The film follows a despondent, alcoholic former CIA officer-turned-bodyguard, who embarks on a violent revenge spree after a nine-year-old under his charge is kidnapped in Mexico City.
In 2003, former Force Recon Marine and CIASAD/SOG officer John Creasy travels to Mexico to visit his old friend Paul Rayburn, who convinces him to take a bodyguard position with Samuel Ramos, a wealthy automaker. Samuel needs protection for his young daughter, Lupita "Pita" Ramos, due to a kidnapping insurance policy that requires a bodyguard to be in place.
Struggling with alcoholism and guilt from his past, Creasy initially contemplates suicide, but a misfired gun prompts him to reconsider his fate. Revitalized by the thought that he is meant to live, he takes on his role as Pita's protector, reducing his drinking and finding solace in the Bible. As he bonds with Pita, teaching her to swim, their relationship flourishes.
However, one day, while waiting outside Pita’s piano lesson, Creasy recognizes a car that has been following them. As two federal policemen block the street, he realizes Pita is about to be kidnapped. In the ensuing chaos, he fights off the attackers, killing four but sustaining serious injuries while Pita is abducted. As authorities investigate, Creasy becomes a suspect, but reporter Mariana Garcia Guerrero questions the narrative. AFI agent Miguel Manzano relocates Creasy to a veterinary clinic to protect him from corrupt officials.
The kidnappers, led by the unseen "Voice", demand a $10 million ransom, which Samuel complies with, aided by Police Lieutenant Victor Fuentes. However, when the ransom drop is ambushed and the Voice's nephew is killed, the Voice threatens the Ramos family, stating Pita will be lost forever as retribution. Manzano warns Creasy about the powerful "brotherhood" involved, comprising corrupt officials and criminals, and Creasy vows to kill everyone connected to the kidnapping.
With Rayburn’s help, Creasy assembles an arsenal and begins his violent quest for revenge. He brutally interrogates the getaway driver for information, leading him to confront several kidnappers and recover incriminating evidence. Guerrero discovers Fuentes' involvement in the brotherhood, prompting her and Manzano to assist Creasy in his mission. Creasy's rampage intensifies as he confronts Fuentes, learning that Samuel's lawyer, Jordan Kalfus, orchestrated the kidnapping to claim insurance money.
He arrives to confront Kalfus at his house but finds his beheaded corpse floating in the pool. Creasy then decides to confront Samuel about his involvement with the kidnapping and he finally confesses to the act: both him and Kalfus agreed to the kidnapping in order to pay off his father's long-gestating debt, and while both expected Lupita to be safely returned by paying off the ransom with the remaining insurance money, the ambush by Fuentes made the plan collapse, with Samuel killing Kalfus out of anger. Despondent over this revelation, Creasy gives Samuel a gun and the bullet he once used in his suicide attempt, leading to Samuel’s guilt-ridden suicide.
Guerrero and Manzano trace the ransom money and uncover the Voice's identity. Creasy captures the Voice’s brother and learns that the ringleader's real name is Daniel Sanchez. They arrange an exchange for Pita, and during the meeting, Creasy, injured but determined, reassures Pita of his love before she is sent to safety. As Creasy's taken away to the Brotherhood, he dies peacefully during the trip; within the same day, Manzano kills the Voice during his arrest.
Alternate ending
In an alternate ending, Creasy survives his injuries and confronts the Voice in his office. After a tense verbal exchange, he kills both himself and the Voice in a suicide bombing, mirroring Fuentes' earlier demise.[7][8]
Cast
Denzel Washington as John W. Creasy, a former CIA operative and U.S. Marine Force Recon Captain, turned mercenary and bodyguard.
Dakota Fanning as Guadalupe "Lupita" (Pita) Ramos, Creasy's charge.
Mickey Rourke as Jordan Kalfus, Samuel Ramos' lawyer. Kalfus and Samuel Ramos's father were best friends, and therefore Kalfus has a close relationship with Samuel. Mickey Rourke stated that Kalfus has "a responsibility to his father, to him, to look out for his well-being."[11] Therefore, Kalfus "[wants] to be there for him" when Ramos "gets his head underwater a little bit".[11]
Roberto Sosa as Daniel Sánchez, the unseen mastermind of the kidnapping plot, known as "La Voz" ("The Voice").
