Code of Silence
by Andrew Davis
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Actor: Bert Remsen, Chuck Norris, Henry Silva, Mike Genovese, Nathan DavisDirector: Andrew Davis
Brand: NORRIS,CHUCK
Cinematographer: Frank Tidy
Editor: Christopher Holmes
Producer: Raymond Wagner
Writer: Dennis Shryack
Writer: John Mason
Writer: Michael Butler
Writer: Mike Gray
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; Spanish (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 101 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2000-11-21
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
DVD Reviews of Code of Silence
DVD Review: Chucko kills even more baddies
Summary: 5 Stars
He's mean, he's lean, and he's not about to do things by the book! Welcome to the world of the action star, that social loner who won't sit idly by when the scum of the earth prey on the human race. While the rest of us live our little lives playing by the rules like the dupes we are, these guys go out and make a difference. They actually like us despite our weaknesses, amazingly enough, and take care of us out of a sense of responsibility similar to what a lord used to feel for his peons. No matter what they do or whom they kill in the process their instincts never fail them. Even when their partner, significant other, child, or anyone else close to them dies horribly as a result of the threat the action star poses to the villains, they never swerve from their core principles. Their superiors recognize the action star's godlike powers and, while complaining publicly about their reckless behavior, put them right back out on the street to kill the bad guys. No investigative committee will stop these right-wing heroes from mopping up the riffraff. Who needs lawyers or a judicial system when we've got Charles Bronson, Sylvester Stallone, or Chuck Norris? Not me.
I used the above description for another of Chuck Norris's films, but it applies to virtually every American action film made in the last thirty years. It definitely applies to every Norris film, especially "Code of Silence," a movie widely considered to be this actor's best big screen role. Norris plays Chicago cop Eddie Cusack, the archetypical loner with a chip on his shoulder. He exasperates his superiors, banters endlessly with his partner Dorato (Dennis Farina), and will move heaven and earth to bring down the bad guys. His sense of right and wrong is infallible. Whereas other police officers agonize over making the right decisions, Cusack never falters. After Dorato goes on the injured list due to a botched bust, Eddie's new partner Nick Kopalas (Joe Guzaldo) seeks Cusack's advice on a particularly difficult problem involving the code of silence that unites police officers. Kopalas's original partner, the aging alcoholic Cragie (Ralph Foody), accidentally shot a kid during the aforementioned bust. Kopalas saw his partner plant a gun in the deceased victim's hand. What's a young cop with no time on the force to do? If he turns in Cragie everyone will hate him. If he doesn't, he's no better than the street scum he encounters every day. Ah, such moral conundrums!
"Code of Silence" slathers this subplot in lots of action centering on an emerging gang war between Colombian drug kingpin Luis Comancho (Henry Silva) and a mafia don named Felix Scalese (Nathan Davis). Scalese's underling Tony Luna (Mike Genovese) touched off the crime wave when he interfered in the drug bust mentioned above. Luna wisely leaves town for a quick vacation, but his daughter Diana (Molly Hagan) remains in harm's way. As Comancho launches a series of revenge assaults against the Chicago mafia, it's up to Eddie Cusack to kill a bunch of people and sort through the bodies. He also acts as a protector for Diana after she narrowly escapes execution at the hands of Comancho's thugs. Eventually these two threads, the code of silence issue and the mob war, come together in an action packed ending loaded with explosions and a high body count. Cusack's fellow cops learn a thing or two about the antiquated notion of sticking together no matter what in the process. "Code of Silence" contains a little bit of everything, including action, a message, romance, and humor. Especially amusing is a scene where two street thugs attempt to rob the bar where Cusack and his fellow cops hang out. Ooops!
The best thing "Code of Silence" has going for it is its authentic set pieces. Director Andrew Davis filmed the movie in Chicago and cast a lot of people that look and sound like native Chicagoans. I saw several actors playing cops here that I've seen playing Chicago police officers in other films set in that city. When we see Norris fighting a punk on top of a train, not only do we realize that it's actually him up there doing the stunt but also that it's the famous Chicago loop. Filming in Chicago works, giving the movie a hard-edged realism missing in most other action films. Thankfully the performances elevate the film as well. Norris actually shows a bit of range in the Cusack role, something he seems largely incapable of in many of his other movies, and having Farina and Silva onboard certainly gives the picture more oomph. I've always maintained that casting Henry Silva as the primary villain in any movie adds at least a star to the overall rating of that picture, and I can say the same thing here. Watching Silva dissolve into one of his trademark rages is always worth the price of admission. It's unfortunate in the extreme that his advanced age prohibits him from making films nowadays.
MGM is spending a bunch of bucks releasing many of these old 1980s actioners to DVD. "Code of Silence" receives a widescreen anamorphic picture transfer but only a trailer as an extra. I've said it before and I'll say it again: why can't MGM contact Norris or the director in order to record a commentary track? For that matter, why not dig up some promotional materials for the film and throw it on the disc? Because the studio is cheap, apparently. Oh well, at least we can revisit these old movies without having to resort to ragged VHS copies. Give "Code of Silence" a watch soon.
Description of Code of Silence
A police detective sergeant sets out to free the kidnapped daughter of an underworld don. He also works to protect the life of a rookie cop.Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 13-DEC-2005
Media Type: DVD
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