REVIEW: S. Craig Zahler is one of the more intriguing directors to emerge in recent years. A master of pulp with something of an arthouse flair about him, he’s been a lightning rod for controversy. Often acclaimed, but also often attacked for a perceived right-wing sensibility, Zahler’s latest, DRAGGED ACROSS CONCRETE, is also his most ambitious work to date.
Offering less action than the wall-to-wall, balls-out BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99, but also lacking the genre edge of BONE TOMAHAWK, this one feels more like vintage Sidney Lumet circa PRINCE OF THE CITY, with an epic 160 minute run time to boot. Usually, this would be the type of running time one would call indulgent, but Zahler uses it to great effect. DRAGGED ACROSS CONCRETE is without a doubt a slow burn, with a good hour passing before getting into the meat of the plot, it nonetheless allows Zahler to really dig deep in his ensemble. Sold as a Mel Gibson/Vince Vaughn film, to a degree the film belongs just as much to Michael Jai White and especially Tory Kittles as the low-level criminal counterpoint to our thuggish detectives.
Zahler criss-crosses back and forth between the two sets of partners, showing that despite their obvious differences (Gibson and Vaughn are white cops, Kittles and White are black criminals), they’re more alike than not. Both care about their families and arguably have their hearts in the right place. Neither side is prone or eager to be violent, and both are in way over their heads when tangling with the psychotic Vogelmann and his masked associates.
Zahler’s perspective here is ambiguous. While one might roll their eyes at the white guys being cops and the black guys being criminals (adding fuel to the fire, they wear whiteface for a good chunk of the film), there’s a fine line separating them. Neither side is all good or all bad. Of everyone in the film, it’s Vaughn’s character that’s arguably the closest we have to a good guy, being a cop not eager to be corrupt but feeling the need to support his friend, even if the result will no doubt be disastrous. White and Kittles are likewise two relatively decent guys in the wrong place at the wrong time, although Kittles is by far the smartest guy in the film, knowing how to work any situation to his advantage. He’s nobody’s fool.
The most complex role of all goes to Mel Gibson, in what’s his best performance in years. He doesn’t shy away from his own demons, playing a cop that’s clearly racist (along with his wife – played by Laurie Holden – who unleashes that old “I’m not racist but…” chestnut). He winces at anything not clearly macho, even calling the dye Vaughn uses to disguise his hair “gay”, but he’s not an all-out bad guy either. He’s shown to be a loving dad and a mostly good cop, albeit one with anger within him that he can’t quell. Gibson is outstanding in a tough role, showing his talents haven’t dimmed in the least despite being mostly offscreen in the last decade or so.
As in all of Zahler’s other films, the supporting cast is exceptional, with Jennifer Carpenter incredible in a small but pivotal part as a bank teller returning to work after maternity leave who happens to get caught up in the gruesome robbery. Ditto the always excellent Fred Melamed, Udo Kier, and best of all the man, the myth, the legend Don Johnson in a one scene cameo as Gibson’s ex-partner (Riggs and Crockett as partners?!!!) turned police captain. As in BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99, Zahler’s also written some great seventies throwback tracks sung by bands like The O’Jays, Tavares and more.
While some may be put off by the running time or what they perceive as the politics, DRAGGED ACROSS CONCRETE needs to be seen and appreciated. A great cop thriller that nonetheless has some spectacular gore and action in the final act; this is a must-see, but obviously not for the faint of heart. At this point, there’s no one really like Zahler out there and this is him working at the height of his prowess.