''Beyond the Law'' (also known as ''Fixing the Shadow'' and as ''Made of Steel'' in its Director's Cut) is a 1993 American

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combin ...

film written and directed by Larry Ferguson (in his directing debut). It tells the story of Dan Saxon, an undercover cop who infiltrates a group of criminal outlaw bikers behind a drug-smuggling and arms-dealing operation. In order to maintain their trust, he must commit ever more dangerous and heinous crimes and must question how far he can go beyond the law. The film stars

Charlie Sheen Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as ''Platoon'' (1986), ''Wall Street'' (1987), '' Young Guns'' (1988), '' The Rookie'' (1990), ''The Thr ...

Linda Fiorentino Clorinda "Linda" Fiorentino (born March 9, 1958 or 1960) is an American former actress. Fiorentino made her screen debut with a leading role in the 1985 coming-of-age drama film ''Vision Quest'', followed that same year with a lead role in the ac ...

, and

Michael Madsen Michael Søren Madsen (born September 25, 1957) is an American actor. He has starred in many films and television series, frequently collaborating with director Quentin Tarantino, most famously in the latter's debut film '' Reservoir Dogs'' (1 ...

Plot

Based on a true story, the film centers on Dan Saxon, a cop with a troubled childhood. After getting fired following a physical confrontation with his corrupt boss at the sheriff's office, he is enlisted by Conroy Price, an agent in

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

State Attorney General The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states, of the federal district, or of any of the territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer. In some states, the attorney gener ...

's office, to go undercover to bust the illegal drugs and

arms trafficking Arms trafficking or gunrunning is the illicit trade of contraband small arms and ammunition, which constitutes part of a broad range of illegal activities often associated with transnational criminal organizations. The illegal trade of small arm ...

. Saxon is unsuccessful until he meets and befriends Virgil, a

mechanic A mechanic is an artisan, skilled tradesperson, or technician who uses tools to build, maintain, or repair machinery, especially cars. Duties Most mechanics specialize in a particular field, such as auto body mechanics, air conditioning an ...

who introduces him to the seedy world of criminal bikers. Virgil

tutors Tutoring is private academic support, usually provided by an expert teacher; someone with deep knowledge or defined expertise in a particular subject or set of subjects. A tutor, formally also called an academic tutor, is a person who provides ...

Saxon on bikes and customs of the "outlaw motorcycle brotherhood." After many lessons and a major change in appearance Saxon develops an alter ego named "Sid" and ends up infiltrating the Jackals and earning the trust of "Blood", their president. At the same time, he begins a relationship with a photojournalist, Renee Jason, who is aware of his dual life. As Saxon falls deeper into this world of crime, he becomes more unbalanced. After a violent situation that led to the murder of a 20-year-old convenience store attendant, Saxon is brought back to

earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

. Saxon's Identity is revealed, by Price, to the local, state, and federal law enforcement, much to their praise for Saxon's undercover skills. Concluding the

undercover operation To go "undercover" (that is, to go on an undercover operation) is to avoid detection by the object of one's observation, and especially to disguise one's own identity (or use an assumed identity) for the purposes of gaining the trust of an ind ...

, over 200 arrests are made including Blood. The end of the film shows Saxon walking into the desert. It is revealed in the narrated epilogue that Saxon and Renee are living in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, and "Blood" is serving 3 consecutive life sentences.

Cast

as William Patrick Steiner / Agent Dan Saxon / "Sid" *

as Renee Jason *

as "Blood" *

Courtney B. Vance Courtney Bernard Vance (born March 12, 1960) is an American actor. Known for his commanding presence Vance started his career on stage before transitioning his career into film and television. He's received various accolades including a Tony Awa ...

as U.S. Assistant Attorney Conroy Price *

Leon Rippy Leon Rippy (born October 30, 1949, Rock Hill, South Carolina) is an American character actor. Active on screen since 1983, Rippy has appeared in numerous films and recurring roles on television. He is best known for his roles as Earl the Angel o ...

as Virgil *

Rino Thunder Rino Thunder (October 29, 1933 – September 27, 2003) was an American actor best known for such films and television series as '' Geronimo: An American Legend'', '' Wolfen'', ''Hot Shots!'', '' Beyond the Law'' and ''American Playhouse ''A ...

as Charlie "Bogus Charlie" * Rip Torn as Deputy Butch Prescott * Steven Chambers as ATF Agent Clyde, Undercover ATF Agent on Motorcycle * Lyndsay Riddell as Marybette Jason, Renee's Daughter *

Dennis Burkley Dennis Henry Burkley (September 10, 1945 – July 14, 2013) was an American actor. In a career spanning four decades, he appeared in numerous films and television series. He was best known for his role as Theo in Son in Law. Early life Burkley ...

as "Oatmeal" * Ed Adams as "Dirt" * James Oscar Lee as "Highside" * Hollie Chamberlain as "Stephie" * Brenda Phillips as "Bubbles" * Richard Madsen as "Buster" * Ted Parks as "Sidewinder" * Larry Ferguson as Sheriff Bob Kelly, a corrupt cop on Blood's payroll

Background

Larry Ferguson wrote the screenplay after reading the article "Undercover Angel" by

Lawrence Linderman Lawrence Linderman is a writer who has written extensively for ''Playboy'' and ''Penthouse magazine, Penthouse'' magazines. He also helped Beverly Sills pen her autobiography. His article "Undercover Angel" in the July, 1981 issue of Playboy was th ...

in the July, 1981 issue of ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...

'' on an undercover agent named Dan Black. Black served as a technical advisor on the film and appeared as an extra in the movie.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0103805 1993 films 1993 crime drama films 1993 directorial debut films 1990s American films 1990s English-language films American crime drama films American films based on actual events Crime films based on actual events Films based on newspaper and magazine articles Films directed by Larry Ferguson Films with screenplays by Larry Ferguson Outlaw biker films