Taglines: Their City. Their Rules. No Prisoners.
Street Kings movie storyline. Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves), a veteran LAPD Vice Detective. Ludlow sets out on a quest to discover the killers of his former partner, Detective Terrance Washington (Terry Crews). Captain Wander (Forest Whitaker), Ludlow’s supervisor, whose duties include keeping him within the confines of the law and out of the clutches of Internal Affairs Captain Biggs (Hugh Laurie).
Ludlow teams up with a young Robbery Homicide Detective (Chris Evans) to track Washington’s killers through the diverse communities of Los Angeles. Their determination pays off when the two Detectives track down Washington’s murderers and confront them in an attempt to bring them to justice.
Street Kings is a 2008 American crime thriller film directed by David Ayer, and starring Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans, Common and The Game. It was released in theaters on April 11, 2008. The initial screenplay drafts were written by James Ellroy in the late 1990s under the title The Night Watchman. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $12 million from 2,467 theaters, finishing second at the box office. It went on to gross $26.4 million domestically and $39.2 million internationally for a total of $65.6 million.
Brotherhood and Betrayal
“If you and Wander keep tearing down the law to go after the devil, what protection will we have when the devil comes after us?” Captain Biggs
When first introduced to Detective Tom Ludlow, he is still reeling from the death of his wife and finds solace in the bottle. He lives in the shadows of the streets and while he works alone, he serves under the protection of the brotherhood of Ad Vice and its leader, the enigmatic Captain Jack Wander.
“Ludlow started out with righteous intentions wanting to save the world but somehow finds himself going very wrong,” comments Ayer. “He’s a man with a moral compass, which is why he’s so troubled, and senses somehow that his life isn’t going the right way.”
STREET KINGS asks some provocative questions. What price should be paid for the greater good and at whose expense? Where does the responsibility lie for a broken system and how can we fault those who put themselves in harms way? Who protects those who protect us? Essentially it is a story of brotherhood, loyalty and survival and all the gray areas in between.
“What makes this story interesting to me is that there’s nuance to these characters and everyone has a shade of gray,” explains David Ayer. “It’s an urban thriller, so everyone’s a little bit corrupt, but I think the same is true in real life. Nobody wakes up and thinks they’re the bad guy. In their eyes they have found themselves in situations that grew beyond their control and are trying to survive.”
David Ayer continues that although the film deals with the darker aspects of who we are as people, it illustrates there is always the opportunity for redemption: “The film is structured like a tragedy and feels like a train wreck, but there is incredible redemption there. There is a message that no matter how far gone you are, there is always a way back.”
“Anytime you try to tell a story that’s populated by real people, there is going to be heroism, darkness, idealism, corruption, betrayal and love,” says Stoff. “Those are all the facets of life in every city and we weren’t interested in telling a story that was only dark and nihilistic that didn’t leave you without someone finding their higher purpose. While the story certainly takes a very dark and disturbing turn, it really is the story of a hero.”
The Noble Warrior Digging deep: Keanu Reeves as Tom Ludlow
“You’re the tip of the spear, man. Who’ll hold back the animals?” – Captain Jack Wander
With the success of such films as SPEED and THE MAXTRIX trilogy, Keanu Reeves has become one of the most beloved and iconic actors of his generation. His films have made an indelible mark on the landscape of filmmaking and he has one of the most recognizable faces in the world. In STREET KINGS, Reeves and his manager / producer Erwin Stoff saw an opportunity to tackle a complex role with a fully formed and personal performance.
“After initially reading the script I thought this role would be a singularly fantastic opportunity for Keanu as an actor,” recalls producer Erwin Stoff. “He is not the type of actor who wants an expectation placed on him of the kind of roles he should take and that’s been the hallmark of his career.”
“I was intrigued by the level of violence surrounding the character and the dramatic consequences of that,” explains Keanu Reeves. “He can be viewed as either someone who kills in the name of the law or someone who delivers justice. Dramatically, there’s a high price to pay and I was interested in how it would all play out.”
To help extract an honest and truthful performance from Reeves, David Ayer attempted to create a world steeped in truth and grit by surrounding the actor with plenty of physical realism to draw from. He was immersed in the culture of Los Angeles and some of the most challenged areas in the city.
“What was very exciting to me was the idea of Keanu Reeves going into the ghetto and playing a very realistic organic character with a nuanced intense performance,” explains David Ayer. “In this film he’s not fighting aliens or robots, he’s fighting gang bangers, cops and police corruption, so we wanted to help him get to the point where he felt a part of that world to get that very psychologically realistic performance. It was incredible.”
