About Force and The Untouchables
Post 1289:
Sometimes a cops and robbers story can be too straightforward. It is, after all, a simple template. There’s the bad guys trying to do bad things. There’s the cops trying to catch them.
I prefer it when movies or books try to do a little more than the standard cat and mouse. Nowadays though, this can get out of hand. Trying to make bad guys emotionally deep is cringe if handled the wrong way. Heat is a good example of telling a story that allows you to relate to the bad guys without fooling you into thinking they’re actually misunderstood or “victims.” It’s a great movie because it’s delicate about depth.
I wanted to hit on The Untouchables, one of Costner’s first big roles back in the 80s. It’s based on the exploits of Ness and the treasury agents that were tasked with bringing down Capone and the Chicago bootleggers. Prohibition times.
This is not my favorite crime movie, but I’ve watched it a lot over the years. It pulls me in. Why? It’s not just good acting and great production value—those things are nice and all, but they don’t make me return to the scene.
Morality is what makes the film compelling. Ness begins as an unbending man of the law, following it chapter and verse. He realizes very soon that the rules alone won’t get it done. He has to ethically stray and fight fire with fire. He doesn’t descend into the pitch dark, but by the end of the movie he’s not as clean as he once was.
It’s a very good script. The mentor is played by Sean Connery. Fantastic. He's been around Chicago long enough to know how corrupt it is and what needs to be done to stop the bleeding. His character is the reality check, slap-in-the-face that Costner’s character requires to get things done.
But here’s the thing. These guys end up shooting people for transporting booze. Deadly force. Perhaps too much force. Straight up blowing fools away. For making and selling booze. Remember, this is the time when drinking was illegal.
Not a great idea.
So are the measures our heroes take justified? What if they just backed off and let people drink and make their stuff? Would there be no violence? I don’t bet it’s that simple. Once there’s a black market, violence will ensue. Rivals fight over turf and innocent people get hurt. So here’s the lawmen, pledged to do a thankless job. It’s strange because they’re enforcing a stupid law, but that’s their oath. Their sworn duty. And while they may go too far, blowing up civilians isn’t on their to-do list.
Not so cut and dry. Still, after all that, the good guys are likable. This is down to good character writing, a story that takes its time. A proper film. Not your basic cops and robbers. And it’s one thing a lot of movies forget to be: entertaining. Fancy that.
Go back and watch The Untouchables. It totally doesn’t suck. And also, making booze illegal was one of the dumbest things our government has ever done. That’s saying something. Anyway, I need a drink. Cheers and see you after.
