The year is 1999. Dave Brown (Woody Harrelson) is a veteran police officer assigned to the Rampart Station of the Los Angeles Police Department. It has been eight years since Rodney King was savagely beaten by L.A. police officers and the repercussions are still being felt. Brown, who is called "Date Rape" by his fellow officers because he may have taken justice into his own hands by executing a serial date rapist, refuses to accept the fact that the L.A.P.D. is no longer going to look the other way when police brutality is alleged. This gritty, stylish film, co-written by famed novelist James Ellroy and director Oren Moverman, is an unflinching look at how Brown'a unwillingness (or inability) to adapt to a new reality threatens to destroy both his professional and personal lives.
Rampart
Studio: Millennium Entertainment
Year: 2011
Rated: R
Program Length: 107 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 1080p
Languages: English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
The Program
You're a dinosaur, Date Rape. You're a classic racist, a bigot, a sexist, a womanizer, a chauvinist, a misanthrope. Homophobic, clearly. I mean, you just don't like yourself.
The year is 1999. Dave Brown (Woody Harrelson) is a veteran police officer assigned to the Rampart Station of the Los Angeles Police Department. It has been eight years since Rodney King was savagely beaten by L.A. police officers and the repercussions are still being felt. Brown, who is called "Date Rape" by his fellow officers because he may have taken justice into his own hands by executing a serial date rapist, refuses to accept the fact that the L.A.P.D. is no longer going to look the other way when police brutality is alleged. Rampart, a gritty, stylish film, co-written by famed novelist James Ellroy and director Oren Moverman, is an unflinching look at how Brown'a unwillingness (or inability) to adapt to a new reality threatens to destroy both his professional and personal lives.
As the films opens, it becomes apparent that Brown has contempt for the mostly Latino population living in his beat. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that the Rampart Station has for some time been under investigation on charges of police corruption. Brown himself is not a subject of that investigation, but his methods have earned him enemies, both within the department and without. We also learn that he has a most unorthodox life at home. He lives with two ex-wives, Catherine (Anne Heche) and Barbara (Cynthia Nixon), who happen to be sisters. Brown married and had a daughter, Helen (Brie Larson) with one of the sisters, then got a divorce, married the other sister, and had another daughter, Margaret (Sammy Boyarsky). This unusual living arrangement is a result of Brown's desire to "keep the family together." However, strains are becoming evident, and in particular Brown has a contentious relationship with his older daughter.
Although he is a tough cop, Brown is capable to turning on the charm when it suits him. One night, after both of his exes have rebuffed his advances, he visits a piano lounge and successfully makes a play for Sarah (Audra McDonald), a lonely black woman. Afterwards she can scarcely contain herself when Brown's ardor is replaced by total disinterest.
His downward spiral with the L.A.P.D. begins one day when, while alone in his patrol car, Brown is broadsided by another vehicle at an intersection. The other driver then slams his car door into Brown and makes a run for it. Brown runs him down and repeatedly beats him with his nightstick, unaware of the fact that the entire incident is being filmed. By evening the footage is being aired on the local news and District Attorney Bill Blago (Steve Buscemi) opens an investigation. Brown finds himself called on the carpet by Joan Confrey (Sigourney Weaver), an L.A.P.D. attorney who tells him in no uncertain terms that police brutality lawsuits are threatening to bankrupt the county - "We can't afford you" is the way she puts it. She suggests to Brown that his troubles would go away if he only agreed to resign, a suggestion which he flatly rejects. He would rather be prosecuted than quit.
As his problems grow, Brown seeks out advice from Hartshorn (Ned Beatty), a retired policeman who had once been his mentor. Brown begins to suspect that the auto collision was a setup designed to provoke a violent response from him. What he does not know is who might be responsible. Was it the other driver, willingly taking a beating so he could become rich through a personal injury lawsuit? Or was it a plan put into action by his own department, which has demonstrated that it is itching to get rid of him? He has begun a relationship with a new woman, Linda Fentress (Robin Wright), but when he learns that she is an attorney he begins to suspect that she is part of a plot to bring him down. In the meantime, his increasingly erratic behavior forces his ex-wives to demand that he move out of the house.
Rampart boasts a superb cast and outstanding performances (in addition to the actors mentioned above, Ice Cube appears as an Internal Affairs investigator and Ben Foster plays a wheelchair-bound Vietnam veteran). Woody Harrelson stands out as the violent, manipulative and often vicious police officer. Even though Brown's actions are frequently reprehensible, in spite of myself I realized that I was rooting for him to get his act together and find a way out of the mess he had created. There is an agonizing scene when his daughters come to his hotel room to deliver some of his clothes and he pitifully chases after them when they insist upon leaving. Anyone who is a fan of James Ellroy's writing will have no trouble recognizing his contributions to the film's highly realistic screenplay. Director Oren Moverman (The Messenger) is overly reliant upon hand-held cameras for my taste, but he has effectively captured the essence of life in the streets of Los Angeles.
Rampart is recommended for fans of intense police dramas. It is the sort of film which sticks with you for several days after viewing it.
The Video
The 2.35:1 1080p image is very good, demonstrating outstanding detail and rich, vibrant colors during daylight scenes. Much of the action takes place at night and black levels are solid and shadow detail is more than adequate. I saw no signs of excessive digital manipulation or other anomalies.
The Audio
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack is excellent. Dialogue is clear and intelligible and a pleasing soundstage is provided for the lively and evocative musical soundtrack. There is considerable punch in several scenes, particularly the one involving the car crash. The occasional scenes involving gunfire and physical beatings also sound very realistic.
The Supplements
The only real extra is an interesting and entertaining "making of" featurette which has a running time of 30 minutes. It is interesting to see how the street scenes shot in Los Angeles were set up and filmed. James Ellroy appears and gives his thoughts about the story and the actors.
Also included are the film's theatrical trailer and previews of Bernie, A Little Bit of Heaven, Intruders, and Act of Vengeance.
The Packaging
Rampart comes in a standard Blu-ray keep case.
The Final Analysis
Rampart is a fascinating and original police drama which received only a limited theatrical release. Critics were split on it, and there are viewers who have complained about the film's somewhat ambiguous conclusion. Nevertheless, there is much to like about the film and it is currently available from Amazon at a bargain price.
Equipment used for this review:
Panasonic DMP-BD50 Blu-ray player
Panasonic Viera TC-P46G15 Plasma display, calibrated to THX specifications by Gregg Loewen
Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver
BIC Acoustech speakers
Interconnects: Monster Cable
Release Date: May 15, 2012
