The Collegian

Issue date: 11/14/06 Section: Detour

Sinking his teeth into yet another multifaceted role, Christian Bale proves once again that he is not a typecast actor. Bale's stunning portrayal of Jim Davis, a recently discharged ex-Army Ranger suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after returning from the Gulf War, is strongly reminiscent of Robert De Niro's Travis Bickle, in Martin Scorsese's 1976 film Taxi Driver. Like Travis, Jim is at once a social misfit and a victim of society.

Written and directed by David Ayer (Training Day), Harsh Times is, above all, a character study of a deeply troubled man who has difficulty adjusting to life after experiencing the brutalities of war as a soldier on the Gulf Coast.

The complexity of Jim's character is perfectly exemplified in the first three scenes of the film. The opening scene shows Jim in a combat zone, brilliantly captured through a rifle scope. This scene is revealed to be a nightmere flashback from which Jim anxiously awakes to find comfort in the arms of his faithful Mexican girlfriend, Marta (Tammy Trull). In this touching scene, Jim reveals his sensitive side as he promises Marta that he will get her to the United States and marry her. The following scene shows Jim going berserk on an unsuspecting motorist after he discovers his application at the LAPD has been rejected. It takes much persuasion on the part of his steadfast best friend, Mike, to calm him down.

In a compelling performance by Freddy Rodriguez, Mike represents the more level-headed and predictable of the two friends. This makes it all the more interesting when, despite pressures from his girlfriend to get a job and clean up his act, Mike is drawn to the world of danger in which Jim operates. He seems to be intrigued by the idea of death and domination as he questions Jim about what it felt like to shoot people as an army ranger. And yet, in a later scene, Mike is clearly traumatized after witnessing the brutal slaying of a bar owner.

Other notable characters in the film are the girlfriends. Eva Longoria plays Mike's girlfriend, Sylvia, in a somewhat limited role as a lawyer frustrated with Mike's dishonesty and slacker tendencies. Trull stands out in her role as Jim's sweet and devoted girlfriend, one of the few people in Jim's life capable of drawing out his compassionate side.

Many scenes in the film take place in a car with Jim and Mike driving erratically through the streets of Los Angeles, evading their responsibilities. When they're not getting high and discussing plans to get laid, they have difficulty staying out of trouble. They often ran into situations involving guns and shouting matches with pissed-off Mexican gang bangers. Thanks to the presence of an underlying tension gripping every scene, the film rarely seems to drag.

In the end, what makes Ayer's directorial debut most successful is his ability to draw multi-faceted character portrayals from the film's talented cast. The heart-rending final scene leaves an especially haunting impression on the audience.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools