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'Collateral': Cab Ride Through American Dream Failure
23 Jun
Summary
- Film explores work culture and societal breakdown.
- Hitman Vincent forces cabbie Max to drive him through L.A.
- Characters represent law and order, and moral ambiguity.
Michael Mann's film 'Collateral' offers a nuanced examination of 21st-century work culture, using a contract killer's night in Los Angeles as its backdrop. The movie posits that humans can become mere collateral damage in a larger system. This theme echoes Mann's earlier work, 'The Insider,' but 'Collateral' employs a more action-oriented approach.
The surface plot involves a hitman, Vincent, compelling a taxi driver, Max, to chauffeur him throughout the night as he completes a series of assassinations. Beneath this action lies a deeper metaphorical exploration.
The film critiques the failure of the American dream for working-class individuals and highlights the potential societal disruption caused by morally ambiguous professionals like Vincent. Characters such as federal prosecutor Annie and LAPD detective Ray serve as symbols of law and order, standing in opposition to Vincent's cold resolve.