Jesús Ochoa as Victor Fuentes, a lieutenant in the Anti-Kidnapping Division of the Federal Judicial Police and the head of the criminal "La Hermandad" syndicate
Gero Camilo as Aurelio Sánchez; The Voice's brother and accomplice.
Other actors in the film include Rosa María Hernández as Maria Rosas Sanchez; The Voice's wife, Charles Paraventi as Jersey Boy, one of The Voice's accomplices; Mario Zaragoza as Jorge Gonzalez; a corrupt policeman and member of the "La Hermandad" syndicate, Carmen Salinas as the guardian, Gerardo Taracena as Colon, Eduardo Yáñez as Fox, and Itatí Cantoral as Evelyn.
Production
Background
Tony Scott, the film's director, initially attempted to adapt the 1980 source novel by A. J. Quinnell into a film in 1983. Journalist Paul Davies speculated that film producers likely doubted Scott's capability to direct a project of this scale, given that his only directorial effort at the time was the supernatural horror filmThe Hunger (1983), which would be his second film. The novel was later adapted by Élie Chouraqui in his English-language debut, also titled Man on Fire (1987), featuring Scott Glenn as Creasy. This earlier adaptation, similar to the novel, was set in Italy, which was then a prominent center for kidnappings.
Development and writing
When a remake of Man on Fire was first considered, producer Arnon Milchan, who also produced the 1987 version, initially looked at directors Michael Bay and Antoine Fuqua before reaching out to Tony Scott to see if he was still interested.[12]20th Century Fox intended for the film to remain set in Italy, with an early draft of the script taking place in Naples.[13] However, Scott argued that if the setting remained Italy, the film would need to be a period piece, as kidnappings had become increasingly rare there by the 2000s. Ultimately, Mexico City was chosen as the new setting due to its high kidnapping rate and other unspecified reasons.[12][14] This shift resulted in changes to character names: Rika Balletto was renamed Lisa Martin Ramos, Pinta Balletto became Lupita "Pita" Ramos, and Ettore Balletto was changed to Samuel Ramos.
In adapting Quinnell's novel, screenwriter Brian Helgeland retained much of the original dialogue, a fact that Quinnell noted favorably after the film's release.[14] The kidnappers in the film, brothers Daniel and Aurelio Sánchez, were allusions to the notorious "Ear Lopper brothers", Daniel and Aurelio Arizmendi Lopez, who were infamous for serial kidnappings and murders. Kevin Freese of the Foreign Military Studies Office remarked that this reference appeared to go unnoticed by much of the audience.[15]
Henry Bean served as an uncredited script doctor for the film. Additionally, the name of Pita's dog, Sam, serves as a nod to her character's name in the 1987 film—Samantha "Sam" Balletto.
Casting
Robert De Niro was initially offered the role of Creasy, and Gene Hackman was also considered for the part.[13][16] However, Tony Scott ultimately cast Denzel Washington in the role after they had previously collaborated on the action thriller film Crimson Tide (1995).[17]Marlon Brando was originally the top choice to play Rayburn, having been Scott's first pick for the role of Creasy back in 1983.[18]
Ricardo Darín was offered the role of The Voice but declined the opportunity.
Scott cited the epic crime film City of God (2002) as a significant influence on the film's style, and he paid homage to that film by hiring actors Gero Camilo and Charles Paraventi for roles in Man on Fire.[19]
Filming
Principal photography for Man on Fire took place in Mexico, primarily in Mexico City, Ciudad Juárez, and Puebla. Interior scenes were filmed at Estudios Churubusco. Marcelo Ebrard, who was the Chief of Police for Mexico City at the time, served as a consultant to the producers, with the hope that the film would raise awareness about the ongoing issue of kidnappings in the region.
