[batreleaser]

I am totally baffled by this film after numerous viewings. I like it, its exciting, but figuring out Friedkins's intentions with the film is a task I find more than daunting. There are times when watching the film that it seems to be a 100 percent sincere, ridiculouly over the top, pure 80s hollywood cheese action film. I like that fine and good, as those types of film are good on a very mind numbin level. But then you have to consider the scope of Friedkins's filmography, the guy is a serious independent film director, directed "the French Connection", and has many times delved into experimenalism with pretty negative results. This leads me to conclude that "to Live and Die in LA" is actually a pretty good artistic independent film that is a parody of the dominant style of action films in the 80s. The totally overblown violence, the ridiculously over the top and unbeleviable charachters (Willem Dafoe's charachter as usual makes no sense), the incredible chase scene, the total post modernist pop cheese soundtrack, etc... All these elements were popular in the "Miam Vice" era, and Friedkin used them all to the max to create a ridiculously entertaining film, though wholly pointless. I think the pointlessness is the point. I mean, the kingpin is this film is a wierd artist counterfeiter who also is a psychopathic murderer, hes not a drug dealer, hes not a mobster. I can't help but be thinking he entire film, "what the fuck is the point of counterfeit, and why would secret service agents be wasting thier time with this, must be he pre 9/11 era." The ending I think is phenomenal, and was basically Friedkin explining that in this ridiculous genre, anything is possible, the hero doesn't have to live, maybe his sidekick will. I actually think this is on some level a briliiant post modernst parody film, as much as it is a stupid ass pointless no plot thriller. I've read that Friedkin actually wanted he film to look very immediate, and often used first takes to compenate for this look, which explains the horrible acting, ut the horrible acting in the movie actually seems more how people are, or something. Friedkin in this film succeded in doing what Michael Mann failed doing with his "Miami Vice" film, which is using the format of violent 80s cheese action to make a film that reveals itself to be a far more interesting affair with further viewings.


I also must add that the photography in the film is top fucking notch. That scene when Petersen pays a visit to John Turturro at his girlfriend's house, and the frame shows both sides of te wall, Petersen with a gun to the girlfriend's head on one, and Turturro trying to sneak up on the other. It loos phenomenal.