My Favourite Movies: Man on Fire

Denzel Washington plays William Creasy who is a burnt out counter-insurgency expert intent on drinking himself to death. During a visit to see his ex-partner and good friend Rayburn, played understatedly by Christopher Walken, he is offered a job in Mexico City – as bodyguard to a small girl (Pita Ramos) played by Dakota Fanning. Initially reserved and distant, Creasy cannot help to form an attachment to Pita and he begins to hope that he might be able to do some good in the world. But Pita is kidnapped and Creasy left for dead with three bullets in him. Hearing that Pita has been killed after a botched police attack on the kidnappers Creasy vows to hunt down and kill everyone involved in her death – no matter who they are. So begins the investigation to uncover who was involved and how widespread the secretive world of organised crime goes. Leaving a trail of bodies in his wake, Creasy creates his masterpiece of death in revenge for the hope of redemption in the shape of a young girl snatched away from him.

This was on many levels an awesome film. The story was a very powerful one – a tale of loss, revenge and ultimate redemption. The cinematography was, on first viewing, odd to say the least until CQ & I agreed that the visual effects overlaying the standard background seemed to be linked to Crecy’s thoughts and emotional states. It was a very interesting way to attempt to portray a character’s inner life on the screen. I was struck, when I re-watched the film recently, that not only is the film dripping with metaphor but that it is also chocked full of religious symbolism. Not only is Creasy seen reading The Bible throughout the film but there are numerous references to the hand of God, divine forgiveness and (of course) both redemption and retribution. After each killing Creasy is seen either gently swimming or simply immersing himself in a swimming pool as blood washes away. He is seemingly removing his sins after each death before he hunts down the next bad guy. Earlier on, as he enters Mexico across the US border, he appears to be travelling through one of the levels of Hell in Dante’s Inferno. There is also a very emotional scene were Creasy tries to kill himself with his own gun only to find that the round misfires. At that point Creasy has what is in effect an epiphany, an almost religious conviction that he is being saved for something special. It’s a deeply moving few minutes. Man on Fire is, superficially at least, a simple action film but it is much more than that even if you only dig an inch or two below the surface. I find it a deeply moving film that even after multiple viewings can still bring me close to tears. If you haven’t seen this gem of a movie you’ve missed a real treat – though I recommend you have a box of hankies ready just in case.