Analyzing Evil: Alonzo Harris, From Training Day
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- Welcome everyone to the twenty fifth episode of Analyzing Evil! Our feature villain for this video is Alonzo Harris from Training Day. I hope you enjoy, and thanks for watching. If you have any feedback or questions feel free to let me know below!
Merch Store: thevilestore.com
Patreon: / thevileeye
Reddit: / thevileeye
Discord: / discord
Twitter: / thevileeye
Instagram: / thevileeye
Video Edited by Stujthevamp. Check him out here: / stujthevamp
Merchandise by Christian Kohn. Check him out here: www.instagram....
Channel Artwork by Dicky Candra Irawan. You can find more of his work on his instagram here: /
The song in this video, The Underground, was provided by the CO.AG Music.
#trainingday #denzelwashington #alonzoharris
Snoop: " I AINT NO SNITCH!!"
Denzel: "I know you ain't no snitch. Gimme a name "
OH SHIT! ITS WAYNE BRADY, SON!
@@Scorch428 Lol 😂
Gaslighting Alonso
Snoop always plays a snitch
@@Scorch428 lmao
When Alonzo dies at the end he is ironically stopping at a red light, and following the law
Bruh
@@olliephelan Did you forget to take ur meds?
@@wonton_willy6657
I did.
Its more fun when I do.
Great film , but a ridiculous death scene.
Ain’t no parking at the light, ain’t no staining us, keep a K with us. Please don’t, please don’t play with us
Just nice symbolism. (nothing fancy)
Its the "end of the road" for him.
I might be wrong, but when he gets the warrant to kill the drug supplier, he says to the others "We got the green light on Roger".
Theres no more green lights for Alonzo.
He tries to get to the boot because thats where he kept his bribes. He has the key outstretched. He claimed he had "all the keys" , but this one wont work.
One of my favorite villains. He's so deceivingly evil, makes you constantly question: maybe he's onto something, maybe he IS good. He is not. He's calculated evil. Great movie.
lmao, I got to the near end of the movie believing he's a good guy.
@@kaydens6964 When I saw this as a kid I thought he was good until the end too
I know people similar to him. Crazy.
Imagine if they had left the deleted dog scene in where he talks to Jake about the experience that changed him as a rookie. That makes you question it more..
I think that began with the casting of Denzel Washington for this role. Having watched almost all his films, we KNOW him to be the good guy. Always. So, in this film, we keep convincing ourselves of this everytime Alonso nudges us.
He's probably one of the if not the most realistic and modern villains ever portrayed on screen
I was more captivated by Ordell Roby character by Sam Jackson in Jackie Brown
@@wmmitchell3494 really? Alonzo Harris is a much more well known and even somewhat iconic character
Well it is based on a real crooked cop
Makes sense seeing as he was based off of the real life corrupt cop Rafael Perez.
what about the villians in Dexter?
What's so good about Denzel's acting he almost made me convinced that he was a good guy. But that's how good his persuasion tactics are.
What "persuasion tactics"? Do you mean his character? Are you unable to separate Denzel from the characters he plays? Are you overcomplicating a mere attraction towards Denzel?
@@genericusername8337 Do me a favor prearse. Gerarahere! Pseudo psychologist.
Until near the end I was waiting for the film to show that he was the good guy. I kept excusing his behavior.
@@genericusername8337 It’s Denzel’s acting, The character Alonzo in particular possesses so much confidence and prowess which allows jake and thi audience to be easily convinced that he is doing what is best for the community and justice as a whole. Denzels acting with his smooth talking allows for the audience to not truly know his intentions as he is able to hide and sugar coat it. He’s an extremely diverse and high ranged actor
He makes Vic Mackey look like fuckin Elliot Ness.
The first shot the sets out Alonzos character is right after he meets Hoyt in the diner. He walks across the street to his car, he doesn't even look at the cars that have to brake to avoid him. He believes he's above the law.
Never thought of that before. How reminiscent of modern times
I got that vibe too, then when he got in the car with the way he dressed I knew then he was a gangster and no longer a Cop. Amazing actor
Always got that impression myself, even the few sekond snippet shown here
Nah, he believes he's above death itself.
I think it’s when & how he bang the phone on jake.🤫
The most interesting villains are usually the ones that justify their actions as them being the good guy.
Lol, hi
@@Multi1 hi
It's the most overplayed motive
That’s a common antisocial disorder trait
@@Dhampir101980 Just happy to see someone named Micheal.
Denzel is an unbelievably multifaceted actor. He is truly one of the greats.
Calm your ball hairs.
Yet people say he always plays the same character which is ludicrous. One only has to watch Malcolm X and this to know that isn’t true.
He is a great performer but he always sounds or seems similar from film to film so I would argue that his range isn't really impressive.
I’m not trying to be rude or disrespectful but I’m positive you haven’t watched many of his movies because I’ve seen him play radically different roles and characters multiple times. Yeah, he has an oversized footprint in the action/thriller genres and I think that’s why people say that.
@@pugachevskobra5636 I've seen almost all of them and he's great and his films are fun to watch but he always sounds the same. Jamie Foxx or Brad Pitt are actors who have a lot of range and can be different people. Daniel Day Lewis is another.
"Lemme tell you a secret, Hoyt. If you kill someone on duty, they have to be your slave in the afterlife". The most unsettling line of dialogue in the entire film.
Serial killers will sometimes have this delusion.
Yeah. That was a hell of a line right there....gets me teary eyed everytime😂
innocent until proven quilty is the most dishonest and unsettleing line of dialouge in real life
@@floorguys0150
Shut up, punisher skull pp
@@floorguys0150 I don’t think you understand the reason for that
If you want to know the true character of a man, give him power.
or a woman, for that matter.
it always fascinates me
@@jusueg.3859 or money
Dam you actually right 💯
Money and power don’t change people it just brings out more of who they truly are inside
My favorite is when smiley tells jake he never shakes Alonzos hand. Says that he doesn’t respect nothing. That really speaks on how evil alonzo was.
I never paid attention to that part!!
“He don’t respect nada”
I like when smiley says "I'm always getting love from the homies." lmao
I’ve ALWAYS remembered that.
@@Space_Ghost_Hunter pause😁😁
*shoots shotgun*
“You know I’m surgical with this bitch, Jake!”
My favorite line of the movie
"Oh where, oh where has my little jake gone? Oh where, of where can he be! 🎶"
“Remember the foo in the wheel chair? How u think he got there huh”
Good 🤣🤣@@luechmillionz
Rent free
I never noticed before how wack their little raid is. When it switches camera views to inside the house looking out of the window and you see how the guy is holding his pistol out at hip level like old school cop movies and them as he runs past the window he passes the gun to his other hand as what I guess is supposed to be a tactical maneuver. It's pretty laughable. Also the way they're carrying pistols at all is funny and how they stack up at the back door being all sneaky. Idk it's all hilarious to me.
