25th Hour August 14, 2006
Posted by clydefro in : Modern Films, 2000s , trackback
With 25th Hour
In the film, Edward Norton, who always seems to be flirting with becoming the leading actor of his generation, plays Monty Brogan, a drug dealer on the cusp of serving a seven year prison sentence. His final day of freedom serves as the setting for the story. His two oldest friends, Frank and Jake (Barry Pepper and Philip Seymour Hoffman), along with his girlfriend Naturelle (Rosario Dawson), will try to give Monty a fitting send-off by taking him out for one last night on the town. Meanwhile, Monty must deal with the fact that someone, possibly Naturelle, tipped off federal DEA agents as to the whereabouts of the drugs used as evidence against him. Brian Cox rounds out the cast as Monty’s loyal father.
Spike Lee’s films often have an emotional impact on me. He’s a director that demands attention from his audience even after the movie is over. The issues he raises are often not easy to deal with (racism, poverty, and class all come immediately to mind) and Lee cannot be expected to offer short and sweet answers. His contribution must be bringing such problems to the conversation and hoping that enough people become inspired to work at finding solutions. The fact that his films are not disposable viewing experiences like the majority of what’s currently being released could be one of the reasons they tend to polarize audiences. I’m firmly on Spike’s side, though, and would watch almost anything he directs. Even his misfires are more interesting than watching a movie that’s been unintentionally remade hundreds of times due to a continued lack of creativity. His ambition is always thrilling to watch unfold and, more often than not, produces compelling and thought-provoking cinema.
25th Hour is striking for a number of reasons. The air of 9/11 hangs over the film from the opening title sequence onward. As one of the first movies to be filmed in New York City after the terrorist attacks, 25th Hour serves as a tribute to the city’s perseverance and refusal to let the events of that day destroy its hopes and dreams. Instead of shying away from the devastation of 9/11, Lee tastefully uses reminders such as the “Tribute in Light” and pictures of fallen firemen, as well as showing the remains of Ground Zero at night. These images don’t beat us over the head with carnage or destruction, but instead seem to act as reminders of what the city was like, a snapshot to be preserved forever on film.
I see a recurring theme of taking responsibility for one’s actions emerge throughout the film. In the arresting scene where Monty is verbally assaulting the many ethnicities and other targets in New York City, he eventually (while actually looking himself in the mirror in a symbolic visual) realizes his own culpability and begins to take responsibility. When Frank is in his apartment talking to Jake, he comments that Monty deserves to go to jail for his actions. As the film progresses, we see Monty come to terms with his crime and realize he only has himself to blame.
The film is not without its flaws, however. Monty is by far the most compelling character and when the story briefly shifts to either Frank or Jake, despite solid performances from Pepper and Hoffman, the film suffers. They are too similar to characters we’ve seen repeatedly in other films and television shows and therefore slightly hinder the film. This is especially true in the club scenes, where the two friends come across as somewhat one-dimensional and boring. The final scene between the three men is a notable exception and one of the strongest in the film. Overall, though, its well-acted, with Norton leading the way in a believable, mostly subdued performance and David Benioff’s adaptation of his own novel is effective.
25th Hour, more than films like United 93 or World Trade Center, should be remembered as a definitive testament to 9/11. Instead of retelling a story we’ve already seen on the news countless times, Spike Lee focused on the shellshocked city that emerged afterwards. As Brian Cox’s powerful monologue ends the film, some hope is instilled that life can go on even if there’s a long path before such possibilities can be realized. Even though we know Monty won’t choose the road his father has mapped out for him, the idea that such a road exists at all can be an inspiration to the temporarily broken and downtrodden. Lives, like cities, can be repaired and rebuilt.
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Not seen this, but I intend to now…
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