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| USA 1995 |
Charles Burnett uses the cop-thriller form to make a moving and emotionally acute drama of self-knowledge. The hero, J. J. Johnson (Michael Boatman), is an eager, idealistic young cop assigned to an LA County Sheriff’s station; he’s the first black man ever to serve there. J.J. is caught in a no man’s land: members of his own community look at him as if he were a traitor, and the angry white men he works with consider him an outsider. The movie’s early scenes are dominated by Boatman’s brilliant performance as a man who, in the attempt to be all things to all people, becomes a mystery to himself. Later, as J.J. begins to uncover evidence of corruption, the film’s scope widens, but the director’s lucid style never falters. In Burnett’s hands, this story (which was inspired by the real-life experiences of a black deputy) dramatizes a simple and profoundly political idea: you can’t know yourself until you know what you’re a part of. In its quiet way, this is the most subversive American movie in years. — Terrence Rafferty, New Yorker The fourth feature by this country's most gifted black filmmaker, Charles Burnett, is his first with a directly political edge – a heartfelt and persuasive look at the racism and corruption of the Los Angeles police force, based on a true story and calculated to burn its hard lessons straight into your skull. The plot concerns the adjustments made by a sincere black rookie cop (Michael Boatman) who joins an all-white precinct and wants to be accepted by his fellow officers; his only real ally turns out to be the one woman in the precinct (Lori Petty, in a singular performance), a Jew who gets plenty of abuse herself. When a murder case arises involving a black suspect (Ice Cube), the hero's decision to perjure himself in order to support his white partner opens a Pandora's box of ironies and ambiguities that the movie squarely faces. The distributor forced him to tone down the anger and despair of his original ending, but this still packs a mighty punch. — Jonathan Rosenbaum |
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