Based on the novel by Vincent Patrick, The Pope of Greenwich Village is the story of two cousins who decide to go into crime to help fund their dreams of owning and running a restaurant. Directed by Stuart Rosenberg and screenplay by Vincent Patrick, the film is an unconventional crime-drama that follows two men trying to do whatever they can to get money as well as go head-on into the world of crime. Starring Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Darryl Hannah, Geraldine Page, Kenneth McMillan, Frank Vincent, M. Emmet Walsh, and Burt Young. The Pope of Greenwich Village is a witty and exhilarating film from Stuart Rosenberg.
The film follows two Italian-American cousins working and living at the Greenwich Village area of New York City as they dream of being successful and run their own restaurant where they go into the world to crime to fund that dream. It’s a film that is about two guys trying to do what they can yet they deal with so much adversity as well as the fact that one of them is a total screw-up and the other is cautious with a lot to deal with. Vincent Patrick’s screenplay explores the unique dynamic between Charlie (Mickey Rourke) and Paulie (Eric Roberts) as these two cousins who both want to succeed yet Charlie is someone that is trying to work hard and do things the right way. Paulie is a guy that likes to scheme and often put Charlie in trouble as the film begins with Charlie working as a maître d’ at a restaurant where Paulie is the waiter who gets Charlie in trouble and they both lose their job.
Paulie gets a tip about money stashed in a safe as he coerces Charlie to be involved as they’re joined by a locksmith/clock repairman in Barney (Kenneth McMillan) as their safecracker. The job succeeds except for an encounter with an undercover policeman (Jack Kehoe) that went wrong as Charlie then learns who the money belongs to which causes even more trouble. Adding to Charlie’s problems is that he is paying alimony to his ex-wife as they have a son and his girlfriend Diane (Daryl Hannah) is pregnant with his child as he is trying to do good things for her. Still, Charlie has a loyalty to Paulie which irks Diane since she knows that Paulie is an idiot and always find a way to mess things up. Even as Paulie would be confronted by hoods who work for the mobster Bed Bug Eddie (Burt Young) including Paulie’s Uncle Pete (Tony Musante) forcing Charlie to settle the matter.
Stuart Rosenberg’s direction does have bits of style yet much of it is straightforward as it is shot on location in New York City and in the Greenwich Village area with some of it shot in New Jersey. While Rosenberg would use a lot of wide shots that would create some unique compositions of the characters on a roof with certain city landmarks in the background. Much of the compositions Rosenberg creates are intimate with its close-ups and medium shots that includes a key meeting between detectives and the mother of the dead undercover officer as it’s a very chilling moment due to what happened to the undercover officer and his mother’s reaction. There are scenes of humor in the film yet much of it is dramatic with some stylish dialogue as it play into the environment of the film. Rosenberg’s direction also play into this world of the streets where it has its own rules and idea of justice as it’s something Charlie is fully aware of while Paulie is sort of ignorant about it thinking he can charm or bullshit his way out of a situation. The third act revolves around Paulie dealing with the consequences of who he stole the money from and the fallout of those consequences in which Charlie realizes what he has to do. Yet, there is a sense of conflict in Charlie in whether to help out someone that is family or to save himself. Overall, Rosenberg crafts a lively and engaging film about two cousins going to crime to fund their dream.
Cinematographer John Bailey does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with the richness of some of the daytime exterior scenes as well as the usage of low-key lights for Bed Bug’s hideout in its interiors and the usage of lights for some of the scenes set at night. Editor Robert Brown does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward to play into the drama and the few moments of suspense such as Paulie being confronted by his uncle. Production designer Paul Sylbert and set decorator George DeTitta Sr. do fantastic work with the look of the restaurant Charlie and Paulie work at in the film’s opening sequence as well as the former’s apartment and the place where Bed Bug works at.
Costume designer Joseph G. Aulisi does nice work with the costumes from the stylish suits that Charlie wears to some of the stylish clothes that Paulie wears. Sound mixer James Sabat does terrific work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of some of the locations. The film’s music by Dave Grusin does amazing work with the film’s soundtrack as it’s a mixture of jazz and pop to play into the energy of Greenwich Village while music supervisor Harry V. Lojewski provide a fun soundtrack that mixes pop and jazz that include music from Frank Sinatra.
The casting by Bonnie Timmerman is superb as it feature some notable small roles from Joe Grifasi as Jimmy the Cheese Man, Philip Bosco as Paulie’s father, Val Avery and M. Emmet Walsh as a couple of detectives, Tony Musante as Paulie’s Uncle Pete, Jack Kehoe as the undercover detective Bunky, and Frank Vincent as Bed Bug’s crew chief. Geraldine Page is incredible in her brief two-scene performance as Bunky’s mother Mrs. Ritter as a woman who is wondering what her son is doing and later cope with the aftermath as it’s just a very powerful performance. Burt Young is fantastic as Bed Bug Eddie as a local mob hood who is trying to maintain some power in his turf while wanting to find out who stole his money. Kenneth McMillan is excellent as Barney as locksmith/clock repairman who helps Charlie and Paulie as their safecracker where he understand what is going on as well as becoming uneasy about who the money belonged to where he knows something is about to go wrong.
Daryl Hannah is brilliant as Diane as Charlie’s girlfriend who is concerned about what Charlie is doing as well as seeing if he can provide a future for both of them and their child that is on the way. Finally, there’s the duo of Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as the cousins Charlie and Paulie. Rourke provides a performance that is grounded while also having moments of anger and frustration into the obstacles he is given relating to his dreams of running his own restaurant and his relationship with Diane. Roberts’ performance is filled with charm and an energy that is insatiable to watch as someone that is often upbeat but also naïve about the ways of the world as Roberts is always fun to watch. Rourke and Roberts together have this chemistry that is powerful as well as having this sense of brotherhood as two guys who depend on each other no matter how fucked up one of them is.
The Pope of Greenwich Village is a remarkable film from Stuart Rosenberg that feature top-notch performances from Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts. Along with its great supporting cast, riveting story, dazzling visuals, and a fun soundtrack, it’s a film that explore the folly of ambition and crime as well as two cousins trying to do whatever they can to reach their dream. In the end, The Pope of Greenwich Village is a sensational film from Stuart Rosenberg.
