2. Bad Lieutenant (1992)
Harvey Keitel gives his soul in his performance as the titular Bad Lieutenant. After bringing his kids to school, he snorts some cocaine and goes chasing after some drug dealers to score crack. He then has a threesome after he gets drunk. A nun is raped by some hoodlums. They defiled her with a crucifix and the Lieutenant gets to see the medical examination of the nun who is not bitter at being raped, seeing it as God's will. The Lieutenant runs into gambling problems, and he becomes more and more out of control with regards to his drinking and drug use. At his nadir, he pulls over two teenage girls without licenses and makes them simulate oral sex while he masturbates. He visits the church where the nun was raped and finds her praying in front of the altar. He offers to kill her attackers but the nun says she has forgiven them. The Lieutenant has a complete breakdown and has a vision of Christ in the church. He flings himself at his feet, confessing his sins and begs for forgiveness. Shortly after this event, he is murdered. The success of Bad Lieutenant largely depends on Harvey Keitel's impassioned performance. He must have been through the ringer giving it his all, and his transgressive actions in the film must have made him want to scrub himself with bleach. Director Abel 'Driller Killer' Ferrara is also heavily involved in why the film works so well. He makes the film darkly atmospheric, seedy, grim and disturbing - creating a perfect backdrop for Keitel's antics. The Lieutenant does not really deserve redemption or absolution for his sins. This is why the ending is so downbeat - the film could never have ended on a positive note. The Lieutenant went way beyond the barriers of transgression, and transgressive people usually die.