John W. Creasy of Man on Fire is not based on a true story, but the character is based on a novel of the same name, which was written by English novelist Philip Nicholson, aka “A. J. Quinnell”, in 1980. While it is true that certain events in the book were inspired by real-life events, most of it is fiction.
The 2004 action thriller film Man on Fire featured talented American actor Denzel Washington in the role of John W. Creasy, and his masterful performance reignited the interest of the movie-loving population, and what followed were a series of questions about whether the events in the movie have any correlation to real-life events. This article addresses those questions, as well as explores what the movie was about.
Is Man on Fire A True Story?
Man on Fire is not a true story. It is a 2004 action thriller film that included Tony Scott as director and producer, Brian Helgeland as the screenplay writer, and Lucas Foster and Arnon Milchan as the other producers.
Man on Fire is based on the 1980 novel of the same name and features veteran actor Denzel Washington in the lead role as well as Dakota Fanning, Marc Anthony, and others in supporting roles.
Set in Mexico City, Man on Fire tells the story of former CIA SAD/SOG officer and U.S. Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance captain John Creasy, portrayed by Denzel Washington, who accepts the job of being a bodyguard to nine-year-old Lupita “Pita” Ramos in Mexico City.
After his charge is abducted outside of where she goes for her piano lesson and later presumed dead after the ransom payment is botched, Creasy goes on a revenge rampage to bring everyone responsible to book.
Prior to the more popular 2004 film, there was a 1987 film of the same name, also adapted from the same novel. This version had a similar setting to the novel in the sense that it was also set in Italy. However, it varied in the sense that the lead character, portrayed by actor Scott Glen, was named “Christian Creasy” as opposed to “John Creasy” as it is in the novel and the 2004 film.
Is John W. Creasy Real?
John W. Creasy is not real but rather a fictional character created by the English novelist Philip Nicholson, writing as A. J. Quinnell, for his novel Man on Fire.
The character was an instant hit, but it took Quinnell almost twelve years to come up with a second novel that featured the character.
The second book with John W. Creasy as the main character was The Perfect Kill (1992). Three others followed, namely The Blue Ring (1993), Black Horn (1994), and Message From Hell (1996).
The character has also come alive on the screens as Man on Fire has been adapted into two movies.
Is There a Real-Life John W. Creasy?
The character John W. Creasy does not exist in real life. However, it is important to reveal the fact that certain events in both the book and the 2004 movie drew inspiration from real-life events.
Before we delve into the similarities, we feel it is important to reestablish the fact that Man on Fire was written by English novelist Phillip Nicholson who wrote under the pen name A.J. Quinnell. The book was published in 1981 and was soon a best seller. It became so popular that by 2005 more than eight million paperback copies had been sold worldwide.
It was also translated into different languages, including Japanese, where most of the book’s devoted fans come from. The Japanese were particularly attracted to the samurai-style dedication of the book and reportedly viewed Creasy as a ronin, a disgraced former samurai who embarks on a mission to atone for his misdeeds by engaging in charitable acts.
The Real-Life Incidents That Inspired Man On Fire
As previously indicated, certain real-life incidents inspired the events that were portrayed in Man on Fire, both in the book by Quinnell and the 2004 film that featured Denzel Washington.
For the book, A.J. Quinnell drew inspiration from the kidnapping of the eldest son of a rich Singaporean by the Triads. After the man refused to pay the ransom, his son was killed, but the act prevented his other kids from being kidnapped.
The second real-life event that inspired Quinnell when writing Man on Fire was the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, the son of Paul Getty. The creators of the 2004 film also followed Quinnell’s leadership, but they added some tweaks to make the movie more believable. Recall that in the movie, Pita was believed to have been killed by her abductors but was later found to be alive.
That part of the storyline differs significantly from the events in the book where Creasy’s charge was really killed. However, the movie creators drew their inspiration from a real-life event involving a girl whose family thought she was dead for three days before finding her alive and well.
Significantly though, some of the characters, like Fuentes, portrayed by Jesus Ochoa, were reportedly based on real-life people. And there is an existing criminal organization known as La Hermandad, and you can guess who its members are. If you guessed corrupt police officers, corrupt politicians, and drug lords, then you are spot on.
John W. Creasy’s Cause Of Death
John W. Creasy dies from the gunshot wound he sustains to the chest while trying to take The Voice’s wife and brother, Aurelio, prisoner. When Manzano and Guerero trace the ATM card Creasy recovered while trying to find Pita’s abductors to the Voice’s wife and her address, they infiltrate the house to obtain the Voice’s photo.
Despite repeated threats and warnings from the brotherhood, Guerero publishes the photo before handing the address over to Creasy, who then proceeds to take the Voice’s wife and brother hostage. He is shot in the process before discovering that the Voice’s real name is Daniel Sanchez.
After calling and threatening Daniel’s family, the latter reveals that Pita is still alive and offers to trade her for his brother and Creasy. After the exchange, Creasy and Aurelio are taken by Daniel’s men, but the bodyguard dies from the injuries he sustained from the gunshot wound.
It is also important to establish the fact that John W. Creasy does not die in the book version of Man on Fire. After facing off with the Mafia, Creasy is severely injured and taken to the hospital, where he is pronounced dead, and a funeral is even held in his honor.
However, it is later depicted that he faked his death and instead finds his way back to Gozo, Malta, where he reunites with Nadia, the daughter of the family that hosted him when he was training for his revenge mission.
Pictures of the Real John Creasy from Man on Fire
As earlier pointed out, John Creasy from Man of Fire is not a real person. The movie and the book are not based on real persons though the author took into account some general happenings while penning the book. As such, there are no pictures of the real John Creasy from Man on Fire. All you will find are those of the actors that have portrayed the character, such as Denzel Washington and Scott Glenn.
