If you knew your life was going to come to an end tomorrow, how would you spend today? This is a central issue in Spike Lee’s 25th Hour, albeit not quite as extreme. Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) is being sent to prison for dealing drugs in 24 hours, and he decides to spend the last day tying up some loose ends and spending time with his friends and family before he leaves for a seven-year prison sentence. 25th Hour is a complex film, and one that shows Lee at his most nuanced and brilliant, creating a film that tackles philosophical issues through commenting on the self and the society, and the way we interact with our environment and those who are around us. Without any hyperbole, 25th Hour is one of the most important films of the previous century, not only because of what it says but also because of what it leaves unsaid, being a bleak portrait of a society post-tragedy, and if you consider where this film is set, and when it was made, it becomes extremely obvious which world-shaking tragedy I am referring to.

Montgomery Brogan had everything he wanted – he was making himself a wealthy man through dealing drugs for Russian mobsters, who treated him well and allowed him a luxurious lifestyle, which he spent with his girlfriend Naturelle (Rosario Dawson) in their swanky New York apartment. Their life is comfortable, and they seem to be truly in love – until someone tips off the authorities, who ambush Monty and subsequently set him on a path to a prison sentence, from which he is likely to not emerge the same as he is now. In anticipation of his next few years of captivity, he decides to make the most out of his last day. He and his childhood friends Jacob Elinsky (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Frank Slaughtery (Barry Pepper) spend the evening at a club, where various philosophical, moral and ethical questions comes to the fore, as each individual struggles with their own existential crises and personal quandaries in the face of two tragedies – the personal tragedy of their best friend being sent to prison and effectively having his life ended (because regardless of when he is released, his life will not be as comfortable or easy as it was before the sentence), as well as the global tragedy of the 9/11 attacks that took place the previous year. In only a few hours, Monty will begin a journey, much like the city he resides in will.

Whether one adores him or despises him, it is an undeniable fact that Edward Norton is one of the greatest actors of his generation – there has rarely been an actor capable at playing such a diverse range of roles as Norton, who is able to play every role, whether it be a vicious neo-Nazi in American History X, an arrogant, self-entitled actor in Birdman, or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance or the milquetoast protagonist of Fight Club. He is always convincing and brilliant, and 25th Hour has arguably his finest performance. It is a simple, nuanced performance from a very talented actor, and whether it be in his several moments of quiet contemplation, or in his more bombastic moments, Norton is terrific. The one moment in 25th Hour that truly lingers on is the distinctive rant Norton’s character has partway through the film, a blistering soliloquy, where he unleashes an emotionally-charged attack on the stereotypes of the city he lives in, showing fury at everyone around him, and then finally blaming the only person he should blame: himself. This scene was so impressive and overwhelming, I watched it twice more, simply to grapple the purely intense nature of the moment. Norton is exquisite in 25th Hour, giving a performance that is complex and likable, without being a noble character. The character is a believable portrayal of an archetypal character, and in Norton’s capable hands, it is a truly astonishing one.

25th Hour boasts a very impressive supporting cast, and much like many of Lee’s films, everyone is used effectively. Philip Seymour Hoffman, who at the time this film was made, was steadily on the rise as one of the most reliable character actors working at the time, and was known for these kinds of meek but cerebral characters who have clear self-esteem issues. Hoffman thankfully did, through many of his other performances throughout the subsequent years, manage to shed this typecasting, and while he is great in 25th Hour, it is not a performance that will define his career, but rather be a great part of it. Barry Pepper, on the other hand, is absolutely astounding as Monty’s best friend, a hypermasculine Irish-American banker who objectifies women and highlights his own perceived superiority. Pepper is terrific at constructing Frank as a problematic but not despicable character, someone whose behaviour is a way to conceal his own insecurities and personal crises of identity. Pepper is wonderful, and often comes very close to stealing the film away from Norton. Other notable parts of the cast include Rosasio Dawson, at her most endearing as the concerned girlfriend of Norton’s character, who is not merely the cliched supportive girlfriend, but rather a fully-realized character of her own, with her own personal quandaries. Brian Cox is a warm presence as Monty’s father, and while his role is far smaller than I would have liked it to be, one of the film’s most distinctive moments (the climactic monologue, whereby he describes how he will help his son flee from his prison sentence and start a new life for himself) is on behalf of him. The cast is strong, and they have fantastic chemistry, and all work towards the central narrative.

