Not so much a remake of the 1992 Abel Ferrara cop classic, which starred Harvey Keitel in the lead role, as a total reimagining, Werner Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans is an acquired taste. It is an overwhelming and, at times, difficult ode to unchecked power and excess but, if you surrender yourself to Herzog’s vision, it’s an unforgettable and exhilarating experience.
On the face of it, John Maringouin’s film following Slovenian endurance swimmer Martin Strel’s attempt to swim the Amazon River is a straightforward documentary, combining interviews with Strel and his team along with footage of him training and his past triumphs. Yet as the film progresses you realise that this is part doc, part art installation and part experimenta, with dreamlike sequences and mesmeric narration weaving through the footage; some of it seemingly staged. As you get to know the hulking figure at the centre of the film, you begin to understand why Maringouin has taken this approach.
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