Movie, "Man On Fire"- 2004

거사는 옛 서부 영화광이고, 또 액션/서스펜스 영화를 역시 좋아합니다. 특히 Matt Damon의 Trilogy인 "The Boune Identity(2002)", "the Borne Supremacy(2004)", "The Borne Ultimatum(2007)" 과 "The Borne Legacy(2012)", & "Jason Bourne(2017)" 같은 영화를 무척 좋아합니다. 

 

여기 올린 "Man On Fire" 도 매우 흥미있는 영화입니다. 실존 인물이었던 John Creasy(1956~2003)를 다룬 영화인데, Denzel Washington의 연기가 일품-. 전직 CIA 공작원으로 그는 알코올 중독/공황장애/죄책감에 시달렸는데, 멕시코 시티에 가서 옛 동료의 도움으로 Pita라는 10살 소녀의 바디 가드를 하게 됩니다. Pita는 Creasy를 친하게 대하지만, 그는 바디 가드 이상의 언행을 하지 않았는데, 차츰 그앨 좋아하게 되는 과정에서 유괴 사건이 일어나고, 자신을 희생하면서까지 처절한 보복을 하여 그 앨 구해내는 감격적인 내용입니다.

 

멕시코 시티에서는 거액을 요구라는 유괴가 하루에 4건 이상이 있는데, 인질의 70%가 생명을 잃는답니다. 

 

 

Former CIA SAD/SOG officer John W. Creasy, comes to Mexico to visit his old friend, Paul Rayburn. Rayburn convinces him to take a bodyguard position. Creasy agrees, and is offered the job by Samuel Ramos, an automaker in Mexico City whose young daughter Lupita "Pita" Ramos requires a bodyguard and the kidnapping insurance policy takes effect.

 

Creasy struggles with alcoholism, burnout, and guilt over his actions with the CIA. He attempts to commit suicide, but the bullet in his gun misfires. He eventually re-channels his efforts into his job and soon bonds with Pita. Noticing that Pita, a swimmer, becomes startled by the starter gun at her swim meets, Creasy begins to coach her, and she learns to react to the starter gun and dive into the water instead of flinching, eventually winning a swim meet.

 

One day, while waiting for Pita outside of her piano lesson, Creasy notices a car with two men circling the area, and two Federal Police officers block the street. As Pita emerges, Creasy yells at her to run, but she freezes. The car Creasy noticed pulls up and the men attempt to grab Pita, but Creasy fires his gun in the air, causing her to run away. Creasy attempts to fend off the attackers, killing three, and wounding a fourth, but is critically wounded himself. Pita runs back to him, but is then abducted by the remaining kidnappers.

 

While recovering from his injuries, AFI agent Miguel Manzano has Creasy relocated to a veterinarian clinic, explaining to Rayburn that he believes the corrupt police will want revenge on Creasy for the deaths of their colleagues. When Creasy comes to, he is questioned by Manzano, but refuses to divulge any information. He then meets reporter Mariana Garcia Guerrero, who offers to help Creasy in his investigation.

 

The ransom drop for Pita fails when the kidnappers are ambushed by rival criminals. The leader of the kidnappers, "The Voice," is enraged at the death of his nephew during the botched drop and holds the Ramoses responsible, informing Pita's mother, Lisa, that Pita will be lost to her and Samuel forever as retribution. Creasy uses this lead to wage war on the kidnapping ring and police corruption that are responsible for Pita's apparent death. He tracks down, interrogates, and kills the getaway driver, followed by "Jersey Boy" who acted as a middle man, and Lt. Victor Fuentes, who coordinated the drop. From Fuentes, Creasy learns that most of the ransom money had been stolen before the ambush at the drop and that Jordan Kalfus, Samuel's lawyer who suggested the kidnapping insurance, loaded the money into the vehicle selected to bring Samuel to the drop. Upon going to Kalfus’ residence, he discovers Kalfus dead and a fax with bank account information leading him to Samuel.

 

When Creasy confronts Samuel and Lisa, Samuel explains that his father left him a ruined auto empire full of debt, and that Kalfus recommended arranging a kidnapping where he could claim the insurance payout and pay his debts. They were promised that Pita would be unharmed. After the drop went bad, Samuel held Kalfus responsible for Pita's apparent death and killed him in a rage. Lisa, who was unaware of Samuel's involvement, tells Creasy to "kill him or (she) will". Creasy leaves his gun and the bullet that he used to attempt suicide with Samuel. Remorseful, Samuel loads the bullet and shoots himself in the head.

 

Creasy learns from Guerrero that an ATM card he recovered earlier is linked to a man who lives on the edge of the city. Manzano's people, acting on Guerrero's information, infiltrate the man's home and find a picture of "The Voice". Guerrero runs a story in her paper, revealing the ringleader to be a man named Daniel Sanchez. The man linked to the ATM card turns out to be Daniel's brother Aurelio. Creasy breaks into the home and takes Aurelio and his family prisoner, despite being shot in the chest in the process. He then calls Daniel, threatening to kill his family unless he turns himself over to Creasy. However, Daniel reveals that Pita is still alive, and offers to trade her for his brother and Creasy. Creasy agrees to the deal.

 

After arriving at the overpass where the meeting is and seeing the still-alive Pita, he crosses between them on foot, meeting Pita in the middle. He says goodbye and assures her that he loves her before sending her to Lisa, who is waiting for her back by his car. Creasy then brings Aurelio to Daniel's men and surrenders to them, but succumbs to his wounds while in transit. Meanwhile, Manzano tracks Daniel to his home and kills him, marking in the official report that Daniel died during the course of arrest.(-)