TRAINING DAY – Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke
Training Day (2001)
Direction: Antoine Fuqua
Screenplay: David Ayer
Cast: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn, Tom Berenger, Harris Yulin, Macy Gray, Eva Mendes, Raymond J. Barry, Dr. Dre
Every few years, the Los Angeles Police Department gets embroiled in one scandal or other. The public is then told that the problem has been caused by a few bad apples; the system itself remains spotlessly clean. We get to taste quite a few of those bad apples in Training Day, a 2001 thriller that depicts a police culture embedded in corruption and violence. As such, the film could have become an early 21st-century Chinatown — a reflection of a city and a society so corrupt that nothing and no one are what they seem to be. Unfortunately, screenwriter David Ayer and director Antoine Fuqua opted to leave out all major complexities from their narrative, going instead for the more dishonest — and more commercial — world of reality TV cop shows.
In fact, much like reality TV, Training Day features quick cuts, groovy camera angles, and a soundtrack blasting rap rhythms. (Those add lots of noise — and little else — to the proceedings; soundtrack CD sales, however, have probably been brisk.) Yet, none of those tricks can disguise the myriad plot holes that dot the narrative, including an absurd deus ex machina resolution that saves the hero’s life, and an infuriating moralistic finale that feels like a misplaced homage to Bonnie and Clyde.
The story follows fresh-faced, rookie police officer Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke), whose dream in life is to become an elite narcotics agent for the LAPD. But before landing the difficult job Hoyt must prove his worth. Enter sour-looking, 13-year veteran Detective Sergeant Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington), who accepts to test the young man’s capabilities by riding with him for a day around the mean streets of South-Central Los Angeles.
Hoyt’s training day is not an easy one. Besides having to deal with the usual street thugs, the rookie quickly realizes that Harris is a man who has been working the streets for so long that he has become indistinguishable from the criminals he’s supposed to catch. Worse yet, Hoyt suspects that Harris may have accepted to be his trainer in order to set him up as the fall guy in a major drug deal.
Another major problem in Training Day was the casting of Denzel Washington. In a showy role made to order for original choice Samuel L. Jackson, the Oscar-winning Washington tries awfully hard to act mean, but missing is the sense of menace that should emanate from every pore of his character. True, Sgt. Harris’ deeds are vile, but the actor performing them remains stubbornly affable. (Even Macy Gray, who shines in a small role, would have been a better choice for Sgt. Harris.) Ethan Hawke, on the other hand, is a revelation. Here’s an actor who manages to add depth to an underwritten character that more resembles Cousin Nell from the Country than a Los Angeles cop.
Ultimately, Training Day fails because its makers lacked the determination to be faithful to their material. In this tale of encroaching corruption, the villain should come out victorious. The fact that he doesn’t is bad enough, but it is the overwrought manner of his comeuppance in the released version (there was at least one alternate ending) that destroys any semblance of credibility the picture has to offer. Director Fuqua and screenwriter Ayer wanted to have their bad apple and eat it, too. The inevitable result is a bad case of dyspepsia.
Academy Award Win
Best Actor: Denzel Washington
Academy Award Nomination
Best Supporting Actor: Ethan Hawke
Subscribe / Syndicate
Leave a Comment
Tags: Antoine Fuqua, Crime Movies, Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Eva Mendes, Film Reviews, Macy Gray, Oscar 2001, Oscar Movies, Training Day
Comments
Leave a Reply
NOTE:
All comments are moderated and may take some time before they are posted. Different views and opinions are welcome, but courtesy is imperative. Rude/crass/bigoted comments and name-calling of any sort will be immediately deleted.
Also, please be aware that the Alternative Film Guide has no contact information for the talent mentioned in this blog and no information pertaining to or access to distributors'/producers' film prints.
