Boy, why would anyone remake Bad Lieutenant? Especially when you’re not even focusing on anything that the film tries to display.
BL is one of those flicks that when I first watched it, I don’t think I really understood where Abel was coming from at first. I kept expecting this big redemption to come along and save Harvey’s character; then watch him go out and bust the bad guys and put them behind bars. It took some understanding to finally figure out that the film isn’t about a man and his job, it’s about a man, his relationship with god and his repentance and willingness to accept forgiveness and forgive himself. When I finally rewatched it with that in mind, it made Keitel’s character all the more harrowing in his attempts and drew me much closer to the film. A brilliant and gritty look at just what true forgiveness is.
