Bad Lieutenant Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Bad Lieutenant Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 24, 2024

Abel Ferrara's "Bad Lieutenant" (1992) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include new program with Abel Ferrara; new program with actor Paul Hipp; new program with editor Anthony Redman; new program with composer Joe Delia; archival audio commentary; documentary on the making of the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

If you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you. This famous statement comes from the great German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. It can be translated from German to English slightly differently, but all of its variations convey the same message. The message describes perfectly what happens to characters like the one Harvey Keitel plays in Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant, which is extremely similar to the one James Caan played a few decades earlier in Karel Reisz’s The Gambler.

Keitel’s character wears a police badge in New York City but does not represent the law. He constantly bends and breaks it, and the more he does it, the more intense his desire becomes to do it yet again. He is a junkie, sex addict, and gambler who spends virtually all of his time in the gutter. He steals confiscated drugs and sells them to the pushers. He scams his colleagues and bets their money with the bookies. He gets free tricks from prostitutes who are trying to make ends meet without a pimp.

Two unrelated events speed up the inevitable self-destruction of Keitel’s character. The first is the highly anticipated collision between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Keitel’s character repeatedly bets large sums of money on the losing team and becomes a target for one of the city’s biggest bookies by the time the series ends. The second is the brutal rape of a young nun (Frankie Thorn) somewhere in Spanish Harlem. Keitel’s character reluctantly begins working on the case and eventually tracks down two small-time criminals hiding in a rundown apartment, but is shocked to discover that the nun has forgiven them. While struggling to rationalize the nun’s decision, Keitel’s character is overwhelmed by unbridled anger that resets his entire system of beliefs.

The strength of Bad Lieutenant comes from Ferrara’s refusal to protect the audience from the ugly. Keitel goes all in, too. As a result, while not a miserabilist film that feels like an endurance test, Bad Lieutenant is a genuinely rough film that can be seriously unsettling.

The key similarity between Keitel and Caan’s characters is that they are both suicidal addicts by choice. The key difference between them is that Keitel’s character, unlike Caan’s, requires multiple fixes that dramatically accelerate his demise. It is why he always looks borderline unhinged and ready to implode. It is why the temporary mental clarity he experiences in the final act has such a profound effect on him, too. He is an unsavable human wreck.

What is the value of films that are as bleak and ugly as Bad Lieutenant? One cannot fight an addiction if one does not understand the pain and damage it is capable of causing. It is true that some of these films can unintentionally glorify an addiction, but Bad Lieutenant is not one of them. It is an eye-opener meant to leave a mental scar, reminding weak individuals how easy it is to reach the bottom of the abyss where Keitel’s character perishes.

Bad Lieutenant has had a complicated theatrical and home video distribution history. For example, it has been shown in two different versions, and even the unrated one is not the film Ferrara completed. (Some of the music featured in his original version is no longer in the unrated version). On the other side of the Atlantic, Bad Lieutenant was initially banned and then heavily cut. (One of the scenes that was cut features actress Zoe Lund injecting real heroin. Several years later, Lund died of a heroin overdose).

In 2009, Werner Herzog directed a remake of Bad Lieutenant with Nic Cage that was shot in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit the area. While a good film, Herzog’s remake has very little in common with Ferrara’s film.

Bad Lieutenant Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bad Lieutenant arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

Earlier this year, in the United States, Kino Lorber produced a wonderful 4K Blu-ray release of Bad Lieutenant sourced from a terrific recent 4K master. This release is sourced from an older master, which is not bad but definitely shows its age. I pulled out Lionsgate's original Blu-ray release and did a few quick comparisons to be sure that it is the same master that has been around for a while. I can confirm that it is.

