To Live and Die in L.A.

The 1980s catches hell for being a shitty decade for movies. Hard to argue the point after notorious bombs like Heaven’s Gate and Ishtar left a foul stench permeating studio backlots. Not to mention four of the worst Best Picture Winners in ten years with the likes of Ordinary People, Chariots of Fire, Driving Miss Daisy, and Dances With Wolves. Alright, so the 80s sucked. However, a lot of quality flicks by great directors went unnoticed without reason. William Friedkin’s To Live and Die in L.A. is one such film. Violent and provocative it stands as one of the decade’s best crime thrillers.

U.S. Treasury Agent Richard Chance (William Peterson) just lost his partner at the hands of elusive counterfeiter Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe). Chance, along with new partner John Vukovich, embark on an obsessive mission to bring down Masters. A distraught Chance eschews procedure and will stop at nothing to exact vengeance. His reckless behavior causes tension with Vukovich, but Chance’s experience and charisma are enough to convince his reluctant partner to join him on a path toward personal and professional destruction.

Chance and Vukovich go undercover to get close to Masters. They set up a deal but need $50,000 to buy in. Unable to secure cash from the Agency Chance devises a scheme to rob a drug mule. A simple plan implodes, leaving the drug mule dead, and Chance and Vukovich racing the wrong way down the L.A. freeway with armed gunmen in chase. Narrowly escaping with the 50K the duo secure a meeting with Masters to purchase funny money. A late night rendezvous leads to a bloody and shocking climax.

To Live and Die in L.A.1

No one gets out of this movie alive or unscathed. Questions of morality are aplenty as the line between “good” and “bad” is constantly crossed. Everyone breaks the rules, everyone is in it for themselves. I can’t remember seeing a more engaging group of dishonest scumbags in one film, except maybe Pulp Fiction. William Peterson carries the story as the driven, arrogant Chance and Willem Dafoe provides a chilling turn as the serpentine Rick Masters. Friedkin never takes his foot off the gas pushing the action-filled plot forward, highlighted by an intense car chase rivaling the one from his masterful The French Connection. To Live and Die in L.A. belongs on the list of great 80s cop movies alongside 48 HRS., Year of the Dragon, and Lethal Weapon.

The trailer for To Live and Die in L.A.: