“I can see him. He’s right in front of me.” This line, spoken by Déjà Vu’s Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) on a New Orleans expressway, is a staple of the manhunt genre. When our haggard detective finally gets a glimpse of their elusive target — in this case, an ATF agent hunting down a bomber who just destroyed a ferry full of servicemen and women — there’s often a moment of disbelief and sudden vulnerability. But there’s a deeper gravitas to Washington’s delivery, as Doug is observing the bomber, Carroll Oerstadt (Jim Caviezel), through a time window, using a special helmet to see Carroll four days before the attack. Doug hasn’t just made a breakthrough in the case; he’s seeing the impossible materialize in front of his eyes.
Doug Carlin has been folded into a clandestine surveillance unit that can see into — and theoretically interact — with the past, and is infuriated by the team’s reluctance to thwart the bombing before it can happen. Déjà Vu has just been added to the Criterion Channel’s collection of memory-themed films, and while Tony Scott’s pulpy, maximalist blend of manhunt procedural, Vertigo voyeurism, and time travel might feel out of place on the carefully curated platform, the film’s political resonance is plain to see today.