Training Day is the first time I saw Denzel break out of that "hero" role he was typecast into. He's absolutely BRILLIANT in this. A favorite of mine for sure.
Actually, he was a hero....only to himself.
Flight
I didn't know he was type casted in his career. I thought he just picked roles that fit him and his acting as well as roles that would define his later years.
@@dongadson1099 he does pick the characters he wants to play
Then you haven’t seen “A Soldiers Story”
That Sgt. Is evil like Lonzo. That scene in the bar talking to himself.
Training Day is an outstanding movie!!
I fucking love rewatching this no doubt
Hugely under-rated film. Each time you watch it you pick up something new in the plot.
I know right !
....makes ya think 2WICE about"Partners!!
@@damianstarks3338 it’s still on Netflix
Dont you just love Denzel Washington, man can play hero or villain, in action, drama or thriller.
He does comedy, too-- his film debut was in "Carbon Copy" in 1981. What a great actor!
💯!! Denzel Washington... wht an absolutely brilliant actor!
He's even good in shit like Virtuosity.
@@davidsumner7604 that movie is so bad its good!
anit that just facts
One huge thing I'm surprised wasn't covered in this video is the fact Alonzo inadvertently used his girlfriend's son as a a human shield in the apartment shootout with Jake. Alonzo played on Jake's "good cop" ways as a way to get Jake to stop shooting long enough to escape out the back. Thus leaving both the boy and his girlfriend behind with a guy he just met that same day. And of course taking the money. This shows even more that Alonzo doesn't care about anybody else but himself.
I think its also good to note how easily the boy warmed up to Jake and going as far as to sleeping in his arms. But yet, every time the boy interacts with Alonzo, he is cold and distant as a way that he doesn't like him. Children can often feel when a person's vibe is off.
His gf’s son was his son
This is why Alonzo's gf sold him out because she seen he was capable of using his own son as a human shield.
@tadster94 yes. He is a narcissist and a psycho.Alonzo is the perfect definition of Narcissist.
Great observation : )
No it was intentional. He is a very accurate depiction of a psychopath.
'It takes a wolf to catch a wolf', reminds me of Nietzsche 'Those who fight monsters must be careful not to become monsters themselves'.
The Russians understood that very well.
Yeah that is deep for real
@@JayCity10 You can't fight a wolf by being a sheep, to fight a wolf you have to become a lion.
"...and when you look into the abyss, the abyss looks into you."
It takes a monster to defeat a monster.
Denzel is simply a master of his craft. One of those actors (this performance in particular) where you sometimes have to remind yourself that it's just a screenplay.
Train movie
I believe you’re talking about the Taking of Pelham 123, train movie is descriptive though
@@Thegoldenchopsticks I wanna see the boat movie
You’re all forgetting about the plane movie
All these characters are parts of Denzel with lots of the things he's done. While portraying them was the director's letting him flow in character. As stated in an interview. Especially this one, his character in Safe House, American Gangster, the Hurricane, Out of Time and others. He's phenomenally talented and gifted in that sense. You can see them in his character in interviews.
His lack of empathy, cool headedness and fearlessness probably indicates that he was always a career psychopath regardless of his gradual corruption.
Great point, spot on
Well put.
And if not a cop, he would have been a Lawyer or an Investment banker.
Ideal career path for psychopaths.
@@anjani9070 Sociopath, Not psychopath.
Disagree. He was described as having the same look in his eye as Hoyt did
He was probably just a one of those adrenaline junkies or that are somewhat numb to fear not a full blown psychopath. He was probably the kind of person to enjoy extreme sports
Alonzo is deceit, brilliance, ruthlessness and sadism, wrapped up in a wrapper made of charm. Truly a well written character, wonderfully portrayed by a legendary actor.
He did a great job at portraying LAPD's Rafael Perez.
He "channeled" that character. Then "rid" himself if it. Heath Ledger did not "rid" himself of that joker spirit role. Jack warned everybody about playing the joker. It's cursed. Only the most adept thespians can pull it off.
@@palmtrees2420 I heard about him.
Hes a Ruthless Vato I like that
This guy: “This film definitely warrants a second viewing”.
Me: it’s just as good the 22nd time around.
Lmao right anytime I get on a plane or train I have this movie playing on my phone/tablet so I have seen it 50 times at least. Lol might rewatch tonight
@@michaelmoore9518 LOL same here when i see the film Im like " Alonzo is a grimmy dude" and this guy did a 17 min video breaking down his evil I love it!
@@michaelmoore9518 😂😂 Defoe !! I would have loved more movies but it’s such a masterpiece I can watch it 100 times and still feel like it’s my first time 🤍 great movie
@@michaelmoore9518 its just one of those classics, we cant get enough of... everything in the movie is spectacular.. Ethan and Denzel at their finest
Maybe my 60038 time
His most evil act in the film....After Roger's killing, Jake is approaching Alonso's car while Alonso is on the phone. If you listen closely, he is speaking to Smiley and says, "Just have that bathtub ready..." Thus, the entire speech to Jake afterwards ("Gotta walk a higher path, son") is spoken by Alonso knowing he is leading Jake to his death for not going along with Roger's murder. IMO, Alonso is at his most psychologically evil at this moment. Thoughts?
@Jesse Russell - I can see that too. He didn't want to chance Jake telling on him.
Alonzo put the hit on Jake because he didn't accept the money for the raid on Roger. He was likely totally fine with Jake being apart of his team. If Jake would have accepted the money they would have never when to Smiley house and the movie would have ended with him paying the Russians off
@@hls_the_best1069 I agree
In that scene, Alonzo felt remorse. That was the only time he exhibited some humanity. Tears welled up in his eyes. He knew that he was killing a good man and it was reminiscent of how he felt about his own "death" as a good cop.
Only copped that this on my fiftieth viewing. This movie is a masterpiece
Alonzo was really a unique antagonist to me. The entire movie and its slow shift from the classic "I'm bad because I'm good" to "I'm genuinely evil and corrupt" just absolutely caught me off guard.
Yeah, he so corrupt putting a toe tag on a corrupt dealer who sold dope to children and getting money to save his life from a corrupt criminal organization.
“So corrupt” Lol.
One of the great things about this movie is that Alonzo's character can be considered a protagonist or an antagonist 💯
I honestly didnt even fully comprehend how evil alonzo was after fully finishing the film. I was so caught up with his bullshit it took a second viewing to realise "o shit this was all an evil plan the whole time"
Idk how y’all didn’t catch onto this from the start 😂 his behavior is not normal
He faked a warrantless search.
How he switches from his regular voice to his police voice when manipulating is so masterful
"Alonzo is a man who seeks to charm and placate a person while slowly edging a knife under their collar searching for a vein as he smiles at you." Dude, your character analysis was excellent. Really enjoyed it and I felt like it was spot-on. I'm definitely checking out more of them.
