Considered one of the greatest interpreters of world cinema, the two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington yes in the early 2000s dedicated to some famous thriller films. From Training day to Out of Time, he thus proved to be particularly at ease in this genre, showing off a unique stage presence. Among the most popular titles of those years there is Man on Fire – The fire of revengedirected in 2004 by Tony Scott and written by Brian Helgeland. At the heart of this is a man who knows no bounds intent on searching for a mysteriously abducted little girl.

This is based on the novel of the same name by AJ Quinnellfrom which a film had already been made in 1987, A man under firewith Scott Glenn in the role of the protagonist. For this new transposition, however, Scott decided to make substantial changes, effectively updating the context and the topics covered. Contrary to the first film set, like the novel, in Italy, Man on Fire – The fire of revenge now takes place in Mexico City, a place infamous for its high rate of kidnappings and crime. In doing so, Scott was therefore able to give life to an unpublished version of the story, while maintaining its basic themes unchanged.

Established as a good success, with 130 million dollars in receipts against a budget of 70, Man on Fire – The fire of revenge it is still today a title particularly appreciated by fans of the genre, attracted as much by its narrative tension as by the more action sequences. Before embarking on a vision of the film, however, it will certainly be useful to delve into some of the main curiosities related to this. Continuing here in the reading it will in fact be possible to find further details relating to the plotto the cast of actors and to true story behind this story. Finally, the main ones will also be listed streaming platforms containing the film in their catalogue.

Man on Fire – The fire of revenge: the plot of the movie

The protagonist of the film is the former CIA agent John Creasy, grumpy man and tormented as much by alcohol as by his painful past. After a break in which he has traveled the world in search of distractions and a new self, John returns to Mexico to meet an old friend of his, Paul Rayburn. He now runs a bodyguard agency, whose main clients are wealthy families eager to receive special protections. Paul then proposes to John to carry out a delicate case for him, namely that of taking care of the little girl Pita, daughter of Mr and Mrs Ramos. Though initially reluctant to make such a commitment, John ends up agreeing.

Thus he begins to follow the little girl everywhere, accompanying her both to school and on other tours. While initially annoyed by her numerous questions about her work, John slowly begins to develop a certain affection for her baby, eventually becoming her friend. However, their tranquility is abruptly broken when the little girl is kidnapped under the eyes of John, who is wounded and unable to prevent this event. Loaded with hatred and desire for revenge, for John it is the beginning of a long quest that will lead him to bring out again his character as an unstoppable killing machine. He is ready to do anything to find and save the little girl.

Man on Fire – The fire of revenge: the cast of the film

To interpret the character of John Creasy there is, as anticipated, the actor Denzel Washington. He got the part after meeting Scott by chance in a doctor’s office. Fascinated by the actor’s physicality, the director decided to entrust him with the part. To prepare for the character, Washington consulted several bodyguards, learning from them the secrets and dangers of the trade. At the same time he practiced using weapons and always remained in character when he was on set. Next to him, in the role of little Pita, there is a very young girl Dakota Fanning. This one particularly impressed Washington because of his talent. For her character, the actress also took piano lessons, new and Spanish.

The Oscar winner Christopher Walken instead he plays the character of Paul Rayburn, Creasy’s friend. The actor was actually originally offered the role of Jordan Kalfus, the Ramos’ lawyer, but he preferred not to take on the role having already played too many villains in those years. To have the role of Kalfus was therefore Mickey Rourke, who during the film did not have good relations with Washington, making the conflict between their characters all the more real. Pita’s parents, Lisa Martin and Samuel Ramos, are played by the actors Radha Mitchell And Marc Anthony. Finally, the Italian actor is also present Giancarlo Giannini as Miguel Manzano, head of the Federal Ministerial Police.

The true story of Man on Fire – The fire of revengethe trailer and where to see the film in streaming and on TV

Although not a true story, that of Man on Fire however, it is inspired by a series of episodes of real-life kidnappings. In particular, Quinnell, author of the novel, was particularly struck by two events. The first concerns the kidnapping of the son of a wealthy Singaporean man, who refused to pay the ransom leading inevitably to the death of his son. The second, however, is the famous case of the kidnapping of John Paul Getty, which took place in 1973 in Rome. Since such cases were frequent in Italy at the time, the writer therefore decided to set his novel there. This problematic reality is today more widespread in Mexico and in Mexico City, where therefore Scott preferred to set his version.

It is possible to enjoy the film thanks to its presence on some of the most popular streaming platforms on the net today. Man on Fire – The fire of revenge it is in fact available in the catalogs of Chili Cinema, Google Play and Amazon Prime Videos. To see it, once the reference platform has been chosen, it will be enough to rent the single film or subscribe to a general subscription. In this way you will be able to watch it in total comfort and at the best video quality. It should be noted that in the case of rental, there will only be a given time limit within which to view the title. The film is also present in the television schedule of Friday 12 May at 21:20 On the canal Rai 4.

Source: IMDb