Imperium (2016) Review!!!

Synopsis – Idealistic FBI agent Nate Foster goes undercover to take down a radical white supremacy terrorist group. The up-and-coming analyst must confront the challenge of sticking to a new identity while maintaining his real principles as he navigates the dangerous underworld of white supremacy.

My Take – Growing up during the peak of the Harry Potter craze, I naturally became a fan of Daniel Radcliffe, especially due to his excellent portrayal of the fan favorite titular character. As a result, till date anything he is associated to ends up in my watch list. The film here in question has been receiving a lot of hype mainly due to its odd casting of Radcliffe as a white supremacist. From an audience perspective, Radcliffe might seem like a poor choice to be cast as a skin head/Nazi, but after watching this film considering his characteristics, he makes perfect sense in the film. This is a suspenseful thriller that thrills you to the edge of your seat before you realize you’re so close to the edge of almost falling off. It takes into account that the people depicted in the film are humans and the main character has to infiltrate and humanize them in order to complete his mission. Yes, this film has characters him spouting racial slurs, giving Nazi salutes, and wearing a white power T-shirts, and enough content to raise your racial radar, but instead of being just a thought-provoking social commentary, the film is more of a dime-a- dozen, race-baiting regressive thriller, which is out to remind the American public that foreign terrorists are not the only ones that are a threat. Violent white supremacists are real, and they really do want to hurt people. Written & directed by Daniel Ragussis from a story by former FBI agent Michael German, who spent 20 months undercover with white supremacist groups before quitting the bureau in the early ’00s. That experience gives the film a certain authority that is its biggest asset, not entirely making up for its narrative shortcomings but leaving viewers with the disquieting feeling that we all are afraid of the wrong things.

The story follows nerdy FBI Agent Nate Foster (Daniel Radcliffe), an up-and-coming analyst recruited to take down plotting extremist white supremacist terrorist groups at the behest of ambitious and gum-chewing Angela Zamparo (Toni Collette). This is Foster’s time to shine as his career thus far has been limited to paper pushing and desk work, leaving his fellow agents to mock and haze him. Against his ideals, and very out of character for the wine sipping and lonely Foster, he assumes the role as a neo-Nazi, one well-read and versed on the subject. This means shaving his head, and immersing himself in their ideology and lifestyle in order to take down radical white supremacist groups who may be planning nefarious acts with illegally obtained Caesium-137, a radioactive element used to create the dirtiest of dirty bombs. As Nate dives deeper and deeper into the world of the Aryan Brotherhood he discovers that even the most vile actions are inspired by one simple feeling: Fear. These gang members fear a world where they do not see non-Jewish Caucasians in positions of power. They believe abortion and gay marriage threatens white culture, as does seemingly innocuous things like wearing a pair of Levis jeans, and because of this they feel compelled to take action. Nate does his best to steer those on the fence toward a better perspective, but only to the extent he can do so without blowing his own cover. The rest are hopeless, or so they seem, and they are very suspicious of newcomers like Nate. Unlike many films that attempt to tackle racism and white supremacy groups through violent encounters and criminal conduct, the film approaches the world in such a way as to attempt educating viewers on why certain people feel moved to participate in these organizations. Nate’s knowledge of these groups prior to his undercover work is essentially that of any average person, which allows viewers to feel as if they are a part of his journey when it finally begins. Ragussis and German never attempt to convince you that hate groups are right, but they do work to destroy the stereotypes surrounding how individuals who adhere to the beliefs of those groups present themselves. The classic skinheads are present, but so are people who would disappear in a crowd. There are teachers, engineers, and a wide variety of seemingly average Caucasians filling the ranks, and that reveal to the audience is enough to send shivers down your spine.

Although it does take a few minutes to meditate on the victim mentality that drives the frustration that leads to hate, the film is less concerned with why people become white supremacists and more with the who’s and the how’s of the movement. The film serves as a bit of a field guide to hate groups: There are the jackbooted skinheads Foster joins up with initially, self-proclaimed “Aryan warriors” who threaten interracial couples in the street and aren’t nearly as tough as they think they are. Then there’s the militia group Aryan Alliance, slightly better organized, way better armed, and still not as tough as they think they are. Most sinister of all are the KKK and fellow travelers like gentleman racist Gerry Conway (Sam Trammell), a vegetarian white-collar professional who uses his love of classical music to justify his belief in the inherent superiority of European culture. Despite what its charged ambiance may suggest, there isn’t much violence in the film but a number of scenes are inflammatory. And all of it is further fuelled by is its kinetic camera-work, taut editing & a surprisingly intense performances. While entertaining, the film is thinly spread out and frustrating in its lack of psychological complexity. Never do we feel that Foster is in way over his head or conflicted about what he sees. By the end, you realize how straightforward this story is, opting instead to entertain with thrilling moments as an accessible film for casual audiences. Although much of this film’s strong suits are in the tension and compelling drama created by director Ragussis, a lot of this film is carried by it’s actors–namely Radcliffe. When the film began, I wasn’t digging his performance, specifically his bad American accent, but all of that changes when he’s finally sent out into the field. When he finally leaves the office and begins going undercover, he is given the responsibility of carrying the film and does it admirably. Even though the accent bothered me at first, when Radcliffe finally gets comfortable in the role it turns into one of the best performances he’s ever given. With range. Radcliffe isn’t the only great performance here though, much of the supporting cast help carry the compelling dialogue given to them. Toni Colette is easily the best here that she’s been in a while, showing more range than I’ve seen her give in some time. Even your minor characters like Nestor Carbonell as one of Radcliffe’s superiors at the FBI, or even Sam Trammell as an unconventional White Supremacist make huge impacts despite their small screen time. This is just one of those films where you can feel that everyone involved is enjoying their work. On the whole, ‘Imperium’ is an engaging & a compelling white supremacist thriller that is accompanied by Daniel Radcliffe’s powerful performance.