Review of Cop Land

When I was in college I remember one of my professors telling me about her experiences as a Spanish instructor for the Memphis Police Department. It was her job to teach the officers common phrases that may be used by Spanish speaking criminals. However, although the officers had been hired as protectors of society, she said that she had never seen a classroom where there was more lying, cheating, and misconduct (and she had previously taught elementary school). In theory police officers are meant to enforce the law, yet this raises the question, who enforces the law upon those who are in many ways above it? In James Mangold's Cop Land (1997) an experienced sheriff in a small town in New Jersey named Freddy Heflin (Sylvester Stallone) slowly learns that the cops in New York City are using their status to get away with murder. When a rookie cop shoots and kills two young African-Americans, a team of New York city officers attempt to cover up the murder by declaring the young cop had committed suicide. Slowly Heflin learns of the corruption and decides to do something about it by taking on the corrupt cops by himself. This film is not necessarily packed with action, but it is certainly never boring. In fact, the slowness of Cop Land adds to the intensity during the final shootout between Heflin and the corrupt officers. Overall, this is one of Stallone's best films, not because of the action sequences but because of the ideas the film explores. Is it the duty of an officer to disturb the peaceful nature of a small town in order to promote justice? In the case of Heflin he decides that since an officer has made an oath to protect society, there are no exceptions in promoting justice even if those who threaten society are officers themselves.

RATING: 3.5/5