This box office flop made Denzel Washington a movie star

While Denzel Washington proved himself to be a solid dramatic actor in the medical drama television series St. Elsewhere During the show's six seasons between 1982 and 1988, there were lingering doubts about whether Washington had what it takes to be a major movie star. Those doubts continued with Washington's Oscar-nominated portrayal of activist Steve Biko in the 1987 apartheid drama film. scream for freedomin which Biko is treated as a supporting actor in his alleged story. In addition scream for freedom was a flop at the box office.

What Washington needed was a starring film vehicle in which he could demonstrate the ability to captivate a character and his surroundings through the force of his presence and sheer magnetism. Washington found this with the 1989 mystery thriller The mighty Quinnin which Washington plays Xavier Quinn, a charismatic police chief on a small Caribbean holiday island who becomes embroiled in complex murder investigations and political intrigue.

As Quinn, Washington shows the charm, robust sense of humor and sexiness that make a pure movie star. Aside from the physicality and toughness that his character's job requires, Washington exudes the same kind of playfulness and wit that Sean Connery exudes in the early James Bond films. In fact, The mighty Quinnwhich functions partly as a spy thriller, provides strong evidence that Washington, who was 34 when the film was released and had previously adopted a British accent for the 1988 crime drama, For Queen and Countrywould have been an excellent choice for the role of Bond, who is undoubtedly one of Quinn's dashing heroes.

Denzel Washington's Xavier Quinn is a cop for all seasons

In The mighty QuinnNamed after the Bob Dylan song of the same name, Xavier Quinn, played by Denzel Washington, is the police chief of the Caribbean island to which he returned after training as a law enforcement officer at the famous FBI Academy in Quantico. Sharp-witted, observant Quinn was undoubtedly an excellent student there. He knows his job and he knows his main task, which, as explained to him by the island's corrupt governor, is to avoid embarrassment and trouble at all costs. In the beautiful, tranquil resort setting of this island, this was not a particularly difficult rule for the otherwise calm Quinn to follow.

In fact, major problems arise in the form of the beheading and murder of one of the island's richest residents. The governor urges Quinn to close the case quickly to prevent the bad publicity from damaging tourism. His investigation is made more difficult by the fact that the main suspect is Quinn's best friend from childhoodMaubee, a lovable petty criminal who, wonderfully played by Robert Townsend, was, in the words of Quinn's estranged wife, always a lover and not a murderer.

The Mighty Quinn is an intelligent, stylish thriller

The exotic surroundings and the soothing reggae sounds of The mighty Quinn are a symbol of a film that constantly changes the audience’s expectations through an increasingly complex plot in which nothing is as it seems. The crime thriller, the The mighty Quinn begins with an underlying conspiracy involving a stash of extremely rare United States $10,000 bills brought to the island by murder victim Donald Pater, who apparently had ties to the President of the United States. When Pater is found decapitated in a hot tub, Quinn also discovers that Pater is already dead.

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Quinn's twisted investigations involve a number of colorful supporting characters. James Fox, the cool title star of the great 1973 thriller The Day of the Jackalplays Elgin, a despicable local fixer who tries to block Quinn's investigation and rightly suspects that he is attracted to Elgin's beautiful and unhappy wife, played by Mimi Rogers.

Great character actor M. Emmet Walsh plays Miller, a cheerfully sinister agent who arrives on the island under the guise of a representative of Pater's company but seems more interested in finding the money and settling loose ends. Esther Rolle plays the island's resident witch Ubu Pearl, who has important information about the murder and threatens to curse Quinn if he enters her house, until he tells her he is already cursed.

Washington's performance in “The Mighty Quinn” is Oscar-worthy

If The mighty Quinn Had it been released by a major Hollywood studio with a strong marketing campaign, Denzel Washington's great performance, which received excellent reviews just like the film itself, would certainly have sparked serious Oscar speculation. In addition, The mighty Quinnwhich is based on the 1971 novel In search of Maubeecould have launched a Xavier Quinn film series if the film had been a box office hit. The film, released in February 1989 by the then-struggling Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in fewer than 250 theaters, failed to make it to the box office, where The mighty Quinn gross revenue of less than $5 million.

Despite the film’s failure at the box office The mighty Quinn ushered in great film fame for Washingtonwho followed the film with his Oscar-winning portrayal of Civil War soldier Silas Trip in the 1989 historical war drama Fame. In his illustrious career, which now includes two Oscar wins and spans more than 40 years, Washington has never been better and more exciting as a film actor than in The mighty Quinn. The mighty Quinn is streaming on Tubi.