What will keep this film on radars is the performance of one of its supporting actors, a young Denzel Washington. It's a haunting shot that adds dramatic flair to the film. Perhaps its most shocking moment arrives in the instant the two cars collide, freezing on a blurred motion of the girl in mid-scream, as the sound of the tires squealing, chrome crumpling and glass crunching roars underneath. It's not a technical marvel rather, it's shot in a style typical of made-for-television movies, with flat lighting, standard shot composition and very little camera movement. There's nothing truly remarkable nor particularly unforgettable about the film. We listen to the guilty man lament that he'll lose everything: "It was an accident! Why should a guy have to give up his life, liberty and pursuit of happiness for something that wasn't even his fault?" he ponders, a vodka glass in hand. The film takes us to the other side, too. The girl's family struggles to stay together in the aftershock: the mother, Judith (Penny Fuller), seeks solace in the church, while the father, John (James Farentino), seeks it in the courthouse, dead-set on getting justice for his daughter. When an ambitious high school graduate-the valedictorian with her sights set on Northwestern-is killed in a head-on collision by the gin-soaked owner of a construction company, the latter walks away unharmed and saddles himself with the best lawyer money can buy. Driving while intoxicated was a major issue in 1984, and it remains an issue in 2019, but Jud Taylor's film brought the subject to American screens with an anger directed at those who try to get away with it. Name one person who hasn't been affected in some way by the repercussions of drunk driving, or one week's news cycle-local or national-that doesn't involve mention of a life cut short by alcohol. Share License to Kill (1984) is a made-for-television movie that gets straight to the point of its subject matter.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |