MovieChat Forums > Bad Lieutenant (1992) Discussion > Failed art film? Or late night schlock?

Failed art film? Or late night schlock?

posted 12 years ago by GuyOnTheLeft
8 replies | jump to latest

I find this film to be a strange Frankenstein hybrid of both. There are points when the religious imagery clearly points toward some kind of symbolic art house cliché; but often I felt more like I was watching some sleazy, NC-17 version of one of those awful movies that used to play on USA Up All Night. I kept expecting to see imagery of steam billowing from sewer grates as saxophone riffs echoed into the night. Or Shannon Tweed.

Yet according to Netflix, this was the single highest recommended film for me that I had not yet seen. They expected me to give it 4.3 stars when in fact I gave it two. Weird that apparently other people who share my tastes in general like this so much and don't see right through it.

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See a list of my favourite films here: http://www.flickchart.com/slackerinc

[–] Crafty78 11 years ago

To me it can be viewed either way. It has enough artistic merit in it to be viewed as a totally serious, yet grim piece of film making and on the other hand it can be viewed late at night drunk whilst laughing out loud at the sheer over the topness of it all.

[–] GuyOnTheLeft 11 years ago

Which way do you prefer? :)

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See a list of my favourite films here: http://www.flickchart.com/slackerinc

[–] Crafty78 11 years ago

Good question. I'd have to go with a serious piece of film making, although I have laughed at numerous scenes in the film. The same can be said about say Taxi Driver and the 'You talkin' to me?' scene. One man's mental breakdown shouldn't be funny, but there's something darkly humorous about it all.

[–] Cobra1986 11 years ago

It has it's funny moments, but it's "so-uncomfortable-I-shouldn't-be-laughing" kind of laughs lol

[–] Kaliyugaforkix 11 years ago

Its both, its like the sacred (art film) & the profane (schlock exploitation) exist side by side and cancel each other out to achieve this strange druggy lucidity by the time Jesus shows up, like a flower out of a pot of dirt. +/-

[–] clockworkorange13 10 years ago

maybe dont put so much thought into labeling it? just enjoy it for the whacked out movie that it is.

[–] mobocracy (903) 6 years ago

There's this grey area where art films and schlock exploitation occupy the same space, especially in American films since the 1970s.

[–] ebhaynz (3761) 4 years ago

I say neither art nor schlock but a director who wasn't worried about a NC-17 rating to tell his raw, unflinching story of a NY cop gone haywire. The story flows exceptionally well, this is not a story haphazardly thrown together. It's well written, well directed, well acted from the very start to finish. In short, this is a superior film with high entertainment value. Something that's ALWAYS been very rare.