Stuart Rosenberg Films: (Murder Inc.) – (Question 7) – Cool Hand Luke - (The April Fools) – (Move (1970 film)) – (WUSA) – (Pocket Money) – (The Laughing Policeman) – (The Drowning Pool) – (Voyage of the Damned) – (Love and Bullets) – (The Amityville Horror) – (Brubaker) – (Let’s Get Harry) – (My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys)
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Sam Peckinpah and written by Bill L. Norton, Convoy is the story of a group of truckers who band together to do a convoy and deal with a corrupt sheriff. Based on C.W. McCall song of the same name and the CB radio-fad of the 1970s, the film is an action-adventure film that revolves around the craze into a road-like adventure. Starring Kris Kristofferson, Ali MacGraw, Burt Young, Madge Sinclair, Franklyn Ajaye, Burt Young, Seymour Cassel, and Ernest Borgnine. Convoy is a silly and uninteresting film from Sam Peckinpah.
The film follows around a trucker whose encounters with a corrupt sheriff forces him to create a convoy from Arizona to Texas in order to avoid persecution during a brawl at a restaurant. It’s a film with a simple story but it never makes sense into what is going on into why these truckers are doing a convoy across the American Southwest while trying to avoid the authorities. The film’s screenplay has a lot that is happening but it often feels very derivative of the car chase films of the 1970s. Most notably Smokey and the Bandit but with lots of trucks and a more devious antagonist as it never really provides any idea of what these truckers are doing a convoy for as its protagonist Rubber Duck (Kris Kristofferson) becomes some unlikely folk hero. Though Rubber Duck is definitely the most interesting character of the film along with a few fellow truckers, they’re not given much to do or be fleshed out more while Duck’s traveling companion in a photographer Melissa (Ali MacGraw) is just some love interest.
While there are elements in Sam Peckinpah’s direction that bear some of his visual trademark in terms of his elaborate action set pieces and slow-motion approach to action. Yet, it feels quite derivative as it goes overboard and doesn’t really do much to help tell the story while it is clear that there was some tampering into what Peckinpah was trying to do. While there are some wide shots of the locations with some second unit direction provided by James Coburn. The direction is often focused on close-ups and medium shots to capture what goes on inside a truck as well as the world of the truck stops and camps where they go into. Yet, they don’t really do much visually where Peckinpah wanted to balance not just some of the action but also the humor as the latter feels forced. When it reaches it climax in this showdown between Rubber Duck and the sheriff known as Cottonmouth (Ernest Borgnine), it does feel quite derivative as it is overly stylized and it is followed by something that is quite lame as it pertains to its ending which is definitely something Peckinpah doesn’t do. Overall, Peckinpah creates a messy and ridiculous film about a trucker leading a convoy against a vile sheriff.
Cinematographer Harry Stradling Jr. does nice work with the film’s cinematography as it play into the gorgeous sunny locations of the American Southwest in the day along with some lighting for the scenes set at night. Editors Garth Craven and John Wright do OK work with the editing where it does showcase what is happening yet its approach in the slow-motion cuts and some of the fast-cutting is just downright terrible. Production designer Fernando Carrere, with set decorator Frank Lombardo and art director J. Dennis Washington, does nice work with some of the interior of the trucks and truck stops as well as the truckers‘ camp in the film‘s second half. Sound mixer William Randall does some fine work with the sound as it play into the way the horns sound as well as the truck engines and other moments involving the action. The film’s music by Chip Davis is pretty good for its mixture of orchestral music with bits of country to play into the world of the American Southwest while music supervisor Bill Fries creates a soundtrack filled with music from Glen Campbell, Merle Haggard, Crystal Gayle, Kenny Rogers, Doc Watson, Anne Murray, and a new version of the titular song by C.W. McCall.
The casting by Lynn Stalmaster is superb for the ensemble that is created despite its lackluster script as it feature some notable small roles from Jorge Russek as a brutal sheriff from Texas, Tommy Bush as a sheriff trying to help Cottonmouth, Donnie Fritts as the Reverend Sloane who rides a bus and joins the convoy with his band of hippie churchgoers, Cassie Yates as Rubber Duck’s waitress girlfriend Violet, and Seymour Cassel as New Mexico governor Jerry Haskins who wants to use Rubber Duck for his own political campaign for the senate. Franklyn Ajaye and Madge Sinclair are good in their respective roles as the African-American truckers Spider Mike and Widow Woman with the former wanting to get home to his wife for the birth of his child and the latter being this quirky, Rastafarian-type of gal.
Burt Young is terrific as Bobby aka Pig Pen/Love Machine as the comic relief who is also a realist as he is this trucker that knows what is going on and can smell bullshit from miles away. Ernest Borgnine is terrible as the sheriff Cottonmouth as a sheriff that is quite dark yet is often seen as a comic foil as Borgnine is unfortunately put into some very humiliating moments. Ali MacGraw is uninspired as Melissa as a photographer with a bad haircut who is just there as a reluctant love interest that is trying to understand what Rubber Duck is doing as it’s just a badly written character. Finally, there’s Kris Kristofferson in a wonderful performance as Rubber Duck as a truck driver who has had enough of Cottonmouth’s abusive attitude as he decides to go on the run unaware that he’s created a convoy even though it’s a role that isn’t well-written either.
Convoy is a pretty bad film from Sam Peckinpah that bear little of his oeuvre as well as the fact that it’s just a film based on a fucking novelty song. It’s a film for anyone interested in the CB craze of the 70s might want to take an interest in but this is definitely an inessential film from Peckinpah as it shows a director not in total control. In the end, Convoy is just a terrible film from Sam Peckinpah.
Sam Peckinpah Films: The Deadly Companions - Ride the High Country - Major Dundee - Noon Wine - The Wild Bunch - The Ballad of Cable Hogue - Straw Dogs - Junior Bonner - The Getaway - Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid - Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - The Killer Elite - Cross of Iron - The Osterman Weekend - The Auteurs #62: Sam Peckinpah
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel Monkey in the Middle by Robert Syd Hopkins, The Killer Elite is the story of an American spy who has been betrayed by his best friend as he finds himself wanting revenge unaware of a power struggle that is emerging for the company they work for. Directed by Sam Peckinpah and screenplay by Marc Norman and Stirling Silliphant, the film is a suspense-thriller that plays into a man who tries to cope with betrayal as well as wondering about his loyalty to the people he work for. Starring James Caan, Robert Duvall, Burt Young, Bo Hopkins, Mako, Arthur Hill, and Gig Young. The Killer Elite is a compelling and thrilling film from Sam Peckinpah.
