The success of any cinematic endeavour often hangs in the delicate balance of timing. A film’s fortunes can be sealed by the crowded calendar of its release. It is a tragedy that many movies fail merely for being released too late to be considered knock-offs of more original and powerful films; in the case of Dark Blue, a 2002 crime thriller directed by Ron Shelton, it doesn't help if those earlier films are actually better.
The plot begins in the late April of 1992, a pivotal moment preceding the explosive race riots that would engulf Los Angeles following the controversial Rodney King verdict. We are immediately introduced to the protagonist, LAPD Sergeant Eldon Perry, played with gritty intensity by Kurt Russell. As a member of the elite Special Investigative Section (SIS), tasked with cleaning up the city’s most dangerous streets, Perry has developed a distinctly corrupt methodology. His methods, involving illegal and unethical acts, are enthusiastically endorsed by his boss, Commander Jack Van Meter (Brendan Gleeson). Recently paired with Van Meter’s nephew, the impressionable young Detective Bobby Keogh (Scott Speedman), the duo investigates a violent robbery that devolved into a massacre. The perpetrators, Daryl Orchard (Kurupt) and Gary Sidwell (Dash Mihok), are revealed to be working for Van Meter, who attempts to frame innocent ex-cons for the crime. This manipulation triggers further bloodshed, driving Keogh to turn against his uncle and cooperate with Assistant Chief Arthur Holland (Ving Rhames), who is hell-bent on taking Van Meter down. In the film’s climax, Van Meter attempts to set a trap for the two detectives just as the riots begin to flare up.
Dark Blue actually boasted a strong pedigree in terms of writing and source material. The original story was conceived by James Ellroy, the renowned crime novelist whose speciality lay in stories set in LA and dealing with police corruption; his novel L.A. Confidential was adapted into one of the defining film classics of the 1990s. Furthermore, the script was written by David Ayer, whose work on Training Day resulted in one of the most celebrated films of its time, a movie thematically very similar to Dark Blue. It is this lineage that creates the initial promise of the film, raising expectations to a level that the final product simply struggles to meet.
Comparisons with those two films undoubtedly have hurt Dark Blue, making it look like a lame, uninspired copy. Part of this can be attributed to Ron Shelton, a director whose career had been largely defined by sports-themed films like Bull Durham and Tin Cup. For Shelton, the action and crime genre definitely aren’t his forte, and his direction often feels like he is trying to force a square peg into a round hole, lacking the gritty authenticity required for the genre. The script does try to deliver something new by placing the corruption motif within the context of institutional racism and the wider debate about police brutality and abuse of power, themes that were strikingly relevant after the Rodney King riots. The riots themselves are reconstructed near the end with skill and actually serve the plot effectively. However, much of the rest of the film is plagued by clichés, most notably the problematic anti-hero archetype being plagued by a crumbling marriage and severe alcoholism.
The film’s supporting cast suffers from poor writing that reduces them to archetypes. The younger partner, Bobby Keogh, is the classic "straight man" who will, unlike Perry, see the error of his ways. Scott Speedman is cast largely because of his looks and is burdened by a romantic subplot involving Holland’s assistant Sergeant Beth Williamson, played by former beauty queen Michael Michele. This very much looks like an attempt to provide some sort of eye candy to the audience and some counterweight to the grim, gritty urban story, but it feels forced and unnecessary, dragging the narrative down with unconvincing emotional beats.
The film falls apart significantly in the end. In a contrived narrative turn, Perry, during his promotion ceremony, suddenly gets an epiphany and publicly accuses Van Meter of corruption. This leads to Van Meter being brought down and, incredibly, Perry himself ending up in prison. It is an abrupt and unsatisfactory resolution that undermines the character development established throughout the movie. What ultimately makes this film work is the excellent acting by Kurt Russell. At this point in his career, Russell was getting relatively few starring roles, and he used this rare opportunity to show his acting range by playing a more complex and morally questionable character. Yet, his very performance made everyone else look forgettable. Even talented actors like Brendan Gleeson and Ving Rhames are reduced to playing one-note, clichéd characters that don't require much nuance.
Shelton later complained that the film was actually finished before Training Day and that MGM not releasing the film on time drowned its publicity and made it look unoriginal. Critics were unenthusiastic, and the box office results were disappointing. However, Dark Blue also suffered because its basic premise looked very much like the one used in The Shield, the TV series that would use a similar character and premise in a much more comprehensive and successful way, leaving the film stranded in a limbo between a forgotten direct-to-video release and a missed masterpiece.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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