Corrupt (also known as 'Cop killer') was directed by Robert Faenza and stars Harvey Keitel as Lieutenant Fred O'Connor, John Lydon (yes, the former Sex Pistols front man) as sociopath Leo Smith and Sylvia Sidney as Leo's primary guardian Margaret Smith. Released in 1983 and based on the Hugh Fleetwood 'Order of Death', Corrupt is an intense psychological drama that contains elements of both sadism and masochism. Fred O'Connor is a New York City cop who has become obsessed with hunting down a notorious cop killer. One night he returns to his apartment to find that the cop killer, Leo, has followed him. Unfortunately, O'Connor has been renting this apartment with another officer using dirty and stolen money. Leo clues into this and O'Connor kidnaps him and tortures him for fear that if set free, he will elude the police of his illegal activities. The film uses a prodigious amount of master shot coverage although this is not entirely a bad thing by any means. It simply just sets up the turf for Keitel and Lydon to strut there respected acting abilities. Keitel is completely believable as the cold and merciless lieutenant (Keep in mind that this is pre-'Bad Lieutenant' Keitel people). John Lydon also gives a solid performance as the devilish cop killer. Most of the sets in Corrupt revolve around unfurnished and dark atmospheres such as where Fred O'Connor and Leo Smith play out their estranged and volatile relationship. I get the hunch that the bare sets are a metaphor for this. The music for the film was written by both Ennio Morricone and John Lydon. Lydon provided a folksy country tune and Morricone brought his 80's synth rock sound to the fold. I'm not exactly sure if I like Morricone's new wave approach. It's sort of the same thing he brought to 'The Untouchables' only more repetitive. It does get the job done however. Overall, this film is what it is: one of those average cop dramas that came out in droves throughout the eighties. One side note: there are numerous versions of this film floating around the market. Since the film has no owner, it has become part of the public domain and can now be distributed by anyone (including your 4 year old son and his friends!). The version I own contains all of the crucial scenes although the process of transferring from 32mm to DVD left my copy full of sharply lit images and highly pixilated environments. Don't let this scare you away though; Corrupt is definitely worth a look! Particularly for fans of classic Keitel!
7/10
7/10