MovieChat Forums > Bad Lieutenant (1992) Discussion > Abel Ferrara's vs. New Orleans

Abel Ferrara's vs. New Orleans

posted 15 years ago by sstahlman1
11 replies | jump to latest

The Nick Cage version was a major piece of *beep* compared to the original. Going to watch the original on IFC tonight, which I'm eagerly awaiting. Everything is superior to the remake. The lead performance, the tone. The original is one of those take-no-prisoners kind of movies and the original seemed like just another crime thriller with bad acting plus an artificial sugar-sweet ending. Now before you start saying that the ending wasn't actually a happy one, that's b.s. I suppose that the new one was gritty compared to most fairy-tale crap that gets produced by mainstream Hollywood, but not enough.

[–] ObstinateAnnette 15 years ago

I didn't think The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans was considered a remake of this movie. The only thing they really have in common is the title.

I agree that this movie is vastly superior to the Nicolas Cage film. I'm watching on IFC right now, too. I always feel like I need to take a shower after viewing it though.

I need my 1987 DG20 Casio electric guitar set to mandolin, yeah...

[–] nicktreiber 14 years ago

what i found most amazing of all about al this remake crap was the fact that Werner Herzog someone even fairly respectable, in avante garde cinema atleast, was the one responsible for the thing!!?

[–] chiefbrody62 14 years ago

it's not a remake, i believe that new orlean's had one of the producers from this one and he threw the name in there b/c he thought it would help sell it or something like that.

[–] Kolobos51 14 years ago

That's what they said but I don't buy it. There are too many parallels between the two movies. It's certainly not a close remake but Bad Lieutenant was definitely a big influence so it was either a remake or a rip off.

Oh, and yes, it did suck hard. Abel Ferrara's is one of my all time favorites but Herzog's is garbage. I barely sat through it to the end and probably wouldn't have made it if not for the cast.

S.F.W.

[–] Hindinwood 14 years ago

I actually thought the NoLa one was way better, but that's definitely a matter of personal preference as I can see how someone would prefer the first one.

The first film was more realistic for sure, but I actually enjoyed the layer of almost campiness in the second one, as well as the surreal elements like the long iguana shot. I don't know, they are so different...

[–] franzkabuki 13 years ago

Port Of Call: New Orleans is at least as good as this, probably even a touch better because this Ferrara´s Catholic Guilt thing did get a bit overwrought and heavy handed towards end (even though not as much as some folks had indicated). Herzog´s tonal approach is also a bit more varied and the experience hence somewhat more breezy while Ferrara´s is like a neverending howl of anxiety in the darkest night, it just weighs ya down. Oh and the ending is indeed typical Herzogian absurdity in the world where nothing´s granted and nothnig much really makes any sense; infinite, bonkers randomness triumphing in a way that makes me kinda giddy. It´s a Hollywood Happy Ending joyously perverted as Herzog knocks out American genre filmmaking with all its anticipated restrictions some naive folk thought were going shut the old master down.

All this isn´t to say that Bad Lieutenant is a decidedly inferior species in any way as its relentless hard-core grittiness mixed with the nauseating dope sick is so palpable throughout that it almost hurts. And like most other works by Ferrara, this one is also a refreshingly unpredictable number shot with the customary, outstandingly stylish visual flair and creative energy. And Keitel is indeed nothing short of superb, creating a character that is amoral, thuggishly aggressive and yet make such a tragic, vulnerable figure - quite definitely the most outstanding work I´ve seen from him. All in all, and as far as I´m concerned, both films come pretty close to being masterpieces.

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

[–] IEatWords 12 years ago

Yeah, the religious aspect towards the end really made this movie suck. It had potential at the beggining, but then turned grating and uninteresting towards the end. Probably the cheapest and worst religious introduction in film that I've ever seen.

[–] Cobra1986 11 years ago

Both movies are very good, but Port Of Call New Orleans is better in my opinion. I like how the movie gets progressively funnier and twisted as it keeps going. It was great dark humour. I also loved the weird symbolism with the reptiles.

It's not a remake though, the similarity is that they're dirty cops, and it has Bad Lieutenant in the title. But tonally, as well as the execution of the movie is completely different. Werner Herzog hadn't even seen Ferrara's film and didn't care to either lol

[–] PhoenixPhuck 11 years ago

Port of Call New Orleans is lightyears better than this one.

Even the most primitive society has an innate respect for the insane.

[–] Disardor 11 years ago

The religious aspect "toward the end?" The entire movie is based around Catholic themes of guilt, sin, grace, forgiveness and redemption. It's not as if a religious theme popped up in the last five minutes of the movie out of nowhere, and if you believe it did perhaps you might want to watch it again and pay closer attention this time.

[–] IEatWords 11 years ago

Lol, no thanks. Movie sucked all-in-all. The ending was the dagger through the palms.