This movie is amazing. I can’t believe that I waited years before finally watching it. Alonzo is an incredibly scary villain. The amount of manipulation just terrifies me. Speaking from personal experience in the work world, never let anyone get even close to disrespecting you the way Alonzo does, the more you let it slide, the slippery the slope. Call out bullshit and harassment that you’re receiving immediately; you’ll thank yourself later. I hope you all have a wonderful day, thank you for reading my comment Lol.
👍🏻
Very true words. Glad you enjoyed Training Day.
Yes you do not need people like Alonzo as a friend:
The work world?...I get it, but how about these streets?...I grew up in Philadelphia...whether it's Brooklyn, the Bronx, South Central or the south side of Chicago...these types of social deviants are real and walk the streets...this one just happened to have a badge....I grew up with a family of Alonzo's living around the corner from me (seven males)...when you saw them you just wanted to go the other way or become a houseplant...the oldest son was featured on America's Most Wanted, and the two who aged along with me, one who scared the shit of me, he was a text book bully, died in prison...
@@cjsmooth250 exactly, and through better education. And better cops, not the garbage cops we have. Then hopefully the future wont have to deal with that same situation. But we are to focused on whether to vote on the orange man, or the man clinging to life. Our nation is fucked, until we get a real leader
Denzel Washington is one of the rare actors that bring menacing vitality and a deep mystery to each role, while being relatable and charismatic. He’s one of the great actors of our generation.
As a kid I knew he was evil when he was calmly parked in the middle of the intersection
😂😂😂😂
Fun fact. Denzel modeled his character after a real crooked cop in LA named Rafael Perez. Even the look. I’m sure everyone knows this already
Bonus fact. The same cop was also the inspiration For Samuel L Jackson character in GTA San Andreas.
i didnt know thx for sharing
I didn’t my dude, thanks for sharing. I’ll look him up sometime
He is right but let me recommend a movie to you to watch it's on Amazon prime and bootleg it's called City of Lies it will forever make you distrustful of law enforcement.
So, does that means Alonzo is basically a modded Tempenny? Thats fuckin' rad
He's based of the guy from the Rampart scandal, as was Vic Mackey from The Shield
The way he kills that guy and gets excited by the prospect of his life slipping away right in front of his eyes is the most disturbing scene.
But the same happened to him when he was shot by the Russians. They were laughing at him while he was trying to breathe.
@@kaybee46 Good observation.
@@ryanwilliams4223 karma wasn't playing AT ALL
Just the rawness of the scene was so off-putting and disturbing.
That was the point
I don’t remember much about this movie, but everything surrounding Alonzo is pretty crystal clear. Masterful performance by Denzel Washington
So like, the whole movie
You ever had your shit pushed in ?
@@misterk662 lmfao
@@TactileTherapy 3 of a kind beats 2 pair you dumb truck
You should watch this movie at least once a year
Arguably one of the best examples of perfect casting in any film. Everyone loves Denzel! They didn’t want to hate him, but his character is just so reprehensible that they kind of have to.
I think his charm works well with the character, no matter what he does he keeps making us want to see the good in him, even up to the last moment
I love Mr Washington so much I found myself wanting to root for Alonzo 🙈
Denzel wasn't the first choice for Alonzo Harris. This script was originally written for a White actor. Many White actors turned it down, including Bruce Willis. Fuqua added certain things to the script, and Denzel improvised a lot of the dialogue. Denzel asked his agent to find him a bad guy role, so he took a role that had been repeatedly rejected by others. Denzel was brilliant in this film, and I was so glad to see the dark side of this incredible actor. His Oscar was well deserved.
And yet I'm rooting for him up until the very end.
Exactly 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯... hahhaaa 😉
I don’t believe anyone could have played Alonzo. Denzel has charisma that not many other actors have.
Facts
Tupac had he been alive..
@@YudazOwn Tupac wasn’t that great of an actor
@@jamesalexhowlett Are you crazy???
Have you seen juice???
Pac was legit terrifying in that movie
@@Dwyanerose Besides Juice and Poetic Justice, Tupac was an average actor. Denzel is another breed, a living legend of an actor.
Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke just had another level of chemistry in this film.
"Breathe, there you go. Breathe, dog. Yeah, he's finished."
He wasn't breathing air outta a desperation but he's own blood in his lungs.....hints choking on his blood to death...
See I read that as he has the empathy to ease Roger's death, but the ruthlessness to plan it.
One of Alonzo most ruthless scene of the movie in my opinion is when he deceived jake into unknowingly giving smiley the hit money for his own execution.That’s why smiley says he never shakes Alonzo hand.He knows officer harris cares about nothing and no one but himself period.
I know this was just a movie but it should open people’s eyes to how there’s people like Alonzo in real life they know a wounded deer when they see one....in my opinion in the beginning of the movie when Jake was on the phone with him saying how honored he was for the opportunity and wants to show he has what it takes was his first mistake because it shows desperation which is something a sociopath like Alonzo looks for.....once Jake said “I will do anything you want me to do” it was over at that point because that’s exactly what a sociopath wants to hear from someone they want to manipulate
YES!!! 👏
Very true, notice who we see first, Jakes wife answering the phone, Alonzo even got to here you can tell by her laugh as she hands the phone to Jake, doomed before he even stepped out of the house:
Alonzo is based off of Rafael Perez who’s the real life Alonzo
Alonso is one of those villains I can't help but have sympathy for. Roger mentions that Alonso was well-intentioned like Jake when he was a rookie, but I think his good nature is best demonstrated when he is talking to his son, and by the way he takes care of Neto. I get the sense that Roger was probably the one that facilitated Alonso's corruption. Perhaps Alonso didn't just kill him in order to carry out his plan, but because he truly hates Roger because of the person he's helped turn him into. I think Alonso also despises Jake because he reminds him of the good person he used to be.
great point!
All very possibly the case
Idk if he cares for his Son... He used him AND his wife in the confrotation at the end.
Totally disagree. His son is just a pawn, a product to him. He does not give a damn about his kid. He remarks he has several boys from different women. He keeps his son in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Compton when he clearly has the bread to have him somewhere better. He throws bullets at Jake with his son in between. Don't get it twisted. Roger has money, Alonso needs money, Roger has to die, it is as simple as that. His character is pure evil and it's portrayed by Denzel brilliantly.
You realize he was going to shoot his kid, and used this threat to flesh out Hoyt.
What got me about Alonzo (aside from all his other misdeeds) was his constant gaslighting. Every time Jake called out Alzono's dirt, he'd either swear down it was a test to see if Jake was up for joining the unit or claim what he did was necessary to get the job done. He was so narcissistic, he believed that Jake was dumb enough to believe his bullcrap.