The overall quality of the visuals is quite nice. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections, so delineation, clarity, and depth tend to be quite pleasing. However, most visuals, and especially darker ones, tend to look a tad softer than they should. Select darker nuances are not as convincing as they should be, so background information can be underwhelming, adding flatness to the softness as well. Still, there are no serious anomalies, so even darker indoor and nighttime footage still looks fine. However, the larger your screen is, the easier it will be for you to notice these fluctuations. Color balance is good. It is practically identical to that of the recent 4K master, where all primaries and supporting nuances look fresher and more attractive. Image stability is very good. I did not see any large cuts, damage marks, debris, warped or torn frames to report. All in all, this release offers a pretty decent presentation of the film, but it would have been better if it was sourced from the recent 4K master. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Bad Lieutenant Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The 2.0 track is very good. Clarity, sharpness, and depth are all solid. There are no balance issues to report. Kino Lorber's 4K Blu-ray release offers a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track as well, but I would not describe it as superior. It opens up a few sequences, but in its dynamic potency is practically identical to that of the 2.0 track. So, it is a good option to have for folks that like to experiment.

Bad Lieutenant Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "All on the Line" - in this exclusive new program, Abel Ferrara recalls explains when and how Bad Lieutenant was conceived, his failed interaction and tests with Christopher Walken (who was supposed to take on Harvey Keitel's part), Ken Kelsch's camera work and how it infuses the film with raw energy, Zoe Lund's performance and premature death, the scoring of the film and all the legal problems that altered its soundtrack later, etc. Ferrara also confesses that the story of his film is the story of his father, who was a "degenerate gambler". In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• "Forgive Me Father: Channeling the Lord" - in this exclusive new program, actor Paul Hipp, who plays Jesus in Bad Lieutenant, discusses his Catholic background, his first encounter and casting session with Abel Ferrara, their first collaboration on China Girl, Ferrara's working methods, and the crucial sequence where Harvey Keitel breaks down before Jesus. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• "Entirely Uncompromised: Dangerous Game and Bad Lieutenant" - in this exclusive new program, composer Joe Delia explains what makes Abel Ferrara a "final cut director", why Dangerous Game and Bad Lieutenant are not like Ferrara's earlier films, and the ambiance of the latter. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• "Editor Provocateur: Crafting the Chaos of Bad Lieutenant" - in this exclusive new program, editor Anthony Redman recalls his first encounter with Abel Ferrara and their collaboration on Bad Lieutenant. Redman also discusses in great detail the most graphic sequence in Bad Lieutenant and why it had to be as long as it is, as well as some interesting suggestions that Harvey Keitel made. In English, not subtitled. (23 min).

• "Building Bad: The Making of Bad Lieutenant" - in this exclusive new program, line producer/unit production manager Diana Phillips explains how she entered the film industry and discusses her experience of working with Abel Ferrara on China Girl and later Bad Lieutenant. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by Abel Ferrara and cinematographer Ken Kelsch. If you have not listened to it in the past -- it has been included on various Blu-ray and DVD releases of Bad Lieutenant -- you should plan to do so because Ferrara and Kelsch share a lot of interesting information with a fine dose of humor. As usual, Ferrara is a very honest commentator that accurately describes his home city, too, so there is plenty to learn about the bad lieutenant's playground.

• It All Happens Here: Abel Ferrara & the Making of Bad Lieutenant - this archival documentary takes a closer look at the genesis and production of Bad Lieutenant. Included in it are clips from interviews with Abel Ferrara, cinematographer Ken Kelsch, producer Randy Sabusawa, retired New York City police detective Bo Dietl, production designer Charles Lagola, and editor Anthony Redman, among others. The documentary has an interesting section about the discovery and tragic death of Zoe Lund as well. In English, not subtitled. (35 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Bad Lieutenant. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Booklet - a 60-page illustrated booklet with essays and technical credits.

Bad Lieutenant Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The great exclusive supplemental features that were prepared for this Blu-ray release, one of which is with Abel Ferrara, are enough for me to recommend it to fans of Bad Lieutenant. However, if you want to have the best technical presentation of the film, you should consider picking up this recent 4K Blu-ray release, which is sourced from a gorgeous new master. The Blu-ray release we have reviewed is included in Film Focus: Harvey Keitel, a six-disc box set. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.