1992, directed by Ariel Vromen, takes us back in time, when protestors took to the street after the court acquitted the police officers who used excessive force on a man named Rodney Glen King. The real-life incident that took place on March 3rd, 1991, was captured on camera, where police officers from the Los Angeles Police Department were seen thrashing the man in the most brutal manner. Still, the jury acquitted the men of all charges, and that caused an uproar in society, and especially in the black community. So, let’s find out what happened in 1992 film and how our protagonist found himself stuck in the middle of a perilous situation.
Why was Antoine angry with Mercer?
Mercer had just been released from prison, and he had gotten conditional custody of his son, Antoine. Antoine’s mother and grandmother had passed away after they met with an accident. 1992 did not reveal the details of that accident, but we came to know that Antoine felt extremely lonely after that, and he didn’t like living with his father. Mercer was trying his level best to be there for his son, but the latter somewhat blamed Mercer for whatever he was going through. Antoine had deep-rooted resentment, and in one of the scenes we saw that he lost his temper and told his father how he was never there for the family. Mercer apologized for his actions, and he told his son that though he was not a proud man, he wanted to make things better for his son. Mercer believed that he had gotten a second chance in life, and this time around, he didn’t want to waste it. At times, he saw his son, and he feared that he would turn out to be exactly like him. Mercer wanted Antoine to complete his studies and do a white-collar job.
But it wasn’t easy for a teenager to understand his father’s perspective and not blame him. Also, Antoine didn’t like the kind of restrictions Mercer put on him. Mercer was extra protective of his son, not because he wanted to cage him but because he didn’t want him to fall prey to anything that might ruin his future. Also, after the entire Rodney Glen King police brutality case, the situation was not very peaceful in the hood. There was a trial going on where 4 police officers were going to be tried in the court of law for using excessive force on Rodney King. Mercer knew that if the jury gave a biased judgment and acquitted the suspects of all charges, then the situation would become even worse on the streets. The inevitable happened, and the jury found three police officers not guilty, whereas they couldn’t reach a verdict pertaining to one charge for the fourth police officer. A mob came out onto the streets and vandalized public property. Mercer knew that the situation would be even worse in the area where he lived. Mercer worked at Pluton Metals at that time, and he asked his superior, Joseph Francis, if he could bring his son and spend the night at the factory itself. Joe was a good man, and he made sure that he was always there for the people who needed any sort of help. Joe was going to be there in the factory all night since he was the security person in charge, so he told Mercer that he would love to have some company. Little did Mercer know that a gang of criminals was planning to break into the factory and steal platinum on the same night.
What was Lowell’s plan?
Lowell’s son, Riggin, told him about Pluton Metals, where a huge quantity of platinum was stored in a vault at the center of the factory. It was not easy to break into the factory and open the vault since the factory owner had a high-tech security system installed on the premises. Even if an intruder was able to get inside the factory, it was almost impossible to open the vault. Riggin’s younger brother, Dennis, exclaimed after hearing about the security setup, saying that even the government used a similar kind of setup in the National Archives Museum. There was a cage on the top of the vault, and if someone tried to break it open, the alarm bell rang, and the vault got caged. Lowell asked Riggin to drop the plan, but the latter wanted to do it at any cost. Just around that time, violent protesters erupted on the street, and there was a state of unrest in the entire region. The factory was shut down, and the workers were sent home. That’s when, in 1992, Riggin gave a call to his father, who agreed to go ahead with the plan and make use of the opportunity.
Apart from Lowell, Riggin, and Dennis, three more people came on board to commit the heist. Copeland was one of Riggin’s close friends, and he was somebody the latter trusted with his life. Apart from Copeland, there were Titus and Murphy, who were Lowell’s trusted allies. Riggin didn’t like Murphy at all, and eventually, in 1992, we got to know the reason behind why he felt that way. Murphy was a violent and impulsive man who didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger at the slightest inconvenience. We got evidence of that when the gang broke into the factory. Joe, the security in charge, confronted them, and Murphy shot him before he could do anything. The gang started their operation, and soon, they were able to open the vault. Joe, even after being shot, managed to survive somehow. He crawled to his cabin and activated the security alarm. The LAPD helicopter hovered over the premises, but after finding no commotion in and around the factory, they left. Lowell’s men turned off the alarm, and this time, they made sure that Joe didn’t survive.
Was Mercer able to save his son?
During 1992’s ending, Mercer entered the building together with his son. He had no clue that the robbers were inside the premises. Antoine went into the bathroom, and he bumped into Dennis. Dennis, at gunpoint, took Antoine to his father, not knowing what else to do. Meanwhile, Mercer found that Joe had been killed, and he immediately realized that something wasn’t right. Mercer held Riggin captive as he knew that he would be able to use him to get leverage over the robbers. Now, Lowell had almost decided to let Antoine leave when Murphy and Titus came and told him that Riggin was missing. Lowell realized that Antoine’s father had something to do with the issue, so he changed his decision and decided to keep Antoine in his captivity. Riggin was captured by Mercer, but still, he seemed to favor him more than his own father. Riggin told Mercer that Lowell wasn’t going to leave his son alive, no matter what he said.
It was at that moment in 1992 that we realized the kind of hatred both Riggin and Dennis had for their father. They were working with him, but they also knew that if the need arose, Lowell could very well kill them, too. Poor Dennis was worried about his brother, and he went and asked Antoine if he could give him any information about where he was. Antoine and Dennis developed a sort of bond with each other as they both were petrified of Lowell’s temper. Lowell killed Copeland after the latter’s leg got injured by the forklift truck they used to stop the cage from falling over the vault. Copeland was writhing in pain, and Lowell just got irritated by cries. Mercer realized that he would have to go out and negotiate with Lowell. As expected, things got out of hand, and somehow Mercer and Antoine, together with Dennis and Riggin, were able to escape from the factory. Lowell wanted the platinum that was stashed in the same van that Mercer used to escape. Lowell asked Titus to shoot at the van even when he knew that both his sons were sitting in it. Dennis succumbed to his injuries, and even Riggin was gravely hurt. Mercer lost control of the van and rammed into another vehicle. The van turned upside down, and Lowell finally caught hold of Mercer and his son. Riggin was badly injured, and Lowell came and shot him dead, proving the fact that his sons were not wrong to feel that hatred towards him. Lowell wanted the platinum at any cost. He pointed the gun at Mercer, but before he could pull the trigger, Antoine came from behind and shot him dead.
All his life, Mercer wanted his son to follow the right path and not fall prey to the vices of society. But the inevitable happened. The young boy killed another man to save his father. However, I think that this incident will bring about a change in Antoine’s perceptions, and he will be able to understand why his father behaved in that manner with him. I think sometimes adversity breaks the wall that exists between two people. Maybe this was exactly what was needed to bridge the gap that existed between the father and son. Maybe Mercer and Antoine will be able to start afresh and create the life that they both deserve to live.
This post was originally published on here