The "make sure that bathtub is clean" part is a huge tip off. He never wanted Jake in his gang he wanted a scapegoat to rob Roger and get away with more crimes.
Shit, I believed Alonzo's bs 3/4 of the way, 😆. I thought he really was testing Jake.
@@jstos3675 Don't feel bad. When I first watched the movie, he almost had me believing him. SMH.
Alonzo knew Jake was IA. He was going to kill him from the start. The Wisemen told him.
@@flightofthebumblebee9529 nah I think he wanted to actually groom Jake to join his unit but once he refused to take the money they stole from Roger, that’s when Alonso decided fuck it, I’ll pay Smiley and the Mexicans to get rid of him
The lack of empathy when seeing his son is also something that caught my eye.
One part that really shows how evil Harris is is when he tells Jake to grab a a gift and follow him up to where that gift will ultimately be payment for his own death.
Thats the same thing i said. Thats some cold ass shit right there lol
That’s not the same money he used to put a hit on jake. He did have to pay 44,000 to get an arrest warrant.
@@megangrauly9967 what?
It's a typical karma story: ultimately the "kink" in the plan wasn't so much an unforeseen freak event, rather it was going to happen one time or another.
How many times did Alonzo play those games? By the look people give him, I'd say a really long time: everybody's fed up. You can make a perfect plan once or twice, but it won't work forever.
Alonzo never planned for Jake's selflessness when he protected the girl (I don't think he can fathom that Jake wants to do good, and not only advance his career), and he didn't plan that Smiley could be grateful for such an act (I don't think he realizes that respect can also be earned through good, rather than fear). He's so far corrupt that he doesn't even understand good anymore, and that's why it's an act of good that messed his whole plan up.
The look his higher up detective freinds at the steakhouse give him? Ill say...look deeper into his joke when they hear Alonzo say take his bullets, they hardly laugh, thinking Alonzo your in no position for wise cracks
Also the one time he decides to follow the law (stop at a red light) he dies
Great insights!
I think your last point is really the key: Alonzo can't fathom that respect can be earned through good and not just fear. It's the same reason he was baffled that the neighborhood turned on him.
He said he grew up there in the movie, the people made him that way
The scariest thing about this character is that it was based on Rafael Perez an LA cop part of Ramparts CRASH unit. Dude was a psychopath. LAPD was wild in the 90's.
City god shut down for days due to the outrage causing military to hit the roads of LA
And this wasn’t even the whole story
Ahh, so that's why Alonzo gives me such Frank Tenpenny vibes (from GTA San Andreas). Their closing monologues when they know they're screwed are similar in theme as well.
Perez was a crooked undercover in LA, that’s about the only thing that the 2 are the same. None of this stuff in the story happened it’s a fictional character and story. He’s just the same as every crooked UC. Yes tho it’s scary people like him are real.
Surprised to see this comment. Perez's story was frightening. I think Denzel studied him.
“How’s your espanol?”
“Um…mas o menos”
“Learn that shit. That shit will get you killed”
So many little bits of foreshadowing
Means more or less.
Alonzo should learned some russian...
Alonzo spoke the language of the Asian store clerk too.
The thing that always put me on the back foot about Training Day is that I find it almost impossible to believe that a man like Alonzo didn't ALREADY have a million dollars stored away somewhere. I mean a million is a lot of money but this man has been an absolute top dog in the corruption world of a titanic metropolis for a number of years (upward of a decade). I'd think he'd already be well accustomed to being a millionaire tbh.
I guess he must be the type of person who spends all his money in one night. In fact, how much money did that trip to Las Vegas cost Alonzo?
His hot-headed and got caught up with corruption.
@@Dapal0710 But whose to say it was "his" money he blew through? He could've just taken the money in the midst of a setup just like he did with Walter.
Hes a hedonist if you didnt notice. They rarely save anything, life is all about the exploitation of pleasure and pain
That’s a very good point. He may not have had access to that much cash in the timeframe needed. It could be stashed away in the form of drugs, reality, etc. The one thing I don’t understand is why? Jake didn’t need to be involved in any of the events. It also proved to have been a huge liability and downfall. I get that his goal was to frame Jake, and he didn’t expect Jake to be so smart. But on that note it doesn’t sound like the rational of Alonzo
If only the studio had a prequel showing Alonzo's descent...
@Kawamura where’s the link?
@@big_bodysnatcher3636 which ones?
@@big_bodysnatcher3636 aha, thanks.
@Guerrilla Warfare COD I get your point but a sequel doesn’t ruin anything. The sequel can suck without the original film suffering.
Ugh
The sad thing is 99% of the time. A rookie like Jake would have just kissed his ass to fit in his crew.
👍
@Me being gay is your defense mechanism some people just want to fit in no more if it’s a cop or a cook
Jake was IA. He was working undercover to bust Alonzo. Alonzo knew this from the Wisemen and planned to kill him from the start.
@@anitaneal1779 lol for awhile I thought he really was. Boy Scout cop takes down crooked cop.
@The Christian Oubliette when you are newly working in law enforcement and you see some stuff and you decide you want to report a fellow seasoned officer you will surely find yourself working for a different police department in a different city or find yourself one way or another no longer working for that department. Nobody wants to work next to an officer they can't trust. Wrong or right that's just how it is.
I'm speaking from experience.
I’m usually not into cops and robber movies but this one is a masterpiece. I love complicated and intelligent villains.
I think one key scene you missed in this video was the scene where he meets with the senior officers in the restaurant, where he get permission to do the raid where he steals the money and where we first learn about his incident in Vegas. It's the one scene where we see Alonzo humbling himself to others and acting like a rookie. You see him out of his comfort zone for once and it gives you a lot of insight into his insecurities as well.
Yep. Which is why Alonzo tells Jake to "Go order a Baseball Steak" because he didn't want him to see him being weak
The scene also shows that Alonzo is not just a random loose cannon and his activities on the street do have official LAPD backing
@@myronsanders4563 RIP Pacific Dining Car
I wouldn't say acting like a rookie.. he's meeting the top notch brass aka his bosses. And knows he fcked up with the Russians. So he has to humbly bow down to them. They are his bosses.
I had the impression that Alonzo thought they are just as dangerous and corrupt as him, only much more powerful.
Probably he was right.
He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. Friedrich Nietzsche
lol this sound like the original version of “you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain”
This is one of my favorite quotes and I didn’t even realize that it was Nietzche. Such a powerful and insight view into the mind of man when he is smack bang in the middle of the chaos fighting evil but slowly and surely using all the same tools from the same box. Thanks for the reference.
@@illwitness Major Kusanagi uses an altered version of Friedrich Nietzsche in Ghost In The Shell 2 Innocence. "A mirror does not reflect evil it creates it"
@@marcuskahn3783 wow really? I’ve never heard of that quote. That’s so amazing. Thanks.
