Le dernier rempart

Morally complex telemovie with 2 fine lead performances! Is surprisingly gritty and atmospheric and has a really potent and unpredictable ending. Underrated gem.

The Guardian (1984) was one of the many made-for-t.v.-movies that Martin Sheen starred in during the eighties. In this picture he stars as a mealy mouth "liberal" who opposed the strict law enforcement rules of his new apartment security guard (Lou Gossett Jr.) After a several near miss calls for the upper class residents involving the residents, Sheen decides to do some amateur sleuthing and discovers a couple of shady activities that the security guard has been doing. This raises a few questions within Sheen's mind. Does he follow his convictions and rat out the security guard? What about the safety of his neighbors or himself? Will their lives be in peril from the evil hoods that stalk the streets? Why does the Security Guard always acts so shady and secretive? You'll find out the questions to these answers when you watch The Guardian!!

This was a very good t.v. movie. It raises some interesting questions and the film makers leave a t lot of open ended ones as well. Even as a liberal myself, Martin Sheen's character is too stereotypical for my tastes. That's my only qualm with this movie. Other than that, it's a good watch.

Recommended.

I've seen this title several times, and I'm still trying to answer the previous question. Louis Gossett Jr. is brilliant in his role as John Mack, the hard to figure out security whiz. This is one of the best made for tv'ers ever made. The kind of stuff that made you run out and get cable after seeing it at a friends house. Unfortunately, they haven't made too many more this good sinse then.

If you can find it, rent it, you'll enjoy it.

I saw it when it first came out and never forgot it. I saw it again some years ago and then again tonight. It hasn't lost anything. Great character studies by two great actors with very different ways of looking at their world. It has political and racial and social subtexts that are rarely if ever handled so directly and the whole thing has a tense realistic vibe. It poses as many questions as it answers, more about who the guardian is, then what he does. This was unusually good for 1984 TV and amazingly better, to me, then the stuff made now. It's an above average movie by any standard.

Saw this movie on HBO when it first came out. I loved it. IMO one of the best movies for Lou Gossetts acting skills. Martin Sheen also did excellent job. Great job showing how Pacifist change their minds when violence is brought to them.