Excellent. I love this film.

Rating: 10/10 (28 January 2012)

I really like Man on fire, I think that it is far from the other millions of cliché action films, in that as well as the fast moving scenes, and endless violence, there is also the heart-warming scenes, showing the emotions, and the vulnerable mental state of the main character: Creasy (Denzel Washington).
The camera shots, are mainly close ups, to show the emotion on the actors faces, and make the audience feel a connection with them, and to sympathise with them, due to the situation they are in. Many of the close ups on Lupita (Dakota Fanning), the girl who Creasy is guarding, show her intense frustration at Creasy's impenetrable exterior, and confusion of why they can't be friends. They also show how naïve young children are, and how easy it is to hurt their feelings.
I think that the key moment in this film, is when Creasy goes to watch Pita swim. They then have a mutual topic to talk to each other about, and he helps her to get over her fear of the gun shot. "You are a prisoner on this block until that sound sets you free". This is the beginning of the friendship between Creasy and Lupita.
Denzel Washington plays sullen, moody, Creasy who is loosing himself, until he is appointed the position of Lupita's bodyguard, and she shows his that his life is once more worth living. Charming Pita, played by Dakota Fanning, brings meaning back to Creasy's life, and helps him to re-claim his faith, and brings out his protective, fatherly side, until she is kidnapped. With only a car license plate missing the last letter, he sets out to find Lupita and bring her home.
In the scene where Creasy is in his room, drinking Jack Daniels and reloading his pistol, he tries to shoot himself, but the bullet fails. The camera during this scene is close to Creasy's face, showing the sweat fall down his face, and his hand close unsuccessfully to catch the bullet when it is ejected. The camera is close and we can see into his eyes, see the self hatred, due to his violent past, and how his reactions have slowed due to the drink that he is consuming. The music is not music as such, but a complex mixture of loud sounds, like gunshots and high pitched, screech type noises. This shows his anger and frustration with himself. When he tries to kill himself, and it fails the music turns to a piano to symbolise his relief and shock at why the bullet failed.
When Lupita is taken, she is coming out of Piano practice with one of the top pianist instructors in New Mexico, when Creasy spots a car that was following them the other day; The scene is close up and long distance shots. The close ups to show the expression on the faces of the kidnappers, Creasy and Lupita. The horror on the little girls face, as Creasy is shot is unimaginable. It is not a scene that anyone, let alone a 9 year old girl should see, she is scared, and her tear streaked face says it all, as she screams Creasy's name. The long shots show just how small and young she is, she feels alone, and doesn't want to leave Creasy. The sounds we hear during this scene are suspenseful, and dramatic: The screaming and crying of Lupita, the shattering of window screens, and the roar of gunshots.
Man on fire, is a thriller / drama film, set in Mexico City, directed by Tony Scott. It was released in October 2004, and is rated 7.7 out of 10. Other films like Man on fire, are Taken directed by Pierre Morel. Taken, however, is like many of the cliché films I mentioned before, it is more about the action than the emotions of the characters. Liam Neeson who plays Brian Mills, father of the kidnapped girl Kim, never shows any fear or hesitation, and is unconvincingly right all the time. He doesn't have to do much to get the people involved to fess up, whereas Creasy has to torture them to the point of intense pain to get any answers out of them.
Tony Scott uses a lot of slow motion in Man on fire to increase the tension, and suspense, and make everything a bit more serious. We can see more of the characters reactions from this, and how they respond. Using slow motion as he does, is really effective, as it makes the audience's hearts' stop beating, we feel as if we are in that situation, and too find ourself panicking.
I think that man on fire, is a really good film, and would defiantly recommend it to a friend. The thrill we get from watching it, and the emotions that it makes us feel, are far from fake. We feel the same as what the characters do, and can't help but let the film effect us. The acting from all of the characters has no flaws, and although the camera is a bit shaky, and fast changing at times, I don't think that the film would work without it. The violence in this film, is a reflection of Creasy's past life, and his love for Pita, and makes the audience wonder about his past. This film is easy to follow, unlike many action films, and the uniqueness of this film is what makes it so amazing. 10/10.