@@illwitness You've got to check out Ghost In the Shell 2 Innocence. A human story about a lone cyborg ( Batou) searching for a friend. Its Mamoru Oshii's finest works next to his other masterpiece Jin Roh.
I think Alonzo didn't decide to kill Jake until he wudnt take the money. Because once he can't get him on his team thats when he decides to kill him.
Had Jake taken the money he would have gone home safely.
I think he would have set him up anyway. He would have framed him for Roger’s murder and said it was because he smokes PCP. He had to have a plan B when he didn’t take the money.
He didn’t want to kill him he wanted him to take the money to get it and run away because he as going to get caught lacking stupid to get away from the country they killed a big boss stupid jake didn’t understand that you can’t lock up high time rollers they got money and will get out you have to kill people to stop it from happening look at Mexico it’s still going the drug cartels are still killing people and selling drugs why is that no one is killing them but Catching them and it’s still going stupid 😂💀🙄🤦♂️.
Y’all ain’t about street life y’all are stupid and don’t understand the streets you have to take the money to get away so you won’t get killed you get in and get out that’s a smart cop not a bad or good one that’s a smart one jake didn’t understand because he was never raised in the streets to see this but be a beta cop to put the cuffs and keep the system going like drugs keep going not cut the snakes head.
@@alexchavez3244 bruh shut up this movie is old as hell we know this
One thing I would say about Denzel's character Alonzo is that he was a sociopath. A sociopath is born with feelings but then later their feelings become numb. He started out good but then was corrupted. If he was a psychopath, psychopaths are born without the ability to feel from birth. They can't feel but can mimic them very well!
I agree. He definitely has true sociopathic traits
@@AnAdorableWombat1 oh absolutely he does!
Sociopaths feel no guilt or remorse. They are exploitive and are made into who or what they are….. but are fully capable of empathy, but only shows some of it. Psychopaths have absolutely no guilt, empathy, remorse, shame, fear or regrets and only care about themselves and themselves only because they’re selfish manipulative predators that will prey onto just about any living soul given the chance
I love how, after living a life as an untouchable gangster/cop, Alonzo dies a completely underwhelming death. He doesn't even fire a shot in return. To the Russians, killing him was tuesday.
Because the money Jake took from him was his only real saving grace. Not even the higher-ups in the police force would protect him. So without that money, he was a dead man walking. And he knew it.
@@Eres_Nyx1154 Yeah but this dude didn't even try to defend himself. At least you would've think that his pride character would do something crazy to avoid it at least.
My g when you into with them Russians ain’t no way you escaping that plus they had bro surrounded remember he was in the car he tried to cover for safety but he still ended up gets hit if he hadn’t died Jake was gone turn him in he better off dead than alive tbh
@@UnitedPacci i wanna say im so thankful we got movies like this in the early 2000s where the villiian dies a very brutal or underwhelming death
its like now they gotta give the villian some "hero" arc....i remember the former mobster michael franzese spoke about seeing young men and people worshippin gangsters he said "do you remember what happened to tony montana?or pablo escobar? both men died a brutal death..this is a war type of life theres nothing glorious about it"
He couldn't he didn't have a gun and I think if he did have one he was too torn up from those to bullets to really defend himself
Great analysis. One of my favorite things about this movie is how Roger's joke about the snail, at first appears to be foreshadowing Jake's undoing, but it really foreshadows Alonzo's. Alonzo is the snail that gets squished without a thought of how hard he worked to try to survive. The Russians laugh at him and speak in another language while gunning him down before vanishing as quickly as they came. Essentially, Alonzo's master plan, that took a week to plot, that he almost pulled off seamlessly, ends with a firing squad laughing at him in a language he couldn't even understand, kind of like the guy in the joke looking at the snail before squishing him and saying, "What the f***'s your problem?!" One of the Russian hitman actually says in Russian "wtf is this guys problem?" when Alonzo comes out of the car still trying to fight with his keys in his hand. Such an amazing movie. Great video brother!
Alonzo was a sociopath who just happened to be a Cop. There was no good in him. People like him always have an ulterior motive. That’s why he killed Roger so easily. He has no empathy and could only see what he needed to do to help himself. Didn’t even care his son was in the home while blasting a shotgun. “ Alonzo is the worse kind of Vato , that’s why i never shake his hand homes “ -smiley
Alonzo is a malignant narcissist. He told a man to breath after pumping him with a shotgun blast. Then shoots another man while he is dopamine rushed from the first killing. Then continues to gas light Jake. Jake even says "I did not shoot Roger".
Probably an ex-gangster in the script.
He hates rxpists….. that’s his only (but very respectable) redeeming quality
Most badass character ever. Alonzo knew exactly who he was. Smooth, cool, swag, fearless, smart, confidence and had one of the cleanest goatees I’ve ever seen in a movie.
All those descriptions are accurate, expect the fearless part. He was brave and very confident but he wasn’t totally fearless.
“King Kong ain’t got shit on me!”
“Ya shot me in the ass!”
Best comment hahahaha
Let me correct: *azzzzzzzz
The first is total ad lib, the second likely
That scene had me rollin'
🤣😂🤣😂
“I’ve been planning this all week son”
This is chess not checkers
He gets a lot done in a week. That for sure.
Villains like Alonzo most often succeed and rarely fall victim to their decision making due to their obsession for power by any means necessary. Alonzo’s downfall was of his own making which was his love of Alcohol. Super Villains of Sober Mind are virtually impossible to stop.
Yeah it wouldn’t be his narcissism & an internal power trip? Just a problem with alcohol. Go AA somewhere else
Super villains of sober minds don't exist. If it's not alcohol, it's something else. Such are the ways of evil. Your downfall is inevitable.
@@1994mrmysteryman everybody's downfall is inevitable. Sober supervillains will accomplish more along the way.
uh no, it was Jake happening to see a rape in progress that eventually brought Alonzo's plan down. pure luck. everything was going perfectly until Jake saved someone Smiley knew and loved.
@@godemperorofmankind3.091 That's the point of the movie. There are variables being controlled by divine intervention, so if you're a good man, life will give you a way out. And if you're evil ... well, Alonzo knows what's up.
To be fair, I think it would be harder for Denzel to give a bad performance than a good one, the dude is just a master of his craft
"It's not about what you know, it's about what you can prove. Do you wanna go to jail or do you wanna go home?"
damn good line
Jake reminded him of his old self, the conscience he once had. So he figures he would teach Jake what he himself had come to realize, that rules often get in the way of necessity. The problem is, he dumped it all on him in a single day, he didn't give Jake the time to learn piece by piece, like he did over the years.
That's an interesting point you make. Perhaps if he didn't need to come up with the money to save his own life ASAP, he could have successfully corrupted Jake slowly but surely.
