火线干探之革命

　　昭和初期。浅草界隈の左官、大工をまとめ信望を一身に集める鳶政は、今は病身で、後取りの小頭の秀次郎が兵役から帰還してくるのを待っていた。そうした時、東京で博覧会が開かれることになり、会場が上野に決った。上野は鳶政の縄張りだったが、博徒阿久根一家が札束をつんで工事の利権を譲れと言ってきた。これを断った鳶政は阿久津の子分三日仏に殺された。阿久津はその上、市の土木局長高見沢と結託し、鳶政傘下の業者を買収してしまった。そんなやり方に、阿久津の代貸し重吉とその妹文代は心を痛めていた。重吉は秀次郎とは親友だった。やがて秀次郎が帰ってきた。そして入札は無事に鳶政一家に落ち、会場建設の大工事が始った。そんな時、音吉が芸者染次を身請けするため大切な纒を質屋の岩源に渡し、それが阿久津の手に渡るという事件が起った。音吉は責任を感じそれを取り返しに行って殺され、染次も阿久津に身を売る約束で纒を取返したが、音吉の後を追って死んだ。秀次郎たちは阿久津への激しい怒りに駆られたものの、今は工事の方が大切と会場建設に全力を注ぐのだった。しかし阿久津たちはそんな鳶政一家に次々と工事の妨害を仕かけてきた。それをじっと耐えていた秀次郎たちだったが、工事現場に放火された時は勘忍袋の緒を切らした。一方、度重なる阿久津の悪どいやり方に重吉は盃を叩き返し、秀次郎の許に駆けつけた。ちょうど秀次郎は、ひとりで殴り込もうとする鳶政のひとり息子明夫を制し、自分で行こうとしていた。かわりに秀次郎と重吉が阿久津一家に殴り込んだ。二人は思う存分暴れ回り、たちまち修羅場と化したが、その中で重吉が三日仏に殺された。しかし、唐獅子牡丹の刺青を背に暴れる秀次郎に、阿久津も三日仏も倒されていった。

清朝末年，一代宗师太极拳高手杨崇武（于海 饰）一家隐居杭州西子湖畔。杨崇武与妻子慧娘（胡慧中 饰）晚年喜得贵子杨学文（吴京 饰）。学文自幼天资聪慧，生性好武，而杨父怕他惹事闯祸，每日督促儿子苦读诗书，不准他外出。学文暗中偷学父亲的太极拳，并自创了一套辫子神功，平日勤加苦练，习得一身好武功。
　　适逢钱塘江边举行祈雨祭祀，学文和表弟偷偷前去参加龙王祭。在祭典上，学文遇见了留洋归来的千金小姐曹央云（钟丽缇 饰），学文一见钟情。为了追求央云，学文参加了革命党。他的辫子神功在禁鸦片运动中大显神威，学文与央云感情日益加深。然而向中国走私鸦片的帝国主义分子却并不善罢甘休，暗中设下阴谋诡计，一场殊死搏斗旋即展开。

　　Having witnessed his junkie father killed Russell Stevens grows up to become a policeman and make a difference. When he is offered an undercover job by Gerald Carver he accepts and begins to build a relationship with David Jason in order to get to the main dealers. However as he is forced to deal drugs and kill to keep his cover he finds the lines between cop and criminal being lost – is he a cop pretending to be a dealer or a dealer pretending to be a cop?
　　Larry (as he was then) Fishburne's first lead role was a typically dark vehicle. The story is the usual one of cop losing himself when undercover, however it manages to be more than that for most of the time. Co-written by Tolkin, who wrote The Player, this naturally has a nice cynical edge to it when it looks at the US's hypocritical approach to drug control and the political links between the street hustlers and the political high rollers who court respectability. The story does eventually settle into a traditional setting but even then it works well as a thriller.
　　The multi-talented Bill Duke directs well with a gritty feel and a few nice touches. However several things are a bit iffy. For most of the film Fishburne's narration/voice over is a bit like a cross between Apocalypse Now and Blade Runner – it comes across as a little too dark and heavy and also explains things like we can't figure it out ourselves. However once you get into the film it's not as big a deal. My main problem lies with the characters.
　　Fishburne is excellent, a real model of underlying anger and violence, Goldblum is good but perhaps a little OTT on the yuppie/violence thing, but there's good support from Smith and Spin City's beautiful (and often underused – but not here) Victoria Dillard. However the two main white characters (Goldblum and Smith) are both smeared with racist insinuations – Smith appears to insult his black officers and doesn't care about the junkies, while Goldblum is fascinated about all things black and talks about them as wild beautiful beasts and loves having sex with "black'. These things aren't a major problem, but with basically only two white characters in it, it's a little worrying that both are given that edge.
　　However these are minor complaints that get lost with a good thriller. Fishburne excels and Duke delivers a story that is a good thriller but also has a jaded, subversive edge.