Tom Ludlow is man dealing with many demons, both in the real world and within himself. He is a dedicated police officer who touches the darkest elements of society while still reeling from the loss of his wife. The depth of the character gave Reeves the opportunity to live in the skin of someone who is very different from himself.
“The character of Tom Ludlow is an interesting head space for Keanu to get into,” explains Foster. “Keanu is very much a pacifist in real life and we’ve asked him to play a very dark human and it’s been amazing to watch him rise to the challenge.”
“I’m an actor and it’s all make believe, but in the imagining of this world steeped in violence it can be intoxicating,” remarks Reeves. “Violence is an elemental force and acting it out has a weird illusion of control. Ludlow is lashing out and using violence to get to the truth, but as someone says in the film, ‘Blood doesn’t wash away blood.’ In the end, violence doesn’t change anything.”
The Leader: Forest Whitaker as Captain Wander
“Go huntin’. Have a good time. Do what you do. But you cannot bring them in. Do it the old way and settle it out there. King’s X.” – Captain Jack Wander
Captain Jack Wander is a larger-than-life figure who has gradually accumulated a great deal of power within the ranks of the LAPD. He is known as a man who gets results and his unit has the track record to show for it. He leads his men with fierce confidence and serves up an intense psychology to his followers.
A palpable brotherhood exists within his unit where his men find unwavering loyalty, protection and a sense of family. Although Ad Vice knowingly goes outside the limits of the law to get the job done, the men are unwavering in their dedication to their leader, who they lovingly refer to as “King Wander”.
“In developing these characters, I always saw Wander as the father of a dysfunctional family,” explains David Ayer. “In dysfunctional families you’re often handed your reality by Dad who tells you how ugly the world is outside the house but that inside the house there’s love. He makes them believe that what they’re doing is for their own good and uses that sort of abusive psychology.”
To bring the role of Jack Wander to life, the filmmakers would need a powerful actor to flesh out this intense and charismatic man who is capable of leading men into harm’s way with unflappable dedication. They got their wish in Academy Award winning actor Forest Whitaker, who was attracted to the character’s strength and unwavering confidence.
“To me, Wander is a guy whose trying to take care of what he considers his family,” explains Forest Whitaker. “He lives by a code and feels like he’s justified in acquiring power.”
In the film, Wander is an LAPD captain in a specialized unit on his way to becoming Commander. His career trajectory seems unstoppable and dreams of taking it all the way. When Captain Biggs from Internal Affairs starts sniffing around asking questions about protocol and the methods used within Wander’s department, Ludlow relents to protect his mentor and family against anyone who threatens it. While Wander and his men are working outside the confines of the law, they are looking into the face of darkness going head to head with society’s ugly truths.
When Ludlow begins investigating the murder his former partner, Detective Terrence Washington, he begins to discover corruption within the force and begins to view Wander and his brethren with new eyes. Whitaker argues “After looking into the face of darkness coupled with the death of his wife, I think Ludlow’s been numb for a while. When he is implicated in Washington’s murder, he really begins to investigate his own life which is intertwined with mine and I have to make sure he stands strong to keep my world in place.”
Wander’s methods of achieving his version of justice are unforgiving and Ludlow serves as his personal enforcer and favorite son. Whitaker notes, “Ludlow is the family member Wander is closest to and if he falls, the whole house of cards could come down.”
In his illustrious career, Forest Whitaker has played numerous cops on both the big and small screen and came into the project with an extensive amount of knowledge of the inner-workings of law enforcement. For this material, Whitaker also draws from his own experiences growing up on the streets of Los Angeles. “I played a cop on ‘The Shield’ for a year and have been on many drive-alongs and had extensive weapons training so I’ve done that research. In my personal experience, growing up in Los Angeles, I know about cops from the other side. I know how they throw people on the ground and shine lights on them because I’ve dealt with them. I know what they say to you when you’re arrested, so I feel I probably have more research than most.”
Forest Whitaker and Keanu Reeves worked with David Ayer before production to flesh out the dynamics between these two connected souls. “When we did rehearsals, I was privileged to see Forest and Keanu together for the first time and witness first hand the incredible chemistry. You never know when putting actors together how they are going to click because at the end of the day we’re all real people and we’re all complex. The second they sat down together and started riffing on the material, it was obvious that they would be a believable combination.”
“I think Keanu is great in the film and is an actor that people want to walk with,” comments Whitaker. “Audiences can journey through some really dark places with Keanu because he’s the kind of actor you can follow and trust.”
