Film Review: Spartan (2004)

David Mamet, the acclaimed American playwright, is widely regarded as one of the most prominent contemporary playwrights in the United States. He has made a significant impact in Hollywood through his exceptional dialogue writing skills, eventually venturing into directing himself. Although Mamet is best known for his serious dramas, his 2004 action thriller, Spartan?, stands out as a notable deviation from his usual repertoire. This departure may explain why the film remains relatively obscure, despite the impressive array of talents involved.

The film tells the story of Robert Scott (played by Val Kilmer), military veteran and top US government covert operative specialised in handling the most difficult and sensitive missions. He is called to perform one such task when Laura Newton (played by Kristen Bell), daughter of high ranking elected official (presumably a US President), goes missing. He begins to investigate and discovers that she was abducted by gang of criminals who sell US college students as sex slaves to Arab countries. Abductors apparently don’t know about her identity, and when they find out, her life will be worthless. Scott decides to rescue her before that happens and, unburdened by regulation, discovers web of scandals, conspiracies, cover ups and government officials that might have their own agenda in the whole affair.

The premise behind Spartan is somewhat original, although not vastly different from many Hollywood political thrillers of the 1990s, which often revolved around the sex, corruption and various machinations within the White House and the inner circles of the US government. What sets this film apart is Mamet's approach, which eschews both exploitative content and gang ho patriotic propaganda typical of Tom Clancy’s novels, opting instead for a more nuanced portrayal of the characters and their motivations. The protagonist, Scott, is essentially a tabula rasa, defined solely by his actions and his exceptional skills, without any concern for legality or morality.

Mamet's approach is underlined by the use of short, laconic dialogue, which convincingly portrays the world of experienced professionals who know what they're doing and what they can expect from each other. Val Kilmer delivers a strong performance as Scott, evoking the spirit of action heroes from decades past, such as Lee Marvin or Charles Bronson. This approach works exceptionally well in the beginning, when the audience, even those familiar with political thrillers, easily buys into the premise and the increasingly convoluted plot. Unfortunately, the film loses much of its steam in the second half, with a disappointing resolution that fails to satisfy.

Critics were not prepared for Mamet's foray into the action thriller genre, and most reviews were mixed. The audience was even less receptive, and Spartan ended up as a box office flop, further cementing its relative obscurity.

Despite this setback, it was not the end of the story for Mamet. During the production of Spartan, he enlisted the help of Eric L. Haney, a Delta Force veteran, as a technical advisor. In 2006, Mamet and Haney collaborated on the TV series, The Unit, which covered similar themes and featured protagonists similar to Scott. The series ran for three seasons, further demonstrating Mamet's continued exploration of the action thriller genre and his ability to adapt to different mediums.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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