Among cinephiles at the turn of the millennium, there existed an edgier and contrarian opinion that Tony Scott was, on average, a better director than his more renowned brother Ridley. While Tony Scott may not have created grand classics like Ridley, he occasionally came close, such as in the 2004 action film Man on Fire, which was initially underrated but has since gained a stronger reputation over the past two decades.
Man on Fire is based on the eponymous 1980 novel by British writer A. J. Quinnell. The original story, set in Italy, was adapted into a relatively obscure 1987 film starring Scott Glenn. The 2004 version is set in Mexico and follows John W. Creasy (played by Denzel Washington), a former CIA operative and US Marine Recon officer who is an alcoholic and nearly suicidal. He crosses the border to visit his old friend Rayburn (played by Christopher Walken), who works in security. Rayburn secures Creasy a job for Samuel Ramos (played by Marc Anthony), a young Mexican businessman whose American wife, Lisa (played by Radha Mitchell), has a young daughter named Guadelupe "Lupita" (played by Dakota Fanning). Creasy's primary responsibility is to serve as Lupita's bodyguard, and during his time with the family, he forms a close bond with the girl, rediscovering his reason for living. When Lupita is abducted and held for ransom by a powerful criminal gang led by the enigmatic "Voice" (played by Roberto Sosa), Creasy learns that she has been killed and decides to use his deadly skills to find and punish those responsible, even if it means going against corrupt police and parts of the establishment.
The road to Man on Fire was a long one for Tony Scott, who had read the original novel in the 1980s and wanted to adapt it for the screen. However, the failure of his feature debut, Hunger, put all those plans on hold. The wait was worth it, as in the meantime, Scott improved his filmmaking skills and found some great collaborators.
The script by Brian Helgeland, known for some of the finest Hollywood works at the turn of the millennium, provided the film with some of the most formidable dialogues and applied the principle of a good action film well. Man on Fire starts relatively slowly, allowing the audience to familiarize themselves with the characters and become invested in their fate before the frantic action begins in the second part.
The casting is also crucial to the film's success. Oscar-winning Denzel Washington, who had previously worked with Scott on Crimson Tide, had some experience with action roles, it was the character of Creasy that made him something of an icon for the genre. His portrayal is not just physical but also emotionally powerful, making the protagonist transform from a pathetic wreck in the beginning to a surrogate father near the end and an unstoppable killing machine near the end.
Washington is flanked by some formidable talent, especially 9-year-old Dakota Fanning, who intimidated him on set with the power of her performance. Christopher Walken also delivers a strong performance. Other cast members, like Giancarlo Gianinni and Rachel Ticotin as Creasy's Mexican allies, are serviceable, while Mickey Rourke is almost unrecognizable and forgettable as Ramos' lawyer.
The film also benefits from Scott's experimentations with style, including rapid editing, special filters to create an uneasy, dark atmosphere, and an extensive use of subtitles that give strong context to the film. However, these experiments don't always work, and Man on Fire gets overcooked and loses some of its steam near the middle, only to regain it near the end with a strong emotional finale.
Man on Fire wasn't greeted well by critics, mostly on the account of Scott's portrayal of Mexico being perceived as "politically incorrect" or the film's Christian references not being welcome by secular left-wingers in the critics' establishment. The protagonist's use of brutal torture and killing also didn't sit well in an age when many in the US began to feel very sensitive about human rights abuses by US military and intelligence related to the Global War on Terror.
Despite this, the film was solid at the box office, albeit not too impressive. It was home video where Man on Fire gained its biggest success and confirmed its status as a great action hit of the decade. Its reputation led Netflix in 2023 to order the production of a television series based on Quinell's novels.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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