Following an assignment that ends with betrayal and injury, the film is about a spy who works for a private company as he struggles to get back in the game and seek revenge. It’s a film that play into an ever-changing world where a spy who is known for doing his job and having fun is given a rude awakening where his assignment to protect a defector leaves him wounded where his best friend shot him in the elbow and on a kneecap. The film’s script is quite straightforward as it play into the struggle of its protagonist Mike Locken (James Caan) would endure in getting himself back up as well as return to work despite the fact that his superiors believe he’s done. Yet, he would accept an assignment to protect a Chinese political figure who is eager to return to his home country while dealing with Asian rivals as well as his friend George Hansen (Robert Duvall). Yet, Locken and Hansen are both unaware of what is happening behind the scenes as it relates to the ideas of what men want to control their idea of the world.
Sam Peckinpah’s direction is actually quite restrained in some aspects with the exception of its climax which bear many of the elements of stylish violence that he’s known for. Shot entirely on location in San Francisco and areas near the city, the film is quite straightforward as Peckinpah would create some nice wide and medium shots of the locations to play into this sense of a world that is very modern but the characters are quite comfortable with the setting. There are some close-ups to play into some of the suspense along with the medium shots as Peckinpah knows how to maintain some momentum and build it up. At the same time, there are elements that showcases what is going on behind the scenes as it relates to the ideals that Locken hold about doing his job in the hope to do something good.
Yet, there is an air of cynicism as it is more about power and wanting to maintain some form of the status quo with greed also being a factor. Especially in the confrontation between Locken and Hansen as it shows two men who are forced to deal with the emergence of a new world order. It is later followed by another confrontation where one is about honor but the other is about the realities of a new world where ideals and loyalty would become obsolete. Overall, Peckinpah crafts a fascinating yet gripping thriller about a spy’s thirst for revenge complicated by those he is working for.
Cinematographer Philip Lathrop does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of low-key lighting for some of the interior/exterior settings at night to the gorgeous look of the scenes set in the daytime. Editors Monte Hellman and Tony de Zarraga do terrific work with the editing as it has some stylish montage sequences that play into Locken‘s attempt to get revenge with a scene of what is going on in the company he works for as well as some stylish jump-cuts. Production designer Haworth and set decorator Rick Gentz do nice work with the set design from the look of the home Locken would live in his recovery to the secret base of a Chinese client that he is trying to protect.
Costume designer Ray Summers does wonderful work with the costumes as it is mostly casual with the exception of the old-school Chinese garb that the Chinese clients wear. Sound editor Fred Brown does superb work with the sound as it play into some of the violence as well as some of the sparse moments in the quieter scenes in the film. The film’s music by Jerry Fielding is brilliant for its mixture of jazz and orchestral music as it play into the suspense and sense of action as it is a major highlight of the film.
The casting by Jane Feinberg and Mike Fenton is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Tiana Alexandra as Yuen Chung‘s daughter Tommie, Kate Heflin as Locken‘s nurse Amy, Victor Sei Yung as an associate of Chung in Wei Chei, Takayuki Kubota as a rival Japanese mob figure wanting to take out Chung, Tom Clancy as Hansen‘s right-hand man O‘Leary, and Helmut Dantine as the Eastern European client Vorodny whom Locken and Hansen were protecting in the film‘s opening sequence. Bo Hopkins is terrific as Locken’s weapons specialist Jerome Miller who is good with guns while Mako is fantastic as the Chinese political figure Yuen Chung who is eager to return to his home country in the hopes of bringing some form of democracy to the country. Burt Young is brilliant as Mac as a civilian who is Locken’s getaway driver and associate who is also the film’s conscience of sorts where he goes into detail over what Locken is fighting for and why it doesn’t mean anything.
Gig Young is superb as Weybourne as a private security leader who is trying to do whatever he can to maintain his own status in the spy business while using both Locken and Hansen to clean up his dirty work. Arthur Hill is amazing as Cap Collis as Locken’s superior who gives Locken the assignments as he deals with Weybourne in a power struggle where he wants some control but for his own selfish reasons. Robert Duvall is remarkable as George Hansen as a spy who is trying to survive for himself as he copes with what he had to do for Locken while also coping with this emergence of a new world order that he isn’t sure he wants to be a part of. Finally, there’s James Caan in an incredible performance as Mike Locken as a spy who has been betrayed and nearly crippled as he seeks revenge while also dealing with what he has and trying to hold on to some idealism that is starting to become obsolete in a more cynical and crueler world where it isn’t about doing the right thing.
The Killer Elite is a remarkable film from Sam Peckinpah that features excellent performances from James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Burt Young. While it may be considered one of Peckinpah’s weaker films, it is still a fascinating suspense-thriller that does play into Peckinpah’s fascination with man and changing times as well this growing sense of cynicism where honor and loyalty are becoming non-existent. In the end, The Killer Elite is a marvelous film from Sam Peckinpah.
Sam Peckinpah Films: The Deadly Companions - Ride the High Country - Major Dundee - Noon Wine - The Wild Bunch - The Ballad of Cable Hogue - Straw Dogs - Junior Bonner - The Getaway - Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid - Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - Cross of Iron - Convoy - The Osterman Weekend - The Auteurs #62: Sam Peckinpah
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by John G. Avildsen and written and starring Sylvester Stallone, Rocky is the story of a club fighter who is down on his luck as he is given a shot to fight the heavyweight champion of the world. The film is the first of a series of films that explores the trials and tribulations of Rocky Balboa as he is a kind-hearted man that is trying to make it in the only thing he knows how to do. Also starring Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young, Tony Burton, and Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed. Rocky is a heartwarming and sensational film from John G. Avildsen.
The film is a simple story about a club fighter named Rocky Balboa who is a good, kind-hearted man with little prospects as he is given a shot to fight the World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed. Yet, the film follows the life of this guy who knows how to fight while he spends part of his time collecting money for a loan shark just to make a living. Still, it’s not enough as he’s considered a bum by most people living in the urban neighborhood in Philadelphia while a gym owner named Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith) is convinced that Rocky is wasting his potential by working for a loan shark. When opportunity arises to fight Apollo Creed all because of his nickname in The Italian Stallion, it becomes one of many things that help Rocky’s life as he also falls for a shy pet store clerk named Adrian (Talia Shire). While he is considered a long-shot to win the fight, Rocky would do something to surprise everyone in his climatic fight with Creed.
