Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

Werner Herzog has a strange aesthetic to his films as is clear to anyone who has seen any of his brilliant, if notoriously problematic, collaborations with Klaus Kinski. On the face of it teaming up with Nicolas Cage, best known for his offbeat performances, should be a match made in heaven, and the probability of pulling out a handgun seems limited (a stunt he needed to carry out with Kinski to keep him on set). The resulting film Bad Lieutenant is as bizarre as would have been expected from their collaboration, proving to be far more than just another police procedural, telling a story of murder, corruption, violence and reptiles.

Despite stealing its title and a few superficial details from Abel Ferrara’s intense drama, the new Bad Lieutenant is an entirely different animal. Indeed, Herzog’s vision is the opposite of the original, spinning a tale of corruption rather than redemption. Here Cage’s Lieutenant Terrence McDonagh’s descent originates from an act of heroism which leaves him suffering unbearable back pain. Unable to control it with prescription Vicodin alone, he soon becomes addicted to numerous narcotics, which he attains by any means necessary; all the while trying to solve a horrific multiple homicide and protect his prostitute girlfriend Frankie (Eva Mendes).

So with Cage’s performance central to the plot, everything rested on him, a risky move considering his recent projects include the lamentable Ghost Rider as well as the abominable Wicker Man remake. However, here, Cage certainly rises to the challenge giving one of his best performances, shuffling around hunchbacked, giving us a clear understanding of both him and his descent into madness. Furthermore Cage brings enormous energy throughout; even those scenes in which he is deplorable are played perfectly, preventing the audience turning against him. Yet perhaps most memorable are the scenes during which he is stoned; seeing non-existent iguanas and dancing souls, his sanity really does seem to be slipping.

Credit must also be given both to screenwriter William Finkelstein, whose often bizarre dialogue really adds much to the film, as well as Herzog’s superb direction, knowing exactly where to draw the line on what is to be shown, never going too extreme. At the same time, fantastic elements are added, such as the remarkable reptile imagery that appears throughout adding to its surreal feel. Although most of the acting in the film is good, for me it’s let down slightly by the performance of Cage’s Ghost Rider co-star Eva Mendes who here cannot match Cage, meaning that her character feels disappointing as a result. This is a minor problem though considering she never appears without Cage, whose presence more than makes up for it.

Werner Herzog recently claimed to be the ‘underground mainstream’, something that unfortunately isn’t true based on the profits and how well-known his films are. But having seen Bad Lieutenant, you cannot help but wish he was, since they would be infinitely preferable to most mainstream films. This is certainly one of the most original, surreal and entertaining films you will see this year.

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