In the Line of Fire

Today is President’s Day and I will review an amazing movie, “In the Line of Fire,” released in 1993. Thrillers are as good as their villains, and “In the Line of Fire” has a great one – a clever, slick jerk who dangerously lairs his way into the mind of the hero, a veteran Secret Service agent named Horrigan, played by Clint Eastwood. The jerk, who likes to play mind games with his opponents, makes a series of phone calls threatening to murder the President. He picks Horrigan because he knows the agent still feels guilty about not being able to save John F. Kennedy’s life 30 years ago.

The would-be killer has an all-American name, Mitch, played by over the top actor John Malkovich as an intelligent, twisted man who uses disguises, fake ID and an interesting way to get close to the President. He more or less tells Horrigan what his plan is, and when, but Horrigan has his hands tied. The president is running for re-election, and his chief of staff, played by Fred Dalton Thompson, doesn’t want him to look like a coward. After Horrigan gives off a couple of false alarms, he’s taken off the White House detail, and has to break the rules so he can stay on Mitch’s trail.

In its large outlines, “In the Line of Fire” has a story similar to many of Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” movies, where a mental killer plays games with a cop, who is ordered off the case and then continues as a free-lance, helped by a loyal partner. The movie even gives a typical Eastwood sidekick, a female agent played by Rene Russo, who is tough and capable, and able to fall in love.

Roger Ebert mentioned in his review, “Despite the familiar plot elements, however, "In the Line of Fire" is not a retread but a smart, tense, well-made thriller - Eastwood's best in the genre since "Tightrope" (1984). The director is Wolfgang Petersen ("Das Boot"), who is able to unwind the plot like clockwork while at the same time establishing the characters as surprisingly sympathetic.”

Horrigan, the Secret Service agent, still blames himself for Kennedy’s assassination. He feels he could have made some sort of a difference. Mitch has done his research, knows all about Horrigan, and dangerously slips into his minds with words aimed like painful darts. Soon the assassination attempt becomes a two-handed game, in which Horrigan is as much of an outsider as Mitch, and must protect the President almost against his will – and the will of his politically determined staff.

Russo, as Lily, another agent, finds an interesting difference on the role of associate and love. Ebert commented, “Her relationship with Horrigan begins on a rocky note, when he drops a couple of sexist statements, essentially accusing the Service of tokenism for hiring women. Well, OK, he's an unreconstructed chauvinist pig, but eventually their respect for each other grows, and there is a wonderfully played moment when they concede they are attracted to one another.”

Meanwhile, the plot moves forward insistently. Ebert remarked, “After seeing "The Firm," which was good but needlessly labyrinthine, it was a pleasure to follow the twists and turns of Jeff Maguire's screenplay for "In the Line of Fire." It doesn't waste a line.” Horrigan takes clues that Mitch gives him, uses sixth sense and experience, breaks agency policy when needed, and eventually finds himself testing the enthusiasm that all Secret Serviceman are supposed to have – to take a bullet in place of the President.

Eastwood is perfect for this role, as a man of a lot of experience and deep feelings. He is set off by an inspired performance by Malkovich, who is quiet and careful and very clever, and plans a sneaky plan to work his close to the President with an original murder weapon. The movie’s climax is exciting not only because of its action, but also because of its perfect logic.

What’s surprising is how much time the movie finds for small touches of realistic detail and emotion. The conversations between Eastwood and Russo – about work, jazz, strategy and romance – sound as if they’re taking place between real people. The locations look convincing, especially Air Force One and some shots apparently inside the White House. The special effects are good at interesting a young Eastwood into 1963 footage of Kennedy; setting up the character’s need to stop the new assassination he feels is going to happen. And the direction of the last scenes is as amazing as it is clever.

Yes, it’s doubtful that Mitch the killer would jump into the elevator (Ebert comments, “it's an example, in fact, of the Fallacy of the Climbing Killer, in which villains always make the mistake of heading for a high place”). But it allows for an earlier situation to come back again as a marvelous payoff. Most thrillers these days are about stunts and action. “In the Line of Fire” has a mind.

Definitely see this movie because it is worth checking out. I hope that everyone does watch this because it’s great to see Eastwood and Malkovich together, whether they are talking on the phone, or when they finally meet in person. Their scenes are just phenomenal together.

Stay tuned this Friday for the third entry in Black History Month Movie Reviews.