Sylvester Stallone’s screenplay reveals a lot of the struggles of a man just trying to get a break in life as he wants to do good yet he isn’t given many opportunities to do so. Particularly as he is someone who is street-smart but had to give up school as a teenager making life much tougher for him. The only friend he has is an alcoholic meat-packing plant worker named Paulie (Burt Young) who is also Adrian’s older brother. Adrian becomes the one person in Rocky’s life that shows him a world with love as he would help her come out of her shell more as she eventually stands up to the abusive tirades of her brother. The opportunity to fight Creed isn’t just something that Rocky needed to help his life but also prove to the people that he’s not a bum. Even as he turns to Mickey for help as Mickey had been reluctant in the past but knows Rocky needs someone who can help him.
The Apollo Creed character is based on some of the more outrageous fighters of the 1960s and 1970s as he’s a man that needed to fight a fighter as his original fight fell through. By giving an unknown a shot at the title on New Year’s Day in 1976, it would give Creed the publicity that he craves for as a man who is generous with the people. What he doesn’t know is that his opponent is training for the fight a little more seriously as it does lead to this fight. There’s a moment in the third act before the fight where an admittedly-scared Rocky knows that he couldn’t beat the undefeated Creed. Yet, he doesn’t want to go out there and lose like a bum where the fight would have Rocky do the unthinkable in that fight.
John G. Avildsen’s direction is quite understated for much of the film in terms of creating the sense of drama as it has this sense of looseness in the way things play out. Even as it features scenes of Rocky walking around place in Philadelphia where the place itself is a character in the film. While a lot of the dramatic moments are shot with some simplicity, the scenes involving the fights are more stylish. Notably in the way it shows Rocky’s training methods like hitting meat in a meat locker or running around the streets of Philadelphia. Avildsen also creates some amazing training montages where the shots of Rocky running in training featured one of the most early uses of the Steadicam that would also include the shot of Rocky reaching the top of the steps of Philadelphia Museum of Arts.
The climatic fight scene is presented with such degree of style where Avildsen does use some stock footage for the crowd scenes as while having the camera be in and outside the ring to capture the intensity. Even as it reveals what the crowd is seeing as there’s a lot of drama in the fight including some moments where both Rocky and Creed put their bodies at great risk. Overall, Avildsen creates a very gripping yet powerful film about a fighter getting the opportunity to do good and fight the champ.
Cinematographer James Crabe does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography by using very simple lighting schemes for some of the film‘s interiors and exteriors while creating a sense of style for the film‘s fights with some unique uses of lighting. Editors Scott Conrad and Richard Halsey do great work with the editing to use more simple but effective cuts in the dramatic portions while creating some amazing montages in the training sequence as well as some rhythmic cuts in the climatic fight. Production designer William J. Cassidy, with set decorator Ray Molyneaux and art director James H. Spencer, does nice work with some of the set pieces along with the lavish look of the climatic fight.
Makeup designer Michael Westmore does terrific work with the makeup for the film‘s climatic fight to showcase the brutality the two men put upon each other. The sound work of Bud Alper, Lyle J. Burbridge, William McCaughey, and Harry Warren Tetrick is wonderful for the atmosphere that occurs in the gym and in the fights along with the intimate scene of Rocky and Adrian at the ice skating rink. The film’s music by Bill Conti is brilliant as it features some soaring orchestral music including the theme Gonna Fly Now along with some plaintive piano pieces to express Rocky’s melancholia.
The casting by Caro Jones is fantastic as it features some notable appearances from famed fighter Joe Frazier as well as performances from Joe Spinnell as the loan shark Tony Gazzo, Thayer David as the promoter George Jergens, and Tony Burton as Creed’s trainer Tony “Duke” Evers. Carl Weathers is great as the flamboyant fighter Apollo Creed as a man who is full of charisma and skill only to realize that the opponent he picked isn’t some bum. Burt Young is excellent as Rocky’s friend Paulie who tries to help Rocky out while being very cruel towards his sister claiming she’s making his life difficult. Burgess Meredith is superb as Mickey as a former boxer who is aware of Rocky’s potential as he helps trains for the fight. Talia Shire is wonderful as Adrian as a shy pet store clerk who falls for Rocky as she helps him deal with the doubts he has. Finally, there’s Sylvester Stallone in a magnificent performance as Rocky Balboa by displaying a man who is very good to people though doesn’t get appreciated while being a tough guy with heart as it’s definitely a true breakthrough for Sly.
Rocky is a tremendous film from John G. Avildsen and its star/writer Sylvester Stallone. The film isn’t just one of the great sport movies but also an inspirational story of how an underdog can overcome the odds. Even as it’s a film that started one of the great franchises in films while finding a character in Rocky Balboa for the people to root for. In the end, Rocky is an outstanding film from John G. Avildsen.
Rocky Films: (Rocky II) - (Rocky III) - (Rocky IV) - (Rocky V) - (Rocky Balboa) - Creed (2015 film) - (Creed II)
John G. Avildsen Films: (Turn on to Love) - (Guess What We Learned in School Today?) - (Joe) - (Cry Uncle!) - (Okay Bill) - (Save the Tiger) - (The Stoolie) - (Fore Play) - (W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings) - (Slow Dancing in the Big City) - (The Formula) - (Neighbors) - (Traveling Hopefully) - (A Night in Heaven) - The Karate Kid - The Karate Kid Part II - (Happy New Year) - (For Keeps) - (Lean on Me) - The Karate Kid Part III - (The Power of One) - (8 Seconds) - (Inferno)
© thevoid99 2013
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/7/06 w/ Additioanl Edits & Revisions.
Based on Harry Grey's novel The Hoods, Once Upon a Time in America is the story of an aging gangster who looks back on his time as a young hood working with other Jewish boys in New York City as they later become top criminals during the days of Prohibition. Directed by Sergio Leone and screenplay by Leone, Franco Arcall, Franco Ferrini, Leonardo Benvenuti, Pierro De Bernardi, Enrico Medioli, and Ernesto Gastaldi with additional dialogue and translation by Stuart Kaminsky. The film explores the world of the gangster life during the era of Prohibition among four men as it leads to huge ambitions and betrayals as a man reflects on that time as he returns to finish an assignment. Starring Robert de Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Tuesday Weld, Joe Pesci, Burt Young, Treat Williams, William Forsythe, James Hayden, Danny Aiello, Larry Rapp, James Russo, Scott Tiler, Amy Ryder, Brian Bloom, and in her film debut, Jennifer Connelly. Once Upon a Time in America is a majestic yet harrowing film from Sergio Leone.