Wow I've never thought of that🤯
Ooooo. I agree, with more time perhaps Jake wouldve ended up just like Alonzo and his crew Which is worse
@@brianmessemer2973 a little truth here, a little truth there. Officer tempeny
If alonzo was to bet on Jakes innocence, and honesty he would not have left him to die at the hands of Smiley and Hillside Trece. If alonzo had a heart that wouldve never happened. He played on jakes innocence. He never gave him a chance to learn the streets. He took advantage of him from the begining because thats what the streets will do. Like the joke roger told him about the Snail and the Man, "What the fvck is your problem?" The streets will do you wrong and see no wrong with it. They will crush your shell and see no evil. Whatever heart alonzo had he hid from everyone including his mistress and her son. Thats why he killed the russian in a drunken rage. I think alonzo was mad at himself. He already knew who the woman was at the red light before he died. He has street sense.
One of the most interesting things about Alonzo is that he made Dr Dre become a cop and join him in his master plan.
Huh
@@Ken-iu2zp haha coz N.W.A had a hit song called f#ck the police! its like a wink to us viewers that Alonzo Harris is so manipulative and evil that he can turn everybody to join his side
@@Ken-iu2zp Dr. Dre wanted to put a HydraShock in that melon
What's scary about this character is that he's modeled after a real person who is still living.
Who
@@naija395 Rafael Pérez
@@naija395 Rafael Perez, an ex LAPD officer who was part of the crooked CRASH unit in Rampart district of Los Angeles.
@@palmtrees2420 is he the same officer based off of Officer Tenpenny?
@@AnAdorableWombat1Yes
I always thought that the people walking away from Alonzo because he got beaten by a rookie cop. Take a look at how he beats his chest and makes impossible threats. Just like bully who got beaten up at the schoolyard. He lost his rep, his cred and his power in one fell swoop.
I thought the same.
They walked cause he is an asshole
They walked because they knew he was still a cop. In the same breath, they knew he was finished and was either going to jail or was about to die anyway.
Street smart people would know this
they knew if they killed a cop 50 cops would be up their asses looking for the cop killer. word on the street gets around. 5 min after he killed roger smilie already knew he killed him and took his money. i would say it was known by people like smilie and others there was a hit on alonzo head maybe even a to not touch order handed down by the russian mod.
Nope, they were already sick of him, but they couldn´t do sh17 cause he was a cop. Remember the first time Alonzo takes Hoyt into the black neighborhood, one of the black guys says something like "I hate that mofo" or "I´m sick of that mofo" so no, they never respected him, nor did they have simpathy for him, they just had to put up with him, they didn´t have a choice.
To be honest... Denzel's character didn't turn on Jake until he refused to take the money. Up until that point... Denzel's character considered Jake to be a #1 draft pick for his unit.
For real bra? He stitched him up from the get go. Drugs in the system? Everything was planned one way or another for alonzo to get away with it.
@@miguelsanchez6370 Yea he drugged Jake just in case he didn't go along with his plan. Jake refusing to take the money was the final straw though
My way or high way style
What movie was you watching Jake was a pond in the very beginning.
I always wondered if he was going to kill jake regardless if he took tha money or not.
A prequel would be dope. The movie could show Alonzo as a Rookie cop. Seeing him transition from a naive Rookie to the Alonzo we seen in Training Day, would be a interesting movie.
Except Denzel is old now
@@koichikamimura9723 That's exactly what I was gonna say, I honestly can't picture anyone else playing Alonzo besides Denzel
@@asleepcloud His son could play Alonzo in the prequel
At the end of the prequel is when he beats up the Russian
No thanks.
I love how ultimately in this movie Hoyt is able to beat Alonzo because he is actually a good guy. He saves Smiley's cousin. He is nice to Alonzo's son, so he has no hesitancy to let him in the apartment.
Jake isnt a good guy lmao he became the crooked cop at the end of the movie, He took the money and is running off with it . He knows he is in danger cus at the end of the movie he had a gun in his hands. Jake is the next alonzo
No he’s a good guy just not dumb Alonzo had a lot of friends in the department and god knows where else. Leaving is the smartest move
One of the best villains! Even worse than the crooks he chases IMO.
Easily the most chilling bit for me is that bit you mentioned, when you re-watch and hear him say on the phone "Get that bath-tub clean." Then he talks to Jake with this "heartfelt" speech about how he's a good cop. Really evil when you realise what that phone conversation meant beforehand.
Alonzo is such a memorable villain
King Kong ain't got nothin on him
Who?
I'll see myself out.
@@Drawnartist You wanna go to jail or you wanna go home!
@Samuel Samuel that’s diabolical and despicable kind of like Alonzo Harris himself, your on the road my friend this is where it’s starts. In all seriousness your girlfriend is probably even worse than the man Alonzo himself.
Good movies have memorable villains
Training Day is a criminally underrated movie
Love the pun, but disagree with the point. Training Day is well hyped
No it isn’t.
No, but Narc starring Ray Liotta is criminally underrated. Its plot is similar to Training Day but way interesting and well-executed.
Underrated? It got tons of awards and nominations, including best actor at the academy. Its still referenced to this day as one of the greatest crime dramas of all time. It deserves all that for sure.
No different than Dark Blue or Street Kings; same plot: boss double crosses protagonist.
Alonzo strikes me as the type of person who feels that the whole world wronged him and he wants revenge, and the power to get that revenge.
EDIT: Another thing this vid points out about Alonzo is that he's actually a very high-functioning alcoholic
He never ever chastise his profession saying I was a good cop but my duty towards the law couldn't help me beyond a badge and a gun, so I'm working behind the shadows and tampering the law " type of monologue. He is straight "I'm evil what you gonna do about it , you have PCP running in your system and you think the police will take a complaint from a drug smoking cop and that too on the very first day , bro I've dragged you into this swamp , if I die , you are accompanying me to the end "
I liked how Alonzo spoke Spanish and some Chinese. Shows how deep he was in those streets.
Ong 😂😂😂😂
Korean
He extorted those streets.
Alonzo isn’t any more evil than the gangsters and Police bosses he does business with. He learned the game is rigged early on by Roger. He is just smarter and gets what he wants out of life instead of being played like everyone else. His downfall was he got to good at it and he let the power get to his head.
Two of my favorite quotes from this movie:
"You wanna go to jail or you wanna go home?"
"It's not what you know, it's what you can prove."
I have yet to see anyone mention the phone call in the morning when Alonzo hangs up on Jake while Jake shows appreciation for the opportunity. During that scene Alonzo seemingly flirts with Jake's wife and disrespects Jake right afterwards
Lonzo cant miss
i never saw this movie, but from this footage i think denzel washington studied the iceman serial killer interviews.
@@lapacesiaconvoi Iceman was just a attention seeking psycho made from his horrible childhood that made him kill like 16 or less people definitely unrelated to the character denzel played.