Release and reception
Box office
Man on Fire opened in the U.S. on April 23, 2004, in 2,980 theaters, grossing $22,751,490 during its opening weekend, with an average of $7,634 per theater, ranking #1 at the box-office. The film's widest release expanded to 2,986 theaters, ultimately earning $77,911,774 in North America and $52,381,940 internationally, for a total worldwide gross of $130,293,714 against a production budget of $60–70 million.[2][3][20] Additionally, the film performed well in the U.S. home video market, generating over $123 million in DVD and VHS rentals and sales.[21]
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, Man on Fire holds a rating of 39% based on 168 reviews, with an average rating of 5.30/10. The consensus notes that "Man on Fire's solid action and top-shelf cast are undone by a relentlessly grim story that gets harder to take the longer it goes on."[22] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 47 out of 100 based on 36 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[23] However, audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A−" on a scale from A to F.[24][25][26][27]
Paul Davies, a journalist, observed that the critical reception of Man on Fire in the United States was "somewhat less than kind," largely due to critics' disapproval of Creasy's vigilantism. Davies argued that "most critics missed" that Creasy does not take "sadistic pleasure" in his actions; instead, he kills to extract information and pursue those involved in Pita Ramos's kidnapping, aiming to avoid harming innocent parties.[28]
A. J. Quinnell, the author of the original novel, had a favorable reception to this adaptation, particularly praising the film for incorporating many lines from the book.[29] He noted that he typically dislikes film adaptations but felt the writers "did a good job with Man on Fire," and he loved the chemistry between Creasy and Pita. Quinnell expressed initial shock at Denzel Washington being cast as Creasy, stating, "When I first heard Denzel was playing the part of Creasy, I missed a couple of heartbeats," but ultimately commended Washington's performance, acknowledging the film's violence and the importance of portraying Creasy's anger effectively.[29]
The cut "Smiling" from the soundtrack of Man on Fire, composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, was adopted as the theme for several television commercials for Omega watches from 2012 to 2013. The soundtrack, featuring 20 tracks, was released on July 27, 2004.[30]
Additionally, the film prominently features music by Nine Inch Nails, with lead singer Trent Reznor credited as "Musical Consultant." The soundtrack includes six songs by Nine Inch Nails.[31]
Remake
In 2005, a Hindi remake of Man on Fire, titled Ek Ajnabee, was directed by Apoorva Lakhia and starred Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role, renamed Suryaveer "Surya" Singh.[32] Additionally, the film was also remade in Tamil that same year as Aanai, featuring Arjun Sarja in the lead role.[33]
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, producer, and director. Known for his dramatic roles on stage and screen, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of his generation. Over his career he has received several accolades, including two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Tony Award as well as nominations for two Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award. Washington has been honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2016, AFI Life Achievement Award in 2019, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022. In 2020, The New York Times named him the "Greatest Actor of the 21st Century ".
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Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. is an American actor and former professional boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading man in drama, action, and thriller films.
Philip Nicholson, known by his pen name A. J. Quinnell, was an English thriller novelist. He is best known for his novel Man on Fire, which has been adapted to film twice, most recently in 2004 featuring Denzel Washington. Later in life he spent much of his time in Gozo, Malta, where he died.
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Man on Fire is a 1987 action thriller film directed by Élie Chouraqui and starring Scott Glenn and Jade Malle. It is based on the 1980 novel of the same name by A. J. Quinnell, with a screenplay by Chouraqui, Sergio Donati, and Fabrice Ziolkowski. The rest of the cast includes Joe Pesci, Jonathan Pryce, Brooke Adams, Danny Aiello, and Paul Shenar.
Man on Fire is a 1980 thriller novel by the English novelist Philip Nicholson, writing as A. J. Quinnell. The plot features his popular character Creasy, an American-born former member of the French Foreign Legion, in his first appearance.
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Man on Fire may refer to:
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1 2 "The Making of 'Man on Fire'." About 37:50, interview segment of Mickey Rourke
1 2 Davies, Paul (2010), "'Be not overcome by evil but overcome evil with good': The Theology of Evil in Man on Fire". In Nancy Billias (ed.), Producing and Promoting Evil. Rodopi Publishers, 221. Retrieved March 30, 2011. ISBN90-420-2939-0, ISBN978-90-420-2939-2.
1 2 "The Stax Report: Script Review of Man on Fire". IGN. May 8, 2003. Retrieved January 18, 2011. "Creasy is hired to serve as a bodyguard for the Balletto family of Naples (although since the film is being shot in Mexico City perhaps the story's locale has been changed since this draft was written)." and "Rika Balletto (Mitchell), the beautiful wife of struggling but well-to-do businessman Ettore, convinces her aloof husband to hire protection for their precocious young daughter Pinta (Fanning)."
↑ McCarthy, Todd (April 21, 2004). "Man on Fire". Variety. One of the more absorbing and palatable entries in the rather disreputable "Death Wish"-style self-appointed vigilante sub-genre.
↑ Davies, Paul (2010), "'Be not overcome by evil but overcome evil with good': The Theology of Evil in Man on Fire". In Billias (ed.), Producing and Promoting Evil, 222. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
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