Hav\ing witnes!s,* ed * his junkie fa]-ther killed.!# =%[Russell = St
.-evens=+_ grows up% to b?e_-(^com+-e a policeman and )%make a differen;,!ce^. When he ;is offered\^# an under+
!cover job by Gera;)ld Carver he /;accepts an
d . begins- to build (;^a r@elat^.ionship with D%)avid J :]a/$?so/ n^` in o/rder to get to th](%e main /dealers. However- [% as !
/ #he is forced t+_(o@ deal drugs a[_nd ki=+)ll!] to keep his=\` cove r he finds the lines bet@ween .:;cop and criminal b?
e]in#(g lost – is he a \cop pr+ eten.ding to be a dea$le#r or a dealer pre:tending to%]? \be  a cop　　La;rry (as he 
:was then) (/Fishb urne's firs*t l+.;ead *[ro-?le w/, `as^/ _( a typically dark. ve
?h? icle. The story +)is the usua].-) l one of) * c[ ^\op #losing hi/mself wh- ,\en ;und%,\ercover, however it ma%nag %es to be more than that f ,or mo?(st of the tim.@[e. Co=-]:writ%
?ten by;$ To$lki]n, who wrot e Th$=e P]@!layer, !]this, ^natura .lly] has a nic@e c-+# ynical= edge to_+ it when #) i? t looks at the US's+ hypocrit/(\ ical appro?ach to drug control %and the?
 po#(litical li nks bet(%; ween t(he street hustlers and the po#(l i$/tical # hig^ h ro]).llers who court r[espect,.ability. T(,he. stor#
y does even tua@_/lly] set* ] tle in
to a
\\ ]tr*aditional s@/etting @^=.b_.ut even  _then it works :)/*well as @\/a thril
ler.　　The multi-ta@$lent  ed Bil,l\ Duke direct:s well!]@ wi!th a :]gr[itty fee\]l and a f,$ew nice t?ouche)%`s. However se`:veral things a;re a +@@b,-it if@_=fy. For _)most of the = film` Fish -burne 's narratio!n v`;oice over is a _ -bit [l?`+ike a *cr@?oss b=etween Apocalyps+e
 @ Now )@and B?)lade Runne!\+r :– it comes\=
ac ro_)ss as a littl_e too da])r.\?k and h)eavy and also.+ explains things ,l/ike +we can'_t f(!_ig]ure it %out ourselv_es. Howeve:(r once? yo^ u get in to the fil`%m it's not ,=as big a deal. My ; main proble/m l$+!(ies with the characte\@rs.　　Fishbur:ne is exce[.+llent, a==_ rea/\l model of u(nderl[`yin.g, a @?nger and@] violence, G)*oldblum is good but perhaps)_ a littl:\e OTT on the yup?p #;ie/ viol\ +e%nce thing:, but (`ther///e's good support from Smit+=:h a\?nd* Spin City's beau(,tiful (and * ofte
+ ^n underus=(ed*;+ – * b(ut not *]+here) #( Victor*;!ia Dilla?rd. Ho_-we [ver the t: wo main whi\_+te ]*characte\
rs (Goldblu-_m and ? #S
m
ith)%,? are both s(%,m^@eared with racist +[?in?sin/-ua:[%tions – Smith;\ a(p%%pears to @(insult his black offi?cers an(d do-_@esn't care _about the jun*]ki^/es, w)/ hile Gol@!dbl/um is\ fas,(@cinated%
@ about all# things black and tal+ks /).ab?out them as wild beautiful beasts and loves ha\%v
.ing sex  ,with black'. Th(-[ese things ar/_en't a maj?o=r p
$r_:
ob+lem, but with b]a$^sically \?only two?:-# /\wh ite ^=characters in i=t, it's a littl/e ) worrying +that both are given )?!t_!#]h@at edg]!e.　@　However:+ these are mi*^n
or ]comp^@l]a$@#=i#_n%@ts that get lost with a good thriller. Fishb]%urne excel
s and Duke
deliv,ers a s-[:tor\[y that -)is a good thrill=^?er bu:t also ha[*s \a)(_: ja/^!ded,) subversive edge.