@@zetokaiba5867 ice man got around 100 kills and was someone who DID not want attention, that’s why they called him iceman to not connect his murders
@@dopepope2220 Iceman was full of shit. 99% of what he said was made up BS. Nobody from the 5 families ever heard of him. Watch the Michael Franzese video.
You are KILLING IT VILE EYE ❤️❤️❤️!!!!
Yeah he is.
Facts
Factaroni
If Alonzo did basic detective work like taking the suspects and victim's ID after the attempted rape, instead of relishing in tormenting them, he wouldn't have sent Jake to Smiley.
Yeah, but can you imagine the amount of papperwork needed to be done.. It's just karma and not in an atrological way but in probability way. The more you are an asshole to all others, the more likely you are to stuble upon a situation or a person equally bad or worse, or even a regular Joe who had one fuck up day.. Sooner or lster they come to roost..
@@relight6931 Nah, that was just bad writing, sorry, I love this movie, but all those coincidences just cause the good guy had some plot armour and win, and so the movie keeps it´s moral burden intact.
If I was Alonzo I would have killed Jake a few moments after killing Roger, at Roger´s place, like one of his guys told him to do so... but nooo, the movie needed the "bad guy" to lose and the good rookie hero to win.
@@theboltthrower8661 I think you missed the part where Alonzo is in a way king of those streets. At least that's what he trully believes. He jad a plan to get rid oh him later.. Also killing the rookie ina drug bust gone bad would bring in much more attention then they needed. While cops take it very lax when killing civilians/suspects/ex fellons and always very fast examine themselfs that they did nothing wrong, when it comes to cop kills, I got a feeling they approach that just a tiny bit seriously. Alonzo was full of himself, he thought he had rookie under control and would deal with him in time.. It's not even that big of a coincidence that the girl saved had some mexican gangsters in her extended family, Mexicans families tend to be numerous. Also same hood. Just a case of coincidence and life often being able to be stranger then fiction, even though I get it, we are talking about a movie. Sorry but I don't see a case of bad writing here. Also a good guy won? He wins only if he leaves the force, there is a mass of Alonzos out there, and you can't change it from whitin, you can just change it with policies and internal affairs who examine suspicious police actions in other precinct's..
In the end, no body really won in this movie, it was a theatrical but not far from truth, tale of levels of corruption amongst those who often can decide on the spot if someone lives or dies. If justice system never punishes them, they are the top gang in the USA and they act with almost total impunity.
@@relight6931 Very well put, and the same way I seen it
@@theboltthrower8661 in real life, Alonzo would have killed jake....that’s what I’d do as a Crocked cop
It's weird, but Denzel Washington has a way of pulling off the character really well by how he can best act using his face. I can best describe Alonzo's eyes and ways he delights in his job as that of a lion's; he comes off as powerful, a predator feared by his neighbourhood, and will do whatever it takes to protect his territory even if it means killing off a few rival lions.
So I have a theory on Training day.
The movie portrays Alonzo as the bad guy, but I don't think he really is a villain. I think he has a good heart and really wants to see change happening. Hear me out on this.
Throughout the entire movie we see Alonzo training Jake on the streets. He shows him how the streets really are. He shows him how corrupt cops can be and how twisted the world really is. He teaches Jake how to earn the respect of criminals, because as he said: "the only change will happen from the inside." I want to prove to you this theory by the following points.
Alonzo introduces Jake to his wife and kid, because he knows Jake will keep an eye out for them. There would be no reason whatsoever for Alonzo to introduce Jake to his family life. He even says at one point: "Don't talk about ur family, it makes you vulnerable." This just proves my point even further, cause it shows that he is aware of the risks of bringing someone into his house. This she's that he doesn't see Jake as his enemy.
Alonzo talks to some judges (the three wise men) and bribes them to get an arrest warrant. Proving that even the highest levels of the system are corrupt. Alonzo didn't actually need a warrant, he could have easily just killed the guy and taken the money, but he wanted Jake to see how the world really is.
Alonzo give Jake an in with his crew of crooked cops when they kill the drug lord and take his cash. He vouches for Jake numerous times and at one point says "You need some dirt on you for anybody to trust you". This is important, because otherwise the crooked cops wouldn't ever work with him. Also Jake will likely get the medal of Valor for shooting the drug lord, giving him more cred with the officials.
Alonzo says at one point a news report will say: "an officer leaves behind a wife and a child" to threaten Jake. But I think he knew that this day was his last. Those words would be spoken about him. Alonzo knew he would die because he fucked up along the way, so he was looking for a replacement for himself.
Alonzo says at one point: "when this is all behind you, a whole mother world is going to open up for you. I walk a higher path, i can give you the keys to all the doors" the higher path refers to his death. He knew he would die that day.
At one point Alonzo hires hitmen to kill Jake. But Alonzo knew that the men he hired were the uncle of the girl that almost got raped. He knew that they wouldn't kill Jake. Alonzo is so well connected - if he really wanted him dead, he could have hired any number of hitmen to kill him. Why else choose the uncle of the daughter Jake saved. I think he did this because he wanted Jake to earn the respect of the Mexicans.
Alonzo at one point says: " they are playing checkers, I am playing chess." And in another instance: "I've planned this for a week." This demonstrates to me that he is strategic about everything he does. He knew what was going to happen every step of the way.
(edit) One thing I forgot is that Alonzo actually had the opportunity to kill Jake on the roof at the end, but he didn't. This proves that he really didn't want him dead.
In the end Alonzo gave Jake all the tools he needs to change the system from the inside out. Jake now has the knowledge, the guts and the respect of the people that he needs to make some sort of REAL change happen. And it's all thanks to Alonzo. He showed him the secrets that took him years to aquire. He acquainted him with all the people he needs to know and also gained their trust.
Alonzo sacrificed his credibility, his career, his family and ultimately his very own life to make sure Jake can make it.
So what do you think? Is Alonzo a bad guy or maybe the ultimate hero?
The rxpists were worse
"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
Denzel has been known to say that this was one of his favorite characters to play. Yet he also said that he suggested the death of the character as he felt he shouldn't get away with what he has done. The ending of the movie was changed because of his opinions.
Alonzo Harris is one of the most perfectly written characters along with Denzel's excellent performance. He is extremely underappreciated, because many fail to see the brilliance of this character, this analysation was spot on! Great video
I didn’t even think about Allonzo setting up to have the weed laced ahead of time like that. Makes perfect sense, why else would he go out of his way to go after a couple of nobodies when he wouldn’t even bother worrying about for young women getting raped? It was not a part of his plan so he tried to talk Jake out of acting. Obviously it’s a amazing thing that Jake went and had to do what was right.
Ended up saving his life and became the one hole in Alonzo’s plan.
That’s called God’s Grace.