“To me, the movie is really about the relationship between these two characters and Forest and Keanu have been very compelling and amazing to watch,” says Lucas Foster. “They feed off each other and I think we captured a lot of surprising magic between these two actors who are very much their characters in the moment.”
The Watchful Eyes: Hugh Laurie as Captain Biggs
“I’ve watched you bully, intimidate and blackmail your way up the pay grades for twenty years. I know exactly who you are.” – Captain Biggs
Internal Affairs Captain James Biggs exists between the worlds of the corporate arm of law enforcement and the cops who walk the beat patrolling the streets. When Biggs is first introduced in the film he comes off as illusive, deceitful and out to get the goods on Ludlow, Wander and Ad Vice. His character asks some probing questions of the various shades of grey in the moral landscape of these men. Through the numerous inquiries and relentless pressure, Biggs serves as a peripheral player in the awakening of Ludlow.
“Biggs was one of the most difficult characters to develop in the film,” recalls David Ayer. “He is a very self-aware character who understands the grey areas of this world, yet isn’t cynical and is ultimately very smart and pragmatic.”
To play the character of Captain Biggs, the filmmakers looked to the award winning and accomplished British actor Hugh Laurie to bring him to life. Laurie, who has found great success stateside as the starring role on the popular television series “House,” was interested in both the material and the idea of breaking outside his comfort zone.
“This film was a hard proposition to turn down,” he says. “I absolutely loved TRAINING DAY and David is a very bright and interesting writer and director and I’ve always loved James Ellroy. It was wonderful opportunity to work with this fabulous cast in a very different environment for me. After playing one character for the last three years it was rather wonderful to be able to do something a little different.”
Laurie was also intrigued by the questions that the film raised about the morality and ethics of these men who choose to deal with the darker sides of human nature. “The story has a lot of shadows with a lot of shadowy characters and it’s not easy to place them in positions on a moral scale. It plays into the reality that Los Angeles lends itself a certain moral grayness.”
While Biggs is certainly out to advance his own career, he becomes an unlikely champion for the morality of Ludlow. “While Ludlow is useful to Biggs, Ludlow is the soul for whom these forces are battling,” argues Laurie. “In spite of the violence and sordid nature of how he earns his living, Ludlow is nonetheless an innocent and naïve character. He is the soul for which we are battling.”
David Ayer was impressed by Laurie’s performance and dedication to the complexities of the character. “Hugh did quite a bit of research and was able to understand the politics and psychology of the department. Here you have a British actor from the European school of acting who was able to really transform himself into a captain of the LAPD.”
Laurie was impressed by the performances of his co-stars Keanu Reeves and Forest Whitaker. “Although Forest is the kindest and most gentle person to work with, at the flip of a switch he’s able to summon up the most extraordinary reserves of physical menace and power. Keanu has often played characters who you root for and sympathize with and he’s able to draw on those reserves when delving into some very dark and frightening stuff.”
Inside the Mind of a Gunfighter
“Phonebook Tom, last of the ghetto gunfighters. Heard you got your best confession with a ninety-one directory.” – Captain Biggs
To create the world of STREET KINGS, a great deal of emphasis was placed on the authenticity of everything that related to the specifics of law enforcement and the LAPD. To guarantee absolute accuracy of the aesthetics ranging from tactical techniques to the smallest details of the uniforms, the filmmakers enlisted the expertise of several seasoned ex-LAPD cops as technical advisors on the film.
Technical advisor Jaime Fitzsimons spent fifteen years in the LAPD and worked closely with David Ayer in hopes of bringing an unprecedented insight into the inner workings of the LAPD. “Cops have been portrayed inaccurately in movies for so long and David wanted to make this a real LAPD experience,” explains Fitzsimons. “When you’re an LAPD officer you’re specifically trained a certain way, from tactics to how you wear your uniform and carry your gun. In most movies you don’t see the specifics of an agency like LAPD, you see a mixed bag and we worked very hard to make sure that wouldn’t be the case with this film.”
A thirty-five year veteran of the LAPD, Technical Advisor Brian Davis spent the last twenty years on the force in a very specialized tactical unit that did a lot of undercover work that included extensive surveillance with career criminals, kidnapper and murderers. His unit trained with the Navy Seals, Marine Force Recon and SWAT teams and worked with some of the best shooting instructors in the United States. “My unit got in a lot of shootings and we arrested a lot of bad people. I think the filmmakers wanted me to put my experience into Ludlow as far as the darker side of police work,” says Davis.