On the final night of Prohibition in 1933, David "Noodles" Aaronson is at a Chinese theater high on opium unaware of some startling news as his girlfriend Eve (Darlanne Fluegal) was killed while his friends Patrick "Patsy" Goldberg (James Hayden), Philip "Cockeye" Stein (William Forsythe), and Maximilian "Max" Bercovicz (James Wood) were also killed in a botched heist. After saving his friend and barkeeper Fate Moe Gelly (Larry Rapp) from the gangster Beefy (Frank Gio), Noodles decides to flee town with a key to a suitcase only to discover that it's empty. 35 years later, Noodles returns to New York City as he visits Fat Moe while getting a letter about the grave site of his friends having been moved. Staying at Moe's for a while, Noodles learns that Moe's sister Deborah (Elizabeth McGovern) has become a famous actress as Noodles recalls his time as a young man (Scott Tiler) who fell for the young Deborah (Jennifer Connelly) as she was practicing her ballet recital.
The young Noodles lived in the Jewish community in Brooklyn with his friends Patsy (Brian Bloom), Cockeye (Adrian Curran), and Dominic (Noah Moazezi) where they did small crimes as they also meet up with a new kid from the Bronx named Max (Rusty Jacobs). Noodles and Max become close as help blackmail a corrupt cop named "Fartface Whitey (Richard Foronjy) who was trying to have his time with an underage hooker named Peggy (Julie Cohen). Though Deborah offers him a life outside of crime, Noodles is still tempted as he and Max manage to get themselves in trouble with a local crime figure named Bugsy (James Russo). Noodles and Max decided to form their own gang with Patsy, Cockeye, and Dominic while helping out another local, older gang in the Capuono brothers that becomes profitable. With an agreement among the five boys over the money made, things seemed great until an encounter with Bugsy leads to trouble. Noodles retaliates by killing Bugsy and accidentally killing a cop as he's forced to serve time in prison. Many years later as an adult, Noodles resumes his life of crime with Max and the gang where Moe runs a speakeasy and Peggy (Amy Ryder) is a brothel madam while Deborah tries to work her way up as a dancer.
After stealing some diamonds for Joe (Burt Young) and Frankie Minaldi (Joe Pesci) while learning about its value, Noodles learn that the theft was a plan to kill Joe Minaldi in order to gain the diamonds for themselves. With Noodles trying to maintain his business as they later save a local union spokesman named Jimmy O'Donnell (Treat Williams) from Chicken Joe (Richard Bright), business begins to boom when Max's new girlfriend Carol (Tuesday Weld) joins the team. While Noodles tries to pursue Deborah by having a lavish dinner with her, she reveals that she's leaving for Hollywood leaving Noodles confused. With Max becoming more ambitious in his dealings just as Prohibition is about to end, Noodles remains unsure as Max decides to create a big heist. Many years later as Noodles reflects, he finds a key to a locker at the old train station he hung out as he's been given an assignment that has to do with a commerce secretary named Bailey. After meeting Carol in a foundation building to learn more about Bailey, he finally gets an answer in the last person he expects where he makes a troubling discovery.
What this film has in common with The Godfather series and Goodfellas is the mythology of the gangster/mob world. Unlike those two films, Leone goes for a study of ambition and morality through the viewpoint of one man consumed with guilt. Since Leone and his writers aimed for that approach of study, the result isn't just this absorbing epic of young boys who are entranced by a world of crime but how far they're willing to go to become successful. Now a near, 4-hour running time might seem long but Leone and his approach to narrative structure makes the experience to be amazing in how Noodles sees things and how he reacts to them. Especially in the end when he is summoned for a job where he realizes what he has to do. In the end, he becomes powerless but content to the point where for anyone wondering where has he been hiding what he's doing for those 35 years. It doesn't matter what he did, in fact that is an entirely different story. What matters is why he’s been contacted.
It's in Leone's script with his writers that the film's non-linear structure is unique. The first act being Noodles' reflection of his childhood, his first meeting with Max, and the tragedy that would shape his outlook on the world. The second act is Noodles seeing how his own crime operation has changed and his own ideas of how things should be done where he wanted to keep a low profile and remain in the streets. The third act is Noodles and Max's disagreement over ambitions and how it all fell apart when Noodles tries to save Max. Also in that third act is when Noodle is in 1968, he searches for all the clues to why he's been contacted only to learn some horrible truths. Then there's a strange sense of completion in how the film began and end in the Chinese theaters with Noodles, high on opium, is at. The result only leaves an open interpretation where he could be dreaming of all of these things.
If the script that Leone concocted is filled with amazing character study and a non-linear structure, his direction is just as potent and involving in every scene that he shoots. For the first act, especially with the young cast, Leone aims for an innocence in the idea of sex and crime where the boys are hoping to make something of themselves. Even Noodle's attraction to Deborah has this unique presence of first love. Then when it reaches that first moment of tragedy, that innocence ends where Leone definitely aims for this area of confusion in terms of sex and violence in its most graphic depiction. Particularly in the way Noodles treats women to the point that he doesn't know. Leone doesn't condemn or sympathize for his actions but only to reveal Noodles' major flaw. Especially in Leone's approach of rape where he reveals Noodles' action in graphic detail to the point that he aims for a level to make the audience uncomfortable.
Leone's epic-scope of direction where he uses wide, far away shots to cover the area and time of where his character in is absorbing to watch. Especially with the close-up of the characters where the audience sees how emotionally involved Leone is in with all of his characters. The close-ups he does comes from an emotional point for the characters of whatever reaction they're in. While it's an old technique that Leone has used in his great films, it's a technique that still works and imitated for many years. Another great technique Leone does with the structure of his script is how he moves from time period to time period, especially that first shift of time changing where the Noodle of 1933 is in a train station walking into a Coney Island attraction and then walking out as an old man in 1968. Overall, Leone's direction is a potent as ever in the way he creates and cares for the situations and characters around him.
Helping Leone in his epic, visual scope is cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli whose camera work creates the large canvas Leone wanted. Colli's cinematography is filled with enormous lighting schemes to convey the sense of loss and change throughout the characters. From the lush, interior settings where everything feels intimate to the evocative look in many of the film's exterior scenes as Colli does great work in the photography. Production designer Walter Massi and art directors Carlo Simi and James T. Singelis also do amazing work in the detail the contrast look of the drab 1920s look of the community the young boys in to the rich world they live by of the 1930s. Even the place of Fat Moe's has a change where early, it's a family restaurant filled with all of these old things that later becomes an underground speakeasy with all the works. Then when the film shifts to 1968, it becomes a former shell of itself as a regular old tavern with little of what was from the past to convey that loss.