I'd like to add. When Alonzo was stopped at the four way light forcing Ethan Hawke to spoke PCP, the cars and traffic, just kept moving. That scene alone deserves a 20 minutes video essay. Great work!
On the point of "plot", Jake going to save Smiley's cousin is the first and only time he exits the car of his own volition. And it's also the angriest Alonzo is at Jake as described by the director in the commentary track.
Excellent point, because it's the first moment where Alonzo isn't in control
This alert that you are covering Alonzo just made my week man! You never miss with your videos brother! #KingKongAintGotShitOnVileEye
ALONZO NEVER EAT PEACHES BUT CASTOR TROY DOES.
Training Day is a movie where you see how dark Alonzo is more and more every time you watch it. You catch his eyes, his hands, his other body language, etc.
You need to study the Man who wrote the script. There you will find the creative genius and darkness.
The most emotions I've ever seen on denzel washington's face. Like fr as good of an actor he is, he's portrayed the same damn character for so long I forgot he even started in other movies.
He just plays different variations of himself which is fine because he's a master at it. Not everyone takes the DDL chameleon route to acting lol
I'd enjoy your take of Tom Cruise's character "Vincent" from the film "Collateral". Very underrated film.
His best role in my opinion.
Collateral is so slept on
Fantastic movie.
I hope he does it. Great movie and character study to analyze
Yes please. One of my favorite movies
it just shows how good denzel is of an actor
This is one of my favorite movies and that has everything to do with Denzel who is arguably THE best leading man in Hollywood. Lonzo Harris is despicable and possibly the most amoral villain ever with no redeeming qualities at all!! Yet I LOVE Denzel's portrayal of this horrible man cause he breathes life into Lonzo and makes him real. He is a virtuoso without peer who is equally good at Bad as he is at Good.
All of the people who Alonzo victimized feared him but none respected him otherwise Jake would be a dead man.
What I find beautifully ironic in Jake Hoyt’s longest day in the office is that Alonzo tells him to do exactly what he says and go only where Alonzo goes.
1) He disobeys Alonzo and fights off the two crackheads saving Letti and his own life.
2) He goes back into Baldwin Village by himself.
Training Day is such an amazing movie, easily top 10 best films. Love this movie.
My first impression of Alonzo was way before the cafe scene. When he called up Hoyt at home that morning to make sure he was ready for the day (When Alonzo told him that only "patrol fairies" go to role call), Hoyt was thanking Alonzo for the opportunity to cross-train with him, and Alonzo hung up the phone dead in his face in mid-sentence. I knew THEN that that dude was sinister!
Nah you don't "know that dude was sinister" after he hung up. You just think "man that guy is a dick" and then you find out later he was sinister
That’s doesn’t mean someone is sinister lol
You sound like you want to be Alonzo 😂 ooo so sinister lol
Calm down pigeon
If you think someone hanging up on you is sinister, you must live in a perpetual state of anxiety lol.
So I have a theory on Training day.
The movie portrays Alonzo as the bad guy, but I don't think he really is a villain. I think he has a good heart and really wants to see change happening. Hear me out on this.
Throughout the entire movie we see Alonzo training Jake on the streets. He shows him how the streets really are. He shows him how corrupt cops can be and how twisted the world really is. He teaches Jake how to earn the respect of criminals, because as he said: "the only change will happen from the inside." I want to prove to you this theory by the following points.
Alonzo introduces Jake to his wife and kid, because he knows Jake will keep an eye out for them. There would be no reason whatsoever for Alonzo to introduce Jake to his family life. He even says at one point: "Don't talk about ur family, it makes you vulnerable." This just proves my point even further, cause it shows that he is aware of the risks of bringing someone into his house. This she's that he doesn't see Jake as his enemy.
Alonzo talks to some judges (the three wise men) and bribes them to get an arrest warrant. Proving that even the highest levels of the system are corrupt. Alonzo didn't actually need a warrant, he could have easily just killed the guy and taken the money, but he wanted Jake to see how the world really is.
Alonzo give Jake an in with his crew of crooked cops when they kill the drug lord and take his cash. He vouches for Jake numerous times and at one point says "You need some dirt on you for anybody to trust you". This is important, because otherwise the crooked cops wouldn't ever work with him. Also Jake will likely get the medal of Valor for shooting the drug lord, giving him more cred with the officials.
Alonzo says at one point a news report will say: "an officer leaves behind a wife and a child" to threaten Jake. But I think he knew that this day was his last. Those words would be spoken about him. Alonzo knew he would die because he fucked up along the way, so he was looking for a replacement for himself.
Alonzo says at one point: "when this is all behind you, a whole mother world is going to open up for you. I walk a higher path, i can give you the keys to all the doors" the higher path refers to his death. He knew he would die that day.
At one point Alonzo hires hitmen to kill Jake. But Alonzo knew that the men he hired were the uncle of the girl that almost got raped. He knew that they wouldn't kill Jake. Alonzo is so well connected - if he really wanted him dead, he could have hired any number of hitmen to kill him. Why else choose the uncle of the daughter Jake saved. I think he did this because he wanted Jake to earn the respect of the Mexicans.
Alonzo at one point says: " they are playing checkers, I am playing chess." And in another instance: "I've planned this for a week." This demonstrates to me that he is strategic about everything he does. He knew what was going to happen every step of the way.
(edit) One thing I forgot is that Alonzo actually had the opportunity to kill Jake on the roof at the end, but he didn't. This proves that he really didn't want him dead.
In the end Alonzo gave Jake all the tools he needs to change the system from the inside out. Jake now has the knowledge, the guts and the respect of the people that he needs to make some sort of REAL change happen. And it's all thanks to Alonzo. He showed him the secrets that took him years to aquire. He acquainted him with all the people he needs to know and also gained their trust.
Alonzo sacrificed his credibility, his career, his family and ultimately his very own life to make sure Jake can make it.
So what do you think? Is Alonzo a bad guy or maybe the ultimate hero?
what makes Denzel so great in this is that you come in thinking he's just another undercover cop corrupted by the mob and you end up 10 stories deep in the maze that is his mind
Denzel is an exceptional actor. He based his entire character (including wardrobe) on disgraced narc detective Rafael Perez, who was once leader of the Rampart Division of the LAPD. He did his research and it shows. He can go from in-character to regular person in the blink of an eye. He can turn his character on and off like a light switch. Phenomenal job.
This movie hits home. I grew up in the ghetto, Rampart division around the corner, organized crime around the other, the LAPD crash unit across the street, and the murderous Sheriff's department next to it...... The Cartels, La M, La Mara was an everyday dodging game..... This leaves a mark in your soul. Thank God I freaking made it out.....
Denzel was an absolute powerhouse in this movie. I felt like I needed a break half through because Alonzo made so uncomfortable! Might be my favorite villain of all time