MOVIE REVIEW

Backdraft is a movie about Lt. Stephen "Bull" McCaffrey of Engine 17 of the Chicago Fire Department, and his younger brother Brian McCaffrey, who are the sons of a firefighter killed in the line of duty. The two brothers must come to terms with their relationship as they encounter numerous dangers and problems throughout the city as a result of an arsonist on the loose.

What is the crime?

The crime involves an arsonist who is on the loose in the city of Chicago as numerous fires get set on buildings putting the lives of Engine 17 of the Chicago Fire Department in danger. The arsonist also has a connection to politicians and other influential people in the city, who get involved in the downsizing of the Chicago Fire Department.

 Martin Swayzak, who is an alderman on the Chicago City Council, Donald Cosgrove, the proprietor of a city theatre, a man named Seagrave and others engineer an elaborate fraud scam in which they force the closure of firehouses in Chicago. The closed firehouses later get converted into parks or community centers that benefit a few individuals and in turn cost the jobs and resources of the city’s firefighters.

The crime takes some time before it gets discovered as it leads to the death of Cosgrove, Seagrave, and firefighters Axe and Stephen. It also leads to the injury of Tim, a firefighter at Engine 17. The crime gets discovered after a suggestion by a pyromaniac Ronald, makes Brian start investigating firefighters. He sees a mark on Adcox’s back. Similar to that caused on an arsonist who attempted to put the house of Swayzak on fire. The fraud case on Swayzak gets discovered after Jennifer found criminating evidence in his office. This evidence ruined the perpetrator’s reputation as he could no longer for mayor position.

How does it take place?

The arsonist crime gets perpetrated by the longest serving firefighter at the Chicago Fire Department, John "Axe" Adcox. Adcox served with McCaffrey in the firefighting department and was the brother’s uncle after their father’s death. However, Adcox got fed up with politicians and other influential people closing down fire halls, for the benefit of few individuals hence planned to kill all persons responsible. The politicians also get involved in reducing the number of firefighters in the Chicago fire departments thus placing the lives of the remaining firefighters in danger. 

CHARACTERS

Lt. Stephen "Bull" McCaffrey is a firefighter at the Engine 17 of the Chicago Fire Department. He is a dedicated firefighter who serves the department diligently. He is worried about his brother’s capability to work as a firefighter since the area involves dangerous encounters. Stephen had got married to Helen, who they later got separated. Since the separation, Stephen has been living in his father’s fishing boat near the river. In one firefighting encounter, Stephen and Axe fight on the roof of the building. A blast that occurs from chemical barrels below the wrecks of the catwalk they had stood on, leads to the death of Axe and serious injury of Stephen. Stephen scams to the severe abdomen injuries on his way to the hospital (Mitchell, 1991).

Brian McCaffrey is Stephen’s younger brother. Brian turns to firefighting after attempting on careers in different other areas but fails. Brian first bribes the city fire chief so that his assignment gets set at another location other than Engine 17. However, Stephen influences the decision of the city fire chief, and Brian gets posted at Engine 17. Several days later, Swayzak, a Chicago alderman, gives Brian the opportunity to work with Donald "Shadow" Rimgale, an arson inspector. Rimgale takes Brian to the parole hearing of a pyromaniac, Ronald. Through the help of Jeniffer, Brian discovers evidence in Swayzak’s office that relates to the fraud scam that leads to closure of firehouses throughout the city. Brian and Rimgale arrive at Swayzak’s home in time to save him from an arsonist’s attack. Brian suspects his brother Stephen to be the arsonist; however, during his investigation, he notices a burn on Adcox back that had the shape of an electrical socket. This discovery revealed that Adcox was the arsonist at Swayzak’s house. Brian witnessed the death of his father and brother who were both firefighters.

Inspector (Captain) Donald "Shadow" Rimgale is committed arson investigator and firefighter whose service has got sought since there have been numerous fires that appear to have got perpetrated by pyromaniac Ronald Bartel. Rimgale and Brian work together to uncover the fraud by Swayzak and others that entailed downsizing of fire departments and fake manpower study that resulted in the death of several firefighters.

John "Axe" Adcox is a firefighter but also got involved in arsonist activities due to the frustration by politicians on the fire departments. Adcox got discovered after Brian saw a mark of a burn on his burn that had the shape of an electrical socket. It was the mark that Brian pushed an arsonist against at Swayzak’s house.

Jennifer Vaitkus was Brian’s old girlfriend and works at Swayzak’s office. Jennifer discovered the evidence at the alderman’s office concerning the fraud.

Ronald Bartel is a pyromaniac who had got imprisoned for many years. Ronald plays a critical role in the movie since, his suggestion that an arsonist was likely to be a firefighter who had access to a chemical called trichtochlorate assisted him in discovering the real arsonist.

Tim Krizminski is a firefighter assigned to Engine 17 at the Chicago Fire Department. He is a victim of the arsonist wrong doings and downsizing of the fire departments. He accidentally opens a door to a burning building and is met by a backdraft that burns his face beyond recognition but survives.

Alderman Martin Swayzak of the Chicago City Council had ambitions of becoming a lawyer. He, however, got involved in the downsizing of fire departments and the conversion of fire halls into parks and community houses. His fraudulent activities lead to the destruction of his ambitions.

Donald Cosgrove, a proprietor of a city theatre, is a victim of arsonist activities as he dies after getting killed by an escaping blast of heat.

Discussion

The crime in the movie got motivated by greed by a few individuals who wanted to benefit from fraudulent activities. Swayzak and others got involved in fake manpower study and the shutting down of fire halls so as to take advantage of these activities. Swayzak got paid off by contractors to convert firehouses into community centres as the contractors would benefit by gaining the construction contracts. Greed for money of Swayzak led him to commit the crime. He did not place into consideration the danger he placed in the lives of firefighters.

The fire department was the victim of the downsizing of fire departments throughout the city. Also, one of the firefighters in the department got involved in arsonist activities. The propensity to engage in unlawful conduct is systemic, as the character of a few individuals led them to carry out the fraudulent acts. White collar crimes only benefit a few individuals and their impacts are widespread affecting the economy and the lives of unsuspecting victims (Croall, 2001).

References

Croall, H. (2001): Understanding white collar crime. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).

Mitchell, K. (1991): Backdraft: Berkley Books

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