Helping out in the costume design is Gabriella Pescucci whose design of the suits for the young characters and their older counterparts work well with time and how they shift, especially the look of the women. Doing some great work for the film's structure and leisurely pacing style is editor Nino Baragli whose use of long cuts and shifts from time to time really makes the audience aware of what’s happening and not lose its pace. For a film as epic like this, Baragli does amazing work with the editing and tightening up scenes that could've been too slow but slow enough for the audience to be aware of what's happening. The sound work of Jean-Pierre Ruh is also great for the sound effects, especially early on in the film with the constant ringing of the telephone that is heard to the point of deliberate annoyance that conveys the action of what's happening.
Then there is the music which features additional compositions used from the likes of Irving Berlin's God Bless America that is played early on in the film and towards the end along with an orchestral version of the Beatles' Yesterday as well as orchestral cuts of Joseph M. LaCalle and Gioacchino Rossini. The main music that is played throughout the entire film whether its hummed, whistled through a pipe or a mouth is the music of Ennio Morricone, a longtime collaborator of Leone. Morricone’s lush arrangements and dreamy textures conveys the loss of innocence and sense of fantasy that is shown through the mind of Noodles and Max. Morricone's score is distinct in its arrangements and use of windpipes that are played throughout to its connection with China where Noodles seems to escape to in their theater. It's probably one of the best musical scores ever done by the great Ennio Morricone.
Finally, we have the film's large ensemble cast that features great small performances from Richard Bright, Robert Harper, Frank Gio, Gerard Murphy, James Russo, Darlanne Fluegel, plus Clem Caserta, Frank Sisto, and Jerry Strivelli as the Capuano brothers who help the boys early on, and cameos from Sergio Leone as a ticket man, his daughter Francesca in a party scene late in the film, and producer Arnon Milchan as Noodles' chauffeur. In small yet memorable supporting roles, Burt Young, Joe Pesci, and Treat Williams all do excellent work in their performances while Amy Ryder does a good performance as the older Peggy while Julie Cohen does excellent work as the young Peggy. Richard Foronjy does hilarious work as the corrupt cop the boys get to mess with while Danny Aiello also plays a foil in a wonderful performance as a police chief who loses his cool. One of the best supporting performances goes to Tuesday Weld as Carol, a rare woman of sorts in Leone's films who has enough power and independence to do whatever she wants though later on, she sees trouble and in the aftermath, is filled with regret as she and Noodles make peace over what happen in a great performance.
The film's young cast features some wonderful performances from the likes of Brian Bloom, Adrian Curran, and Noah Moazezi as Dominic with standout scenes and performances. Bloom and Curran's respective counterparts in the late James Hayden (who died of a drug overdose months before the film’s release at the Cannes Film Festival) and great character actor William Forsythe have hilarious, memorable performances throughout the entire film. Mike Monetti is also excellent as the young Fat Moe whose friendship and loyalty is counted on as his older counterpart by Larry Rapp is also amazing for his companionship and sense of comfort to those around him, even with Noodles in the 1968 scenes. Rusty Jacobs does a great job in playing the young Max with his confident swagger and street-wise ambition as he does a great job living up to playing a young James Woods. Scott Tiler also is excellent in playing the young Noodles with his wide-eyed innocence and penchant for trouble as he does a great job in living up to playing the same stature in the character for de Niro.
In the role of Deborah, Elizabeth McGovern does a fine job in playing the older version whose sense of disappointment towards Noodles is conveyed well but doesn't carry a presence that was set early on through the film where McGovern doesn't really live up to her own flaws for the character. Jennifer Connelly though, does amazing work in playing the young Deborah where she ends up overshadowing McGovern despite being in the film for a short time early on. Connelly's performance is filled with a natural vibe where her presence is exhilarating to watch with her wide-eyed innocence and street smart knowing that she wants to get out but in the most honest way she can think of. While McGovern had to do more of the challenging stuff, her performance is weak in comparison to Connelly who just lights up the screen.
In a performance that can be described as one of the most overlooked of the 1980s, James Woods does great work in the role of Max. Playing an ambitious, confident man with big plans, Woods personifies the character with great wit and charm throughout the entire film. Doing great work, side-by-side with de Niro, Woods plays the perfect counterpart in a role Woods often says his one of his favorite and a performance he's most proud of. It's certainly one of his greatest performances of his great career.
Finally, there's Robert de Niro in one of his finest performances to date in a very complex, layered role as Noodles. Throughout the entire film, de Niro displays ranges of emotions by doing little as he acts throughout half the film in a silent manner revealing his sense of loss, regret, and wasted opportunity. In the 1930s scenes, de Niro reveals that he's a guy who wants to be in the streets and remain low key while being unsure of the things around him while refusing the idea of change around him. In those sequences, de Niro has great scenes with Weld, McGovern, and most of all, Woods. When de Niro plays the old version of Noodles in the 1968, de Niro sells all in his performance by not doing much and revealing the layered sense of melancholia in probably one of his finest and overlooked performances of his career.
In the Region 1, 2-disc DVD set released in 2003 by Warner Brothers comes the full 229-minute version that was presented at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival, uncut and uncensored. Presented in widescreen in a dual-layer format, the new digital transfer of the film with a remastered soundtrack in 5.1 Dolby Digital looks and sounds great overall for a film like this. The only problem with this restoration and remastering is that because the film is nearly four hours, it had to be split in two which is annoying and abrupt where discs had to be changed. Still, the quality of the movies in its original presentation with restored scenes that didn't make it to the American version (in its 2 1/2 hour botched studio cut and Leone's 3 hour, 49 minute cut).
The special features in the film that mostly appear in the second disc includes a wonderful photo gallery of the film on set with Leone directing all of his actors in several scenes while looking relaxed and having fun. Also shown are a cast/crew list of the people involved and the film's original theatrical trailer which doesn't have that kind of excitement or anticipation that is felt in today's trailers but an example of what they were at the time. One little feature is shown in the second disc of the DVD is an excerpt from the Turner Classic Movies documentary of Sergio Leone entitled Once Upon a Time: Sergio Leone where the focus is on Once Upon a Time in America. The documentary that features interviews with several of the writers involved with the film, Leone's wife Carla (who died shortly before the doc was finished in 2001), and his daughters Francesca and Raffaella plus composer Ennio Morricone and actors James Coburn, James Woods, Scott Tiler, and director Quentin Tarantino.
