16 Blocks
—1. Overview
—2. Cast and Crew
—3. Photo Pages
—4. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—5. Posters (Bruce Willis)
—6. Production Notes (pdf)
—7. Spiritual Connections
—8. Presentation Downloads
At first, I thought I was headed to an action flick with little substance and an over-the-hill Bruce Willis. I mean, Hostage was okay, but c'mon, he's not Die Hard cool anymore, is he? Then, I thought I could never survive if Mos Def continued speaking in his ridiculous voice as Eddie Bunker (think JarJar Binks only not animated.) But just when I was about to completely lose interest, I noticed something: 16 Blocks was about character development. And when characters develop—they change.
Jack Mosley (Willis) is an alcoholic, overweight, time card-punching loser of a cop, but his world is dramatically tossed on its head when he’s instructed to escort criminal-turned-informant Bunker (Def) to the courthouse. They are quickly intercepted by a gang of dirty cops led by Frank Nugent (Morse), Mosley’s former partner and a class A bad guy. Unfortunately (or fortunately), Bunker has information on these dirty cops and they want him dead. Nugent offers Mosley the opportunity to walk away—but Bunker will get two shots to the back of the head.
The dangerous situation drives the two men together but this isn’t an action movie. There are car chases, shoot outs, and excessively tense moments. Still, this is a movie about characters and character. Mosley’s character is more of a loser than anyone Willis has ever played, crusted over by years of the ‘blue wall’ and police corruption. Def’s Bunker is a loser whose life spent in prison hasn’t worn away his hope: he’s always looking for signs of the good that lies ahead and the unshakeable belief that people can change.
Bunker’s search for signs drives him into the present situation, and introduces him forcefully to Mosley, who records his electronic epitaph with “I was just trying to do the right thing.� Bunker sees Mosley as his savior, even in the midst of their trauma and apparent impending doom. Mosley sees Bunker as his savior—recognizing that bigger than life or death, his life’s meaning hangs in the balance, and that the goodness in Bunker has drawn him out of the murk. What does it mean to save then? I point to the savior Jesus Christ who set the example by teaching and doing—and that pattern is reflected back and forth in 16 Blocks. Saving yourself means saving others first—seems like a good plan.
And most excellently, the theme of redemption shines out from the city’s grey cloud. We can walk into the theater with the belief that we are stuck in our rut, hellbent on our own destruction or condemned by the choices of others. In a non-hokey, un-melodramatic way, 16 Blocks says ‘look at these guys, they’re so much worse than you are, and they changed!’ The film forces us to examine what it means to be willing to change because it seems that the ability is there, we just have to believe.
So finally, after salvation, and redemption, this movie is finally about faith. Faith in signs, faith in people, faith that in the end, good will triumph over evil as the truth comes blasting on through. I will guarantee that under the popcorn veneer, there’s a heart of gold in 16 Blocks, and you might come to believe that there is good in all of us.
— Overview
—2. Cast and Crew
—3. Photo Pages
—4. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—5. Posters (Bruce Willis)
—6. Production Notes (pdf)
—7. Spiritual Connections
—8. Presentation Downloads
At first, I thought I was headed to an action flick with little substance and an over-the-hill Bruce Willis. I mean, Hostage was okay, but c'mon, he's not Die Hard cool anymore, is he? Then, I thought I could never survive if Mos Def continued speaking in his ridiculous voice as Eddie Bunker (think JarJar Binks only not animated.) But just when I was about to completely lose interest, I noticed something: 16 Blocks was about character development. And when characters develop—they change.Jack Mosley (Willis) is an alcoholic, overweight, time card-punching loser of a cop, but his world is dramatically tossed on its head when he’s instructed to escort criminal-turned-informant Bunker (Def) to the courthouse. They are quickly intercepted by a gang of dirty cops led by Frank Nugent (Morse), Mosley’s former partner and a class A bad guy. Unfortunately (or fortunately), Bunker has information on these dirty cops and they want him dead. Nugent offers Mosley the opportunity to walk away—but Bunker will get two shots to the back of the head.
The dangerous situation drives the two men together but this isn’t an action movie. There are car chases, shoot outs, and excessively tense moments. Still, this is a movie about characters and character. Mosley’s character is more of a loser than anyone Willis has ever played, crusted over by years of the ‘blue wall’ and police corruption. Def’s Bunker is a loser whose life spent in prison hasn’t worn away his hope: he’s always looking for signs of the good that lies ahead and the unshakeable belief that people can change.
Bunker’s search for signs drives him into the present situation, and introduces him forcefully to Mosley, who records his electronic epitaph with “I was just trying to do the right thing.� Bunker sees Mosley as his savior, even in the midst of their trauma and apparent impending doom. Mosley sees Bunker as his savior—recognizing that bigger than life or death, his life’s meaning hangs in the balance, and that the goodness in Bunker has drawn him out of the murk. What does it mean to save then? I point to the savior Jesus Christ who set the example by teaching and doing—and that pattern is reflected back and forth in 16 Blocks. Saving yourself means saving others first—seems like a good plan.
And most excellently, the theme of redemption shines out from the city’s grey cloud. We can walk into the theater with the belief that we are stuck in our rut, hellbent on our own destruction or condemned by the choices of others. In a non-hokey, un-melodramatic way, 16 Blocks says ‘look at these guys, they’re so much worse than you are, and they changed!’ The film forces us to examine what it means to be willing to change because it seems that the ability is there, we just have to believe.
So finally, after salvation, and redemption, this movie is finally about faith. Faith in signs, faith in people, faith that in the end, good will triumph over evil as the truth comes blasting on through. I will guarantee that under the popcorn veneer, there’s a heart of gold in 16 Blocks, and you might come to believe that there is good in all of us.
— Overview
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