In Man on Fire (2004), Denzel Washington played John Creasy, a burned-out former CIA operative who takes a job as a bodyguard for a young girl, Pita, played by Dakota Fanning, in Mexico City. Directed by Tony Scott, the film follows Creasy as the girl’s warmth slowly brings him back to life — and as her kidnapping sends him on a relentless quest for vengeance.
Washington makes Creasy’s transformation believable: the weary, drinking man of the opening scenes, the gentle protector who teaches Pita to swim, and finally the avenging angel who will stop at nothing. It is a performance of great tenderness wrapped around great violence, and it became one of Washington’s most beloved popular roles — the protector as hero, played with total conviction.