Man on Fire (2004)

Directed by: Tony Scott | 146 minutes | action, drama, thriller, crime | Actors: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Marc Anthony, Radha Mitchell, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Giannini, Rachel Ticotin, Jesus Ochoa, Mickey Rourke

Denzel Washington stars in Tony Scott’s ‘Man on Fire’ film. The film consists of two parts, the first tells the story of an alcoholic bodyguard who develops a friendship with a young girl, the second shows what happens when that bodyguard gets angry. Let’s start with the first part.

Denzel stars as a former CIA agent Creasy, a personal bodyguard with an alcohol problem. When Creasy is asked to protect little girl Pita (Dakota Fanning), he thinks he’s got an easy job. With a bottle of booze in the left hand and a gun in the right, Creasy gets through his depressing hours. Denzel’s character is great. The first half of the film does not have much action but that is not necessary at all, Denzel effortlessly makes Creasy a complex character. You feel the sympathy for the man growing despite the drinking and the gruff attitude he takes.

Then the friendship with Pita begins to grow. Dakota Fanning proves to be a real actress, as Pita’s friendship with Creasy grows, it becomes more and more fun to watch Fanning play. Except for Haley Joel Osment (“The Sixth Sense”), most child actors are a major annoyance in the film. Dakota is really an exception to this and she will no doubt be offered many more roles. In addition to Washington and Fanning, there are supporting roles for Marc Anthony and Christopher Walken.

Just like in the revenge movies ‘Kill Bill vol. 1″ and “Kill Bill vol. 2’ is the second part of ‘Man on Fire’ in many ways different from the first. After the inevitable kidnapping of Pita, Creasy blows up. ‘Man on Fire’ transforms from a compelling drama to a brutal revenge film. Like ‘Kill Bill vol. 1” and “Kill Bill vol. 2’ by the way with the quote “revenge is a dish best served cold”.

Not wanting to make a simple action movie, Tony Scott spent a lot of time developing the characters and their relationships. A good choice because the first hour you can really enjoy Denzel Washington and Dakato Fanning in a moving drama. Despite the good prep work, it’s hard to find in the killer Creasy the traits of the Creasy you’ve come to love so much in the first half. That’s a shame, because it loses some of the power of the film.

Tony Scott and Denzel Washington make ‘Man on Fire’ a movie to watch. The action could have been more subtle, but there are still enough works of art left that make the film very enjoyable. There is a soundtrack that, in addition to quite a few songs by Nine Inch Nails, contains the voice of Lisa Gerrard. The voice is very recognizable and will remind many moviegoers of ‘The Gladiator’, where Lisa Gerrard, in collaboration with Hans Zimmer, provided an unforgettable soundtrack. She is also an asset to the film in ‘Man on Fire’.