Watching the Detectives: Denzel Washington is Easy Rawlins in Devil in a Blue Dress
If this were a comic book movie this would be the origin story, as Walter Mosley’s Ezekiel ‘Easy’ Rawlins goes from unemployed army vet to private detective.
Hired by DeWitt Albright (Tom Sizemore) to find a mayoral candidate’s missing girlfriend, it soon becomes clear to Easy that he’s sold his soul to the devil. Albright has a propensity for violence that could be dangerous to the health of anyone who doesn’t do what he expects of them, but Rawlins is too nice a guy just do nothing when it becomes clear that the girl he’s been hired to find is in danger from Albright and his cronies. The fact he’s in the frame for two murders is just another reason to keep digging until he gets to the bottom of the sordid Los Angeles political scandal.
With its political scandal, hidden familial relationships and, of course, the setting, it’s impossible not to draw comparisons with Chinatown, and while it falls short of that films classic status it does a great job of evoking the period (late ‘40s) and place. Carl Franklin’s direction isn’t given to flashy flourishes, preferring to concentrate on the story and the performances rather than dazzle the audience with technical expertise and that unfussy style suits the film perfectly.
Some actors look out of place in a period setting, just look at Josh Hartnett in The Black Dahlia if you want an example, but there are no such shortcomings here. Sizemore is perfect casting as the sleazy, violent Albright, a man who “does favours for people”, while Jennifer Beals has the dangerous sex appeal of a ‘50s femme fatale.
But the film really belongs to two actors, Denzel and Don Cheadle. Washington has a gift for seeming at home in any period, it’s something he’s shown time and again (Malcolm X, Remember the Titans, The Hurricane, and now American Gangster) and he slips into Rawlins with ease. In the black community Easy exudes confidence but when threatened by the police he’s savvy enough to know not to fight back, it’s a fine balancing act but Denzel makes it look easy (pardon the pun). It’s not hard to see the parts attraction, Rawlins isn’t your stereotypical ‘50s black character, he a man with a vision, someone who wants his piece of the American dream and he’ll do what he must to keep it.
As Easy’s childhood friend Mouse, Don Cheadle is a revelation. I confess that I’ve rarely been impressed with him in the past, not disliking him, but rather having a feeling of indifference. Yet as Mouse he’s captivating. Mouse has a tendency towards violence that makes Albright seem tame by comparison; he’s the sort of guy you’d better give clear instructions to, if you want someone kept alive don’t just say “don’t shoot him” or he’ll just find an alternative method of termination. Yet for all his violence he’s not without humour, in fact there is much black humour to be enjoyed in his scenes but Cheadle never goes so far as to lose the characters edge. He’s a disturbed young man, extremely brutal but, thanks to a fine performance, also scarily human.
While not reaching the heights of Chinatown or L.A. Confidential that followed it two years later, Devil in a Blue Dress still ranks as an enjoyable throwback to the golden era of private eye movies, the ‘40s/’50s with Elmer Bernstein’s orchestral score adding to the retro feel. It’s a shame the film wasn’t a hit as it would have been nice to see Denzel return to the part for another adaptation of Mosley’s work. I guess there’s always hope.