The discussion in the doc is focused on the film where Tarantino described his love for Leone's close-up and the years it took to develop the script which took nearly 10 before they went into production in 1982. James Woods talked about his own experience which he claimed was the greatest one he's ever lived and loved this film more than anything he's done. There was also the discussion of what happened when the film got released in America in its 2 1/2 hour cut in chronological sequence that got horrific reviews in the U.S. in 1984. James Coburn talked about how heartbreaking it was for Sergio who remained heartbroken till his death in 1989 when he was planning to do a film about the Russian Revolution. Woods also talked about how Sheila Benson from the L.A. Times called the film the worst movie of 1984 until she saw Leone's uncensored, uncut version in which she voted it as one of the best films of the 1980s. It's a wonderful excerpt about the film and the people involved.
Another special feature that is in both discs is a commentary from Times magazine film critic Richard Schickel. Schickel's commentary is filled with some insightful trivia on the film and Leone while he gives his own thoughts on several scenes including the ending. He also talks about the botched cut it got and the version that he's commenting in the film which he says is the definitive version. He does wonderful critique in praising the actors and technical detail, particularly on Leone's direction. He also interprets the film as not just a fantasy film of sorts but a heterosexual love story between Noodles and Max. Schickel also talks about Leone's original plan to make the film a 2-part, 6-hour cut which had several deleted scenes involving Noodles' last meeting with Carol and more of Noodles' relationship with Eve. Schickel said Leone decided not to and instead went for the near 4-hour cut which he was happy about.
While the DVD's lack of feature is a bit disappointing on some parts, probably some time in the future where the DVD will evolve to the point of getting this entire film into one disc without interruptions. It would be a great DVD release with the botched cut to give insight on what not to do and maybe some of those famous deleted scenes. Though it would be interesting to see the unseen 6-hour cut Leone had originally wanted but this original presentation in its 4-hour running time is probably and will always be the definitive version. In the end, this DVD is an excellent purchase for those who love the work of Sergio Leone.
Overall, Once Upon a Time in America is an amazing, intelligent, and heartbreaking gangster drama helmed by one of cinema's finest masters, Sergio Leone. With a great cast led by Robert de Niro and James Woods with a great supporting cast including Tuesday Weld, Jennifer Connelly, Rusty Jacobs, Scott Tiler, Larry Rapp, William Forsythe, Elizabeth McGovern, Treat Williams, and Joe Pesci. Fans of gangster films will indeed find this film to be definitive of the genre while it also has something to bring for epic film fans. While it's hard to tell if it'll top any of Leone's other films, it's clear that he can do more than just a western while the best thing now for him is that his classic has now found an audience. In the end, Once Upon a Time in America is a true cinema classic and a fond farewell from the great Sergio Leone.
Sergio Leone Films: The Last Days of Pompeii (1959 film) - The Colossus of Rhodes - A Fistful of Dollars - For a Few Dollars More - The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly - Once Upon a Time in the West - Duck, You Sucker!
Related: Once Upon a Time: Sergio Leone - The Auteurs #16: Sergio Leone
(C) thevoid99 2012
Considered to be one of the greatest noir films ever made, Chinatown tells the story of a detective investigating a murder that involves a dispute over water in California circa 1937. Directed by Roman Polanski with an original screenplay by Robert Towne. Chinatown is considered to be one of the finest mysteries ever told as it also became the first film produced by former Paramount studio head Robert Evans. Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, Burt Young, Diane Ladd, Perry Lopez, and John Huston. Chinatown is an extraordinary masterpiece that is still captivating more than 35 years since its release.
After being hired by a woman named Mrs. Mulwray (Diane Ladd) to investigate her husband, whom she accuses him of adultery. Private investigator J.J. “Jake” Gittes goes after Hollis Mulwray (Darrell Zwerling), a chief supervisor working the L.A. County Water and Power Department. Following him through public meetings and everything else that involved water. Gittes learns that Mr. Mulwray is having an affair with a young woman (Belinda Palmer) as he takes pictures with help from his associates Duffy (Bruce Glover) and Walsh (Joe Mantell). The pictures become public where Jake is suddenly being sued by a woman (Faye Dunaway) who is revealed to be Mrs. Evelyn Mulwray.
Realizing he’s been duped all along, Gittes wants to know why when he wants to talk to Hollis Mulwray himself. After getting some information at Mulwray’s office and meeting with another supervisor named Russ Yelburton (John Hillerman). Gittes notices pictures of Hollis with an old man (John Huston) whom he previously saw in one of Walsh’s pictures revealed to be Noah Cross, Evelyn’s father. Gittes goes to a reservoir to meet with Mulwray where he also comes across his former police partner Lt. Lou Escobar (Perry Lopez) where Hollis Mulwray is found dead. Evelyn is asked to go to the police station for questions as she turns to Jake for help as she wants him to investigate what happened.
With Gittes now on the case to find out what happened to Hollis Mulwray, he also learns about why Mulwray was murdered relating to the owner ship of the water. Gittes ends up getting into a confrontation with a corrupt sheriff named Mulvihill (Roy Jenson) and his associate (Roman Polanski) who cuts Jake’s nose. After that incident, Gittes gets a call from the woman who pretended to be Mrs. Mulwray about the obituaries which mentioned some names. Gittes meets with Noah Cross about Hollis Mulwray where Cross asks Gittes to find Hollis’ mistress. After finding out about some recent landowners that included one of the deceased names at the obituary. Gittes goes to an orange grove plantation where he gets in trouble with landowners until Evelyn saves him.
Jake and Evelyn learn more about the motivation for Hollis’ murder in relation to his protest towards a dam being built to prevent water from landowners in the valley. After evading Mulvihill and his henchmen, Jake and Evelyn hide at her home where Evelyn reveals more about her father. Evelyn, later gets a call from her butler Kahn (James Wong) to go to a house. Jake would follow Evelyn as he learns about Evelyn’s dilemma. After getting another call about some more information about Hollis’ body, Jake confronts Evelyn about Hollis and the mistress where some awful truths come out. Even as Escobar is going after Jake over withholding evidence as it relates to Noah Cross where it would lead to a climatic confrontation.
What was supposed to be part of a trilogy of stories involving Jake Gittes, the film is an allegory of sorts of the dark, cynical tone of what was happening in the 1970s during the Watergate scandal. Both screenwriter Robert Towne and director Roman Polanski decided to create a story about corruption set in the late 1930s in the age when film noir was big. The end result is an intoxicating yet eerie mystery-thriller that has the attitude of the 1970s and take it back in time to the late 1930s. A film that has all of the ingredients of a stylish noir film that is entertaining and engrossing.
