Chapter 1 - Introducing Ludlow The Stupid
Meet Vice Detective Tom Ludlow. His job is simple - kill bad guys, make it look like he had no choice, then take all the glory and look like a hero. Really, he's more of a vigilante with a badge. Our man Biggs is onto him, so from the opening scenes of the movie, Biggs has a close eye on Ludlow.
Biggs under the sink!
As Ludlow cleans his gun in the "morning" (he works nights and wakes just before sunset), Biggs hides in the kitchen. The framing of this shot clearly indicates that the filmmakers intend to draw our attention, at least in part, to the cupboard under the sink. They are making us subtly aware that there may be more information on screen than is obvious at first glance. Their hints will become less subtle as we continue through the first act.
Biggs in the trunk!
As Ludlow drives to work (black car on the far left), we see the first appearance of Biggs' second favorite place to hide (we'll get to the first a bit later). He spends a lot of time in trunks of cars. It's handy for following, fairly comfortable once you get used to it, and you can hear most of what's going on inside the car, where shady deals are often made on cell phones.
Biggs still in the trunk!
Ludlow isn't the brightest cookie in the world. Note how he never actually looks in the trunk as he grabs his gun and vest before storming the Korean hideout. This gives Biggs ample opportunity to creep out and get into position inside to witness the upcoming slaughter.
Biggs in the Korean Hideout.
Here we have the first example of a Blue Biggs hint. The windows of the Korean hideout are partly blue - in fact, they rather look like eyes - indicating that Biggs is within.
A Quick Lesson In Biggsspotting
Lesson 1: Blue Biggs
The Sky is Blue. The Sky is Everywhere.
Biggs is Everywhere.
A good filmmaker is always aware of every element used in a movie, not least of which is color. In searching for Biggs we must take into consideration his theme color: Blue.
Nearly every time Biggs himself is seen on screen, he is wearing a blue shirt, and is usually surrounded by blue. Even his eyes are blue. When he is not seen but is present (which is always), there are often blue objects hinting to his location.
Of course, they can't just slap a blue arrow on the screen pointing to where he is hiding, but if we are observant we can notice the hints. Keep an eye out for blue things and you'll be well on your way to locating Biggs!
Ludlow enters the Korean hideout and kills a bunch of bad dudes. Most of them are dead before they can even get to their guns, which is totally against cop rules. Biggs does not approve, and believe me, Biggs is watching.
Can you guess where Biggs is?
Yes, Biggs in the Barrel. If you were paying attention to the first lesson in Biggsspotting, you will have noticed the blue barrels all over the hideout. This barrel in particular gets heavy screentime so it's most likely Biggs' choice, but then again...
Whole Lotta Biggs
Ludlow may be a bit dim, but he's not a complete idiot. He has a sneaky feeling that there are eyes on his actions. He looks around for his watcher (though he doesn't know yet who it is), but not really in a very clever place.
Biggs in the couch? Noooooo....
He finds a gun instead, and uses it to help frame the dead guys. He then looks in this secret room...
Biggs in the secret room?
...but here he finds only some kidnapped girls. Well, that's good too, he figures, so he calls in backup, which turns out to be pretty much the whole police force.
The Eye Of Biggs
Biggs is watching... from the helicopter circling the scene. Note the blue light.
Ludlow gets credit for rescuing the kids, taking out all the bad guys, and saving the whole damn world once again. It's all in a night's work, but tonight is about to go sour. Ludlow heads to the hospital to get stitched up, having been hit in the side during the shootout.
Home | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Credits | Pictures