THE PUSHER TRILOGY
*****
Directed by Nicolas Wending Refn.
Starring Kim Bodnia, Mads Mikkelsen, Zlatko Burić.
Thriller, Denmark, Certificate 18.
Released in the UK on Limited Edition 4K and Blu-ray by Second Sight Films on 15th September
If you think of Nicolas Wending Refn, the first film of his that usually comes to mind is DRIVE, his stylised 80’s inflected thriller that introduced his singular style of hypnotic pacing punctuated by stunning bursts of violence and action, often heightened by intense colours, to a mass audience. It is sometimes easy to forget that he started his career at the opposite end of the spectrum in almost every way, in terms of budget, style and storytelling. What a pleasure it is then to revisit the hard hitting trilogy that made his name, now released for the first time in this country in high definition.
These loosely connected stories set in Denmark paint a truly hellish portrait of a grimy criminal underworld where everyone is in over their heads, set to turn on friends and family for some desperate kind of living. Released in 1996, when the majority of crime cinema was aping Tarantino, the first PUSHER film was, and still is, an energising shock to the system, with its tale of a drug dealer Frank, played by Kim Bodnia, fighting to survive after a drugs bust. As well as being Refn’s debut film, it is also notable for the early roles given not just to Bodnia but also Mads Mikkelsen, in only his second role as Frank's friend Tonny. These actors, now famed internationally for the likes of THE BRIDGE and HANNIBAL respectively as well as a number of blockbusters including the recent F1 in which Bodnia played Brad Pitt’s team manager, give raw and unvarnished performances of truly unlikable characters who still exert a fascination and sympathy from the viewer as to how bad things can get for them, and in turn how bad they themselves get.
Released eight years later after the failure of FEAR X drove his production company into crippling debt, Refn felt the pressure to revisit this world to gain some much needed profit. PUSHER II: WITH BLOOD ON MY HANDS sees Tonny freshly released from prison but struggling to regain a foothold in the underworld when he learns that he is now a father. Whilst dealing with his own fearsome father’s resentment against him, Tonny finds events conspiring against him, through his own bad decisions and the backstabbing efforts of friends and family. Mikkelsen, with a large RESPECT tattoo on the back of his shaved head, plays Tonny yet again as a deeply flawed individual who despite his actions still manages to gain our sympathy when we learn he never really had a chance in a world like this. It is a film that gets more and more claustrophobic until it reaches its cathartic conclusion, perhaps the only moment of light in the entire trilogy, especially when compared to what comes after.
Shot almost immediately afterwards the second entry, PUSHER III: I’M THE ANGEL OF DEATH is easily the darkest film in the series and Refn’s filmography as a whole. Milo, a supporting character with pivotal roles in the previous films, takes centre stage here. A Serbian drug dealer living in Copenhagen, he is played by another familiar face, Zlatko Burić, recognisable for his recent roles in the likes of TRIANGLE OF SADNESS and his more recent villainous turn as the president of Boravia in this summer's SUPERMAN. Over the course of one day and night, we observe Milo struggling with his own addictions, a lucrative yet shaky deal involving a large shipment of ecstasy and his daughter's twenty-fifth birthday party. It is a day that also takes in food poisoning, human-trafficking, and how to dispose of a body. Dealing with Milo’s singular mid-life crisis and his realisation that there really is no honour among thieves anymore, this is a film that lays bare Refn’s pitch black treatment of a way of life where there is no real way out, capping the trilogy with equal levels of contemplation and evisceration.
The film concludes with a dedication to Poul Nyrup, another Danish director responsible for his own trilogy of films that dealt with a marginalised criminal society. Those films, MELLEM VENNER, CALL GIRL CENTRALEN “VILLA VENNELY and STENBROENS “HELTE” are included in the special features in this excellent boxset. It is clear to see the influence these films have on Refn’s own trilogy with their frank depictions of sex and violence, although Nyrup injects his rough and ready tales with slightly stodgy comic stylings from time to time. A welcome addition, particularly for fans of vintage exploitation cinema, it is complemented by the engrossing feature length documentary GAMBLER which recounts Refn’s struggles, financial and otherwise, while making the two sequels.
While he may now be known as a slightly eccentric figure who takes himself a bit too seriousyl,the documentary paints him as a relatable figure driven by an admirable drive to create and tell stories. This is backed up by the recently recorded commentaries for each film with critics Peter Bradshaw, Catherine Shoard and some guy called Alan Jones. Each commentary is excellent, informative and revealing, especially with Alan’s refreshingly direct questioning eking out details from Refn about not only his dealings with the criminal underworld in the making of the film but his reflections on how he has changed not only as a director but also as a person since finishing the trilogy.
After only being available in this country as a bare bones DVD set, with non-anamorphic transfers for the sequels, this is a more than welcome set from the always reliable Second Sight films. As ever their remastering work is impeccable with clear, sharp transfers for each film, revealing the expert immediacy of the handheld, kinetic camera work in crystal clear clarity with no blurring or smearing. The chilly streets of Copenhagen leading into blood red lit bars where family celebrations descend into violent and depraved chaos are also highlighted beautifully in this release. This is an essential purchase, not just for fans of Refn but also newcomers to his earlier work, which seemed to be slipping into obscurity before this more than welcome release.
The limited edition set also comes with artcards and a sturdy book containing essays that examine the films, Refn and also Poul Nyrup’s works. Presented in a rigid slipcase, this will sit nicely on your shelf alongside that chunky DRIVE boxset, presenting the two completely different styles of one of cinema's most singular artists today.
Iain MacLeod