What superlatives are there remaining to describe this work of transcendent, transgressive, stupefying work of genius? Werner Herzog has delivered his masterpiece (again), helmed appropriately by the greatest actor of his generation, Nicolas Cage. There are no words at my disposal that can adequately convey the utter brilliance of this film. To refer to it as détournement would be to simplify, as black-comedy to obfuscate, as morality tale to confuse – it is all of these things and more, an endlessly provocative, hilarious and disturbing parable of inhumanity, corruption and criminal expedience. There is no cinematic experience quite like it and perhaps there never will be. Cage delivers a flawless performance as Terence McDonagh, the titular bad lieutenant, who pursues a crazed, solipsistic vision of justice through the decayed city of New Orleans, ingesting every kind of drug imaginable along the way. It also has Xzibit in it. Go now!
Words: Oisin Murphy
