by Danial Cousins
Training Day is a groundbreaking film about power and ethics within law enforcement. Nominated for 23 awards, and winning 17 (including an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Denzel Washington), Training Day takes absolute control of a narrative unfolding the realities of people in power. Training Day follows the story of Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke), a rookie cop on his first day working in a specialized narcotics division in L.A., supervised by Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington). From Alonzo’s very introduction, it’s clear he will absolutely dominate the film.
Alonzo dissociates himself from the academy at which Jake was trained because “It’ll get [him] killed.” We learn some of Alonzo’s main priorities from their first conversation: he believes that the most interesting story Alonzo could tell about his career would be about him sleeping with his female partner in the back seat of the squad car. Contrasting Alonzo, Jake is young and hopeful, he wants to “chase down bad guys” and get criminals off the street for a better world.
Alonzo dissociates himself from the academy at which Jake was trained because “It’ll get [him] killed.” We learn some of Alonzo’s main priorities from their first conversation: he believes that the most interesting story Alonzo could tell about his career would be about him sleeping with his female partner in the back seat of the squad car. Contrasting Alonzo, Jake is young and hopeful, he wants to “chase down bad guys” and get criminals off the street for a better world.
