Rating of
3/4
Evil in Blue
Andrew - wrote on 04/23/12
Rampart is a character driven film that shows just how rotten a human being can be. Woody Harrelson plays Dave Brown, a despicable, corrupt, racist, misogynistic, and homophobic LAPD patrolman. Brown is one of those truly evil human beings who abuses his position of authority for personal gain. Furthermore, Brown seems to relish dealing out pain and suffering, as he is willing to use violence and lethal force at any provocation. Dave Brown is the classic "the ends justify the means" type of individual, willing to throw away the book for results. Harrelson is simply superb in the role and elevates the movie above its subject material.
The cop who uses unethical methods is nothing new. The television series The Shield (which I am a big fan of) was based partially on the Rampart scandal in the LAPD. If you are looking for a spellbinding film with great performances, then stay away. This film is solid, but unspectacular (with the exception of Woody Harrelson). However, at the end of the day, it succeeds because it shows the dark side of the human being. Brown, being a police officer, is expected to be a squeaky clean and moral being. However, as stated, he is anything but, which makes this film entertaining and shows how the people you trust may not be who you think they are.
