Top Movies #22

Spartan (2004)

“You're gonna leave your life or you're gonna leave the information in this room.” – Scott

Show, don’t tell. Do not waste a single word. Good advice for any writer or filmmaker, and advice that is well understood by writer/director David Mamet. Mamet is a director made famous for his use of language. Throughout his repertoire of movies and stage plays, one would be hard-pressed to find a single superfluous word or dialogue or scene. In Mamet’s work, every little moment has a distinct purpose, and it is always thrilling to watch how he ties everything together.

With Spartan, Mamet tackles the espionage thriller. What makes Spartan wholly unique within its genre is how it allows its characters to speak naturally in colloquialisms, tech jargon, and spy-speak. Initially this dialogue may appear challenging to an audience. If you go with it, however, all your questions will be answered as long as you pay attention. As I said before, every word is important so don’t miss any. Think of it as a dialogue puzzle. The clues are in the action and interaction, and eventually you will figure it out. It is really rewarding to watch a movie that doesn’t assume its audience is stupid. Many spy movies feature dialogue that is clearly catered to the most ignorant viewer with discordant lines such as, “What are we going to do now?” or “What do you think this means?” Mamet assumes that his audience is willing to think a little, and there is great pleasure in unravelling his terse, witty dialogue.

Mamet also plays with your expectations in this movie. Many scenes are set up or planned through conversation or simple generic expectation. Right before the event is to unfold, a red-herring enters the mix and the plot spirals in an entirely new and unexpected direction. These moments could just play for shock value, but here Mamet understands that if you are going to break a rule, you better have something even more exciting waiting to replace it. Spartan is filled with many surprises that even the most jaded view won’t see coming.

One final thing must be said about the always eclectic Val Kilmer. Playing the lead role, whose name or job title we’re never entirely certain about, he creates one of his most memorable characters since Doc Holiday from Tombstone. His character strikes a masterful balance between professional indifference and personal empathy. Everyone else, especially the minor characters, also shines. This is important, because if even the bit-part characters perform at the same level as the leads, it makes it that much harder to estimate a character’s life expectancy.