The Prodigy

"TheProdigy"tellsthestoryofsmall-timeenforcerTrumanFisher'sviciousconflictwithasadisticassassinwhohaschosentheunwillingTrumantobehissuccessor.Theassassin,whogoesbythealiasRainsandwhoseexploitshavebecomethesourceoflegendamongTruman'sunderworldcolleagues,drivesTruman,throughthepressureofconstantviolenceandgrief,tounderstandhisowncapacityforbothbloodshedandcompassion.UltimatelythisrevealstoTrumanthatheaswithallofus,mustfindourplaceinthisworldorasRainswouldsay"ourplaceinthisgranddesign."ThisactionbeginsquicklyasTrumanmeetswithaturncoatfromarivalgang.Thistenseshowdowneruptsquicklyintomayhem,whenRainsmakeshisunexpectedentrance.Inthewakeoftheensuingbloodbath,Trumanisforcedtoreevaluatehisownroleinthesmall,violentworldheinhabits,suddenlyawarethattherearelargerpowersatworkwhichhedoesnotunderstand.ItsoonbecomesobviousthatthestrongestoftheseisRains,whosejarringintroductionintoTruman'slifeisonlythefirstinaseriesofcarefullycalculatedsteps.Duringthecourseofthefilm,Rains,afterkidnappingTruman's,boss'snephew,willforcehimintotheroleofdetective,spurringTrumantoassemblearogue'sgalleryofunderworldcontactsinanefforttofindhisnemesis.ButRainshasamoreambitiousagendathanmerelyterrorizingminorhoods:hesoonbeginstothreatenTrumandirectly,menacingTruman'slove,Nicki,withwhomTrumanhopestosoonescapefromthedrabmeannessofhislife.RainswillalsothreatenTruman'sfewtruefriendsandsowdeadlyconfusionamongunderworldenemiesandalliesalike.Strikingwithmurderouseffectivenessandleavingbehindfewclues,Rainsuseshisownnear-mythicalreputationtocloudhispresenceandevenhisownexistence.TrumanstrugglestofindhismysteriousenemywhileatthesametimeattemptingtounderstandwhyRainshaschosenhimashistarget-andashisinspiration.WrittenbyChrisCarpenter