clear of any fallout, he directs Eldon to arrest two patsies and make sure they don't live long enough to tell anyone their version of things. Eldon goes along with Jack, but, for the first time in recent memory, he begins to feel the stirrings of his conscience. Exacerbating things is Bobby's inability to cope with the kind of ruthlessness exhibited by both his partner and his boss.
There are things in Dark Blue that don't work. The too-neat and over-the-top ending is one, and the improbable connection between Bobby and Arthur's right-hand woman, Sgt. Beth Williamson (Michael Michele), is another. Overall, however, the movie is grim and gritty, and involving from start to finish. The action unfolds against the backdrop of a dark time in Los Angeles' recent history: the jury's deliberations regarding the guilt of the four officers who were tried for beating Rodney King. (The opening credits show footage of the 1991 incident.) The riots that occurred in the aftermath of the "not guilty" verdict represent an effective setting for the film's final sequences. The scenes taking place in the strife-torn streets are eerie and effective.
For Ron Shelton, who is best known for his sports-themed movies (like Bull Durham, Cobb, and Tin Cup
, to name a few), this represents an opportunity to break new ground. Nevertheless, the film would not have been as successful without the performance of Kurt Russell. Russell's approach to the role combines combustible rage, calculated cynicism, and a deeply buried core of humanity striving for redemption. As depicted by Russell, Eldon is never an out-and-out villain. There are nuances of warped, wounded nobility buried under the brittle exterior. This represents one of the young year's most memorable acting turns. Russell is the reason to go to the theater. He will continue to hold your attention when things around him – like the storyline – lose steam and credibility.
© 2003 James Berardinelli