Before the onset of production, Keanu Reeves and various other members of the cast were put through extensive training on all the facets of law enforcement. They received firearms training, were taken on ride-alongs through various Los Angeles neighborhoods and instructed on the day-to-day operations of the LAPD.
“We spent a lot of time with the actors preparing for their roles and getting them in the LAPD frame of mind,” recalls Fitzsimons. “We took them on ride-alongs and shared our old war stories and taught them how to properly wear the uniform. Once they put on that uniform and got that feeling of what’s it’s like to wear those blues, they understood.”
To become a true gunfighter, Reeves worked closely with the technical advisors and dedicated a great deal of time and effort towards the training. “Keanu took it very seriously and gave one hundred twenty percent of himself to discover what it’s like to be an LAPD cop,” explains Fitzsimons. “I think any LA cop will watch his performance and think that he is one of them.”
“I taught Keanu how to handle a gun; how it felt, how to shoot it, to the reaction from the recoil, how to walk with it,” explains Davis. “We worked on how to present yourself to suspects and how to approach a scene. He has worked very hard and it shows.”
“I received a lot of training that included simulation, basic timing techniques, double-tap citing, movement, entering rooms, etc.,” recalls Reeves. “We did something called a ‘shoot or don’t shoot’ simulator and it was interesting because when we first started out I was a long-haired hippy who didn’t want to shoot anything while my director David Ayer was killing everything that moved. If I was to do it now, I think I’d be closer to the other guy.”
In addition to the physical training administered for the role, it was important to Ayer that the technical advisors also share the psychological aspects of life as a cop. “In addition to the ride-alongs and tactical training, the experts and advisors were very open about the emotional side and how it affects you, your family and your soul. What happens when you hang up the badge and go home? What is your life like when you’re alone and when it’s quiet?” asks Ayer.
“The advisors were very generous with me in sharing their experiences in balancing the job and life outside of that. They spoke about what it took to have a marriage or kids and deal with all that entails while simultaneously dealing with rapists and killers and how your eyes change. I was able to internalize these deeply affecting and moving stories and imagine the intensity of what they survived all the while trying to have a somewhat normal life,” notes Reeves.
For Ludlow, his alcoholism was a way of escaping the demons that stayed with him at the end of day. “I’m sure Ludlow drinks because of what he’s seen or because of who he is,” explains Davis. “The horrific things you see change you and he’s doing what he has to do and doing it very well. I saw a lot horrible things in the tenure of my career and they stick with you for the rest of your life. People say you learn to live with it, but you don’t”
“I’ve seen a lot of heinous things, but I believe that for some people it is a calling,” explains Fitzsimons. “You get up and do it again no matter how bad the day before. If you’re not out there doing it, then who is?”
The filmmakers worked closely with the technical advisors when approaching the specifics of Washington’s LAPD funeral. There was a meticulous attention to detail from instructing the hundreds of extras in their dress blue uniforms, the numerous props down to proper placement of the police cars and fire trucks within the scene. Both the LAPD honor guard and LAPD Emerald Society were on set to salute and play the bagpipes for the ceremony.
“Being on set on the day of Washington’s funeral made me feel very emotional,” recalls Fitzsimons. “I knew we had all the details right when the motor cops doing security and traffic control for the film said that it made them feel eerie. We worked very hard to make sure that what you see is a real LAPD funeral.”
To raise the bar even further, the filmmakers were able to secure ex-LAPD police chief Daryl Gates to appear in the film as the police chief who speaks at Washington’s funeral. A highly decorated and publicized public figurehead for the LAPD, Gates was attracted to the film’s message of redemption.
“The film doesn’t put the LAPD in the best light, but there is a strong message of redemption and I responded to that,” explains Daryl Gates. “That meant something to me because in my eyes the LAPD is extraordinarily special.”
“We tried to give the film authenticity in every regard and it was David’s idea to ask Daryl Gates to appear as the chief of police,” recalls Lucas Foster. “When we called him he asked if the film was pro police and we told him that it was for certain types of police. We sent him the script and he thought it was excellent. We were so shocked and are so grateful that he was willing to do it.”
“Having Daryl Gates in the film was awesome,” says Reeves. “He is a very nice man and was very cool to everyone. I read his book before meeting him and having him speak at Washington’s funeral brought it to a deeper level for me.”
