Bad Lieutenant

Abel Ferrara/ Harvey Keitel original of the film that has recently been remade by the great Werner Herzog.
Herzog's got a job on this hand, and surely won't even try to replicate the thematic stength of this film. Not so much a plot as a character analysis and metaphysical study of the nature of salvation and evil, we have a dank, engaging, red-hot film that reminds one of being put in an oven for ninety minutes.
Keitel is excellent, if he does turn everything up to 11. It is easy to mock at times, but is down with such sincerity and genunine evocation of pain that it should be generally applauded.
It is unflinching in what it does look at, and good for not taking a specific view on the action, rather chronicling it.
The camerawork is fine, giving excellent insights into the enviroment. This is a more explicitly art-house film than perhaps expected, and inevitably has a shared heritage with films such as Taxi Driver. All the better.
A film definetely worth seeing, a tough film, but also an intelligent film that is way outside the Hollywood scene of three act structures and clear cut endings.