Film Collateral Analysis

Collateral: Crime and Fear in Los Angeles The city of Los Angeles is a bustling and attractive home to millions of people who walk and drive amongst each other hundreds of times each day, sometimes sharing a meal or a seat on the bus. The atmosphere of the streets and cafés of may invoke feelings of comfort and happiness, especially when spending time with friends and strangers alike. However, there is a more sinister and hollowed part of the city which director Michael Mann depicts in his 2004 film “Collateral”, in which the puzzling and seemingly lonely lives of a cab driver and contract killer are entwined. Their brief adventure takes them through a tour of one night in Los Angeles, showcasing its deficiency of moral character, the intense presence of crime which is a threat in both the psychological and physical realm, and most importantly, the sense of isolation and cynicism of others that comes with living in such a cruel and unforgiving city. The beginning of the film gives viewers a glimpse of the city breathing under the daylight with scenes of people casually walking and talking in pairs or groups. The protagonist, Max, works for a taxi company and is getting ready to begin his shift taking …show more content…
As a cab driver, he engages in more small talk and ends up discovering a lot about his sinister passenger and also about the city which the character, Vincent, considers, “too sprawled out, and disconnected”. Vincent’s affronting remarks on the city reflect an outsider’s perspective on the city and its ethics. His experiences with Los Angeles’ have prompted him to resent the lack of real human connection and compassion, and he later enforces this argument by reciting to Max a story about a man who died on a train and remained for hours before anyone notices. This extreme case of isolation from one another depicts a truly unforgiving city where helplessness is given no