This film is based on the book of the same name by David Benioff, which was written prior to the September 11th attacks in New York City. The decision of Benioff, who also wrote the screenplay, and Lee to intergrate the tragedy into the storyline was admirable, and resulted in a film with far more emotional gravitas than was intended. 25th Hour is a film that takes in the aftermath of a tragedy that threatened to bring an entire country to its knees, in the city where it happened (one of the characters even lives near the site of the attacks). 25th Hour does not comment on the events to the point where this can be considered a film that is centered around the attacks, but rather uses the tragedy as a backdrop for the story, a way of showing how the mentality of people in the city change. Moreover, it is used as a tool to show New York City as a broken entity, one made up of various people and hostile mentalities against one another, but ultimately shows the rebuilding after the attacks – both in terms of physically “picking up the pieces” of the attack, as well as mending the fear and terror that struck the city and the world as a whole. Lee has never been a director to make overtly obvious statements, and his films, even at their most socially-biting, are never gaudy with unneeded sentimentality. 25th Hour is a frank and brutal statement on the attacks, using it in a way that does not focus on it, but rather supports the central narrative of the characters, specifically Monty, who seems to blame everyone for the problems in the world, except for himself.

One of the central themes of 25th Hour, and one that fits directly with the grander message spoken about above, is that of rehabilitation. In some ways, we can consider Monty Brogan being akin to the city, but only on the surface. Taking place a year after the September 11th attacks, this film shows two entitities in the process of rehabilitation and repair. Understandably, comparing the rebuilding of New York City with the imprisonment of a drug dealer is a controversial statement, but it seems to be a clear concept used throughout the film. In both instances, reconstruction and repair is looming, but obviously, the results will never be the same as before. For Monty, even when he is released from prison, he would have still had lost seven years of his life, having spent the most fruitful portion of his life behind bars, and his life would never be the same. For the city, even after recovering, the memory of the attacks will still linger forever. The spectre of the past is the biggest theme of this film, and correction, rehabilitation, repair and reconstruction can take place, but it will never erase the past actions. Whether or not this was intentional, it is a parrallel that can be drawn throughout this film, and only adds to the complexities of this story, and the approach Lee took to telling it.

25th Hour is such an audacious film, and it does so much with its premise, imbuing it with a unique, meaningful structure. There have been many films that take place over a very brief period, such as one day, and while Monty’s final 24 hours are condensed into two, the narrative flows in such a way that every moment of his final day, whether explicitly shown or not, is glaringly clear. This is far more than just a film about a criminal about to start his prison sentence – it is a film about reconsidering one’s choices, and Lee is effective at showing the nuances of this story, through the most simple techniques possible. Lee keeps the execution simple and straightforward, with the narrative appearing as a conventional social thriller, and some of the more abstract moments – such as Norton’s rant and Cox’ monologue – are shot differently to evoke images of a societal utopia of sorts. Lee is at his most sedate here, allowing the story to exist through minimalist filmmaking, which only highlights the nuanced philosophical aspects of the narrative. It is helped considerably by the tremendous score by Terence Blanchard, who has collaborated with Lee before, composing the scores to many of Lee’s most significant films. Essentially, 25th Hour is an exercise in simplicity, a restrained and dignified execution of a story that is strong enough to exist without too much technical or cinematic intervention.

I found 25th Hour to be an extraordinary film – one that places emphasis on the character-driven side of a crime story, a thrilling film without typical qualities of its ilk. Spike Lee is an absolute genius, and undeniably one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation, and the way he handles the narrative of 25th Hour, with its plethora of complex themes and difficult subject matter relating to the September 11th tragedy, is astonishing. He deserves kudos for creating a film that does not hide away from the tough issues, while still being a meaningful and philosophical commentary on existence and the choices we make. His vision is guided by the terrific story by Benioff and the performances of a marvelous cast, led by Edward Norton who is at his very best here, along with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson and Brian Cox, all of which contribute pivotally to the story. 25th Hour is a brilliant film, and certainly one of the best films of the 21st century, a well-constructed drama about the past and the impact it has on the future, resulting in a heightened appreciation of the present. An absolutely terrific film, and a highlight in the careers of everyone involved.