Inside The Look
“At the end of the day it’s order that counts. Why sweat the details? Gotta break some eggs to make an omelet.” Captain Biggs
Growing up in Los Angeles left an indelible mark on director David Ayer. To Ayer, who grew up on the streets of South Central, his Los Angeles is not one generally seen on the silver screen. More often than not, the under-privileged areas of LA are depicted as gang-infested streets teeming with drugs and drive-bys.
“My Los Angeles is a living world composed of vibrant neighborhoods full of life,” explains David Ayer. “It’s not just gang bangers flexing, it’s families and kids and moms. It’s a very rich world and I think it’s something I’ll always want to revisit. It’s my city.”
“We worked very hard to honor David’s view that Los Angeles is a colorful place with life teeming all around it,” says Production Designer Alec Hammond. “Horrible things don’t happen in isolated areas, there are horrible things that happen right next to families with kids and ice cream trucks. We were very aware of the notion that evil things come to us during everyday life in everyday places.”
Filming took place over forty-one days, many of which took place at night on practical locations. The filmmakers were dedicated to honoring the locations as they are written in the script, which meant shooting in some of the grittier neighborhoods in and around Downtown Los Angeles that are not usually used.
“We really tried to give the film authenticity in every regard and it’s been quite a challenge,” explains Foster. “All the various elements like the types of vehicles, props, wardrobe, set dressing, locations and how we enter a neighborhood and conduct ourselves, all contribute to make the film feel more real.”
While not necessarily the best financial option for the production, shooting in the practical locations within Los Angeles was paramount to director David Ayer, who felt it was worth the extra expenditure. “I feel blessed to shoot in LA. So many productions leave the state and country in the name of the dollar because there’s a premium you pay, but in my mind, the money you spend is just like the premium you pay a good actor. We are essentially paying the city to be a character in the film.”
“Truth of the matter is that we’ve shot this movie in some of the most desperately poor and under-privileged areas of Los Angeles and the graciousness with which we were welcomed was just astounding,” remarks Erwin Stoff. “The people couldn’t have been more welcoming and wherever we were it became a block party. It was one of the great surprises shooting this movie.”
Ayer and Production Designer Alec Hammond worked diligently to research every aspect of the locations down to the cop issued staplers to create the world of STREET KINGS. Hammond went to great pains to differentiate the looks of the different hierarchies within the LAPD. The smallest of details went into distinguishing the differences of the various factions like the Police Commissioner offices that houses the elite faction of robbery homicide and those who cover narcotics, gang work and special affairs to the offices of Internal Affairs. Captains versus the rank and file offices of Ad Vice.
“The Police Commission headquarters is public view bureaucracy where all the desks are the same because it’s a room for public consumption. The other rooms and areas are defined by the characters who inhabit them and what happens to them,” explains Hammond.
“Active duty LAPD cops have come through the sets and they are absolutely blown away. It’s everything from the evidence tags to the core value posters that really sell the reality of the police environment.”
A true reflection of the city of Los Angeles, the set was bi-lingual with many key members of the crew using both English and Spanish. Fluent in Spanish from growing up surrounded by Spanish-speaking people, Ayer unmistakably creates an environment on the set that mirrors the cultural landscape of Los Angeles.
“I’ve never been on a set that’s been truly and genuinely bilingual,” argues Stoff. “Spanish is spoken as much as English is and in that sense it truly feels like a reflection of the city we are shooting in. I’m glad I paid attention to high school and college Spanish.”
Those involved in the film knew they were in good hands under the direction of Ayer. Hugh Laurie comments that, “Every actor places himself in the hands of a director and hopes for the best and in this case, David is an endlessly fascinating, intelligent and thoughtful person. It’s a great privilege to be steered by him because he has a very clear idea of how this world he’s created really operates.”
“When I first came on board this project I was very intimidated to be entrusted with the time and careers of so many wonderful actors who have put their absolute trust in me,” says Ayer. “It’s been a great challenge but everyone has pulled their weight and beyond and I feel honored to have godfathered this process through. I feel a great sense of pride.”
Street Kings (2008)
Directed by: David Ayer
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Jay Mohr, John Corbett, Cedric the Entertainer, Naomi Harris, Amaury Nolasco, Common, The Game, Martha Higareda, Amaury Nolasco
Screenplay by: James Elroy, David Ayer
Production Design by: Alec Hammond
Cinematography by: Gabriel Beristain
Film Editing by: Jeffrey Ford
Costume Design by: Michele Michel
Set Decoration by: Hilton Rosemarin
Music by: Graeme Revell
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence and pervasive language.
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release Date: April 11, 2008
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