Published via Ecency

(source: tmdb.org)

Films can be made at the wrong time and by the wrong people, yet turn out surprisingly good when passage of time puts them in proper context. One such example could be found in Nighthawks, 1981 action film directed by Bruce Malmuth, relatively obscure film starring well-known actors and featuring theme that would become quite relevant in decades to come.

The film begins by introducing us to Detective Sergeant Deke Da Silva (played by Sylvester Stallone), member of New York Police Department’s elite Street Crime Unit. He, together with his partner, Detective Sergeant Matthew Fox (played by Billy Dee Williams), is specialised in posing as potential victim to muggers, rapists and similar kind of dangerous criminals whom he catches in the act and arrests. His talent and dedication to the job are noticed by his superiors who transfer him and Fox to newly formed special task force that is about to deal with a threat even larger than rampant street crime. The task force is trained by British counterterrorism expert Paul Hartman (played by Nigel Davenport) who warns New York policemen that they will soon have to face Heyman Reinhardt a.k.a. Wulfgar (played by Rutger Hauer), left-wing revolutionary whose methods of bringing down capitalism include terrorist acts that claim dozens of innocent lives. His latest bombing in London caused deaths of children, making even his sponsors too squeamish to continue with their financial and logistical support. Wulfgar decides to win them back over by staging even more spectacular attack on UN diplomats in New York City. Da Silva isn’t happy with his new assignment and even doubts some of Hartman’s methods, but he is nevertheless determined to catch dangerous and ruthless terrorist.

Script by David Shaber features some of the police film cliches that would become staple of 1980s action genre – streetwise protagonist who clashes with his bureaucratic superiors, protagonist sacrificing domestic happiness for the sake of job, protagonist’s partner getting hurt, villain deciding to make things personal by targetting protagonist’s loved ones. Yet, in its essence, Nighthawks is 1970s film. Originally it was imagined as the third film in a cycle started by The French Connection, and it was advertised as “combination of Serpico and The Day of the Jackal". Stallone with a beard and long hair in this film looks very much like Al Pacino in Serpico, while music soundtrack by Keith Emerson and dark cinematography by James A. Contner provides general atmosphere very much like those in gritty 1970s police films that portrayed the urban decay, rampant street crime and omnipresent corruption. Subways and run-down neighbourhoods of pre-Giuliani New York provide locations that would suit this film nicely.

In early 1980s, however, new threat described by this film wasn’t look serious or impressive to the critics and some even called the idea of international terrorists wreaking havoc in New York City preposterous. The audience was more open to this film, which had decent box office success, mostly due to Stallone’s star power. This success is even more impressive in light of extreme difficulties during the production, which included constant script re-writes, cutting a lot of scenes, firing of original director Gary Nelson. Most notable was disagreement between Stallone, who, more or less, took the job of director, and Hauer, whom Stallone obviously recognised as more charismatic future star than him and did all in his power to reduce Hauer’s presence in the film. Stallone originally wanted Nighthawks to be serious film that would show his great acting ability, so the film in its original form had a lot of scenes showing Deke’s relationship with ex wife Irene (played by tragically underused and almost unnoticeable Lindsay Wagner). The studio intervened and cut most of this material, making Nighthawks much shorter, more digestible for general audience and with more emphasis on action. Stallone did his job well in action scenes, including some dangerous stunts. The film has very ingenious ending, although it is somewhat diluted because the studio has cut out some of the more graphic violence over censorship concerns.

What makes Nighthawks interesting from the historical perspective is the way in which captures the very moment in which Stallone transformed from serious 1970s actor into 1980s action star. It could be seen in the scenes when Deke reacts to Hartman’s suggestion that the only way to fight terrorist violence is “even more violence” and simple “shoot to kill” policy. At first, he stands by the line expected from Hollywood liberals and claims that policemen are supposed to save lives instead of taking them and that the killing would make them indistinguishable from the criminals. Deke begins to accept Hartman’s views – unimaginable in today’s world of Black Lives Matter and “Defund the Police” initiatives – only when reminded of his military service in Vietnam, when he had no qualms about killing tens of Communists. After that Deke begins to look like proper right-wing action film icon and the iconic character of “trash-cleaning” policeman he would play in Cobra. Stallone perhaps wasn’t the right choice for the star, and he was definitely less charismatic and formidable than Hauer (whose character was obviously inspired by real life terrorist Carlos the Jackal), but Nighthawks, despite its obscurity and many flaws, showed the right way for Hollywood and its stars.

RATING: 6/10 (++)