Part of this genius belongs to screenwriter Robert Towne whose witty, rhythmic dialogue is part of the film’s brilliance. Setting the film during the real-life California Water Wars during the early 1900s. Towne was able to use that incident as a backdrop while focusing on why was this chief supervisor for the water department was killed and who killed him. That’s where Jake Gittes comes in as he goes very deep into finding out what is going on. Though he was originally supposed to do a job to uncover a man committing adultery, he gets more than he bargains for while nearly losing a nose.
Gittes is the typical gumshoe P.I. in a lot of noir films yet has an attitude that sets him apart from those protagonists from the past. Even as he is a man who is trying to be good while dealing with demons he had in the past in his days as a beat cop at Chinatown. Then there’s Evelyn Mulwray, the femme fatale of sorts but one with a much bigger secret. Though she reveals the secret in a famous dialogue, what is revealed is a woman still haunted by what happened to her and how she tries to keep her husband happy despite not being faithful to her husband and vice versa. Still, in the classic noir formula, Evelyn does become a formidable ally to Gittes whenever he gets himself into trouble and such.
Towne’s approach to the structure of the story is unique not just to the genre but also to its period. The first act revolves around Gittes’ discovery of Hollis Mulwray’s murder, Evelyn hiring him, and his confrontation with Mulvihill. The second act has Gittes meeting his first meeting with Noah Cross and his meeting with landowners. The third act begins with Gittes confronting Evelyn about the mysterious woman at her home which leads to some troubling revelations as well as other dark secrets. Even to the climatic confrontation at Chinatown. Towne’s script is truly mesmerizing as it is definitely one of the best examples of a great screenplay.
The direction of Roman Polanski is truly intoxicating with its hypnotic presentation in terms of framing and capturing a moment on film. Polanski’s camera always follow the action as if he is playing an invisible observer to see what Jake Gittes is doing. At the same time, he also gives the viewer a chance to soak Los Angeles circa 1937. Still, Polanski is interested in divulging into the mysterious death of Hollis Mulwray as well as all of the issues that occurred in the Water Wars. Shooting scenes of rivers, oceans, and ponds become symbolic for the motivation of Gittes’ investigation. Even in the tiny pond at the Mulwray’s home inside their garden where Gittes would find a major clue.
Polanski’s eerie direction, in terms of capturing action and scenery, is a highlight along with the way he captures the actors in their performances. Whether it’s using a close-up or a two-shot with various actors. He always has his eye on Nicholson, who appears in nearly every frame of the film. Even as he gets the chance for the actors to feel relaxed or give in to some kind of crazed performance. The overall result of Polanski’s work is magnificent as this is definitely one of his crowning achievements in his prolific career.
Cinematographer John A. Alonzo does an amazing job with the film‘s lush photography to encompass its noir tone. Alonzo’s photography also has great shadings for many of the film’s sunny day interiors along with wonderful nighttime scenes that play up the dark mood of the film. Editor Sam O’Steen does fantastic work with the film‘s editing that includes a leisured pace to the film. Even with fast-paced rhythmic cutting to play up to the snappy dialogue and intense scenes as O’Steen’s editing is truly one of the film’s technical highlights.
Production designer Richard Sylbert, along with set decorator Ruby Levitt and art director W. Stewart Campbell, do a spectacular job in re-creating late 1930s Los Angeles with the use of old cars and places. Costume designer Anthea Sylbert does a glorious job with the costumes from the suits and hats the men wear to the dresses, hats, and shoes that the women wear. There’s something to the look and feel in the costumes that is mesmerizing as it adds authenticity to the film.
Sound editors Howard Beals, Bob Cornett, and Roger Sword do excellent work with the sound to capture gunshots and the atmosphere surrounding the locations. Music composer Jerry Goldsmith create what is truly one of the best film scores ever composed for a film. Goldsmith’s lush, scintillating score filled with swooning trumpets and an elegant orchestra to play up the drama of the film along with broad arrangements for many of the film’s suspense sequences. Featuring a soundtrack filled with jazz music from other composers, it’s one of the best film scores/soundtracks ever made.
The casting by Jane Feinberg and Mike Fenton is marvelous with the array of memorable small and big roles that are portrayed on film. Among the number of memorable small roles include Ron Howard’s father Rance as an angry farmer at a meeting, Cecil Elliot as an old woman Gittes sweet-talks to, Fritzi Burr as Hollis Mulwray’s secretary, Belinda Palmer as Hollis’ mistress, Nandu Hinds as Gittes’ secretary, Richard Bakalyan as Escobar’s associate Loach, and Darrell Zwerling as Hollis Mulwray. Other notable small yet memorable roles include Burt Young as a client of Gittes named Curly, Bruce Glover and Joe Mantell as Gittes’ respective associates of Duffy and Walsh, James Hong as Evelyn’s butler, John Hillerman as the evasive Yelburton, Diane Ladd as the fake Mrs. Mulwray, Roy Jenson as the sleazy Mulvihill, and Roman Polanski in the memorable role as a knife-wielding thug.
Perry Lopez is excellent as Lt. Escobar, a by-the-books detective who becomes suspicious about Gittes’ involvement with Evelyn Mulwray as there’s an ambiguity over what side he’s on. John Huston is brilliant as Noah Cross, a shady businessman who is hell-bent on having power as he tries to manipulate Gittes. Though it’s a small role, Huston truly stands out with his gravelly voice and intimidating presence as it’s definitely a classic role from the famed Hollywood icon. Faye Dunaway is superb as Evelyn Mulwray. Dunaway’s cool yet eerie performance is definitely her most iconic performance of her career. Dunaway exudes the idea of a femme fatale while her motivations to help Gittes in the investigation adds to her veiled persona. It’s really an amazing performance from Dunaway.
Finally, there’s Jack Nicholson in one of his finest performance as Jake Gittes. Nicholson gives a humorous yet cunning performance as a detective trying to find out what is going on. There’s no quit in a guy like Gittes as he goes head on to find the truth. Nicholson is pretty restrained throughout the film though his monologue about his nose shows a man being intense without going overboard. Nicholson gets a chance for others, including Dunaway and Huston, to shine in the scenes he’s in as he just takes a back seat of sorts. Even with Dunaway where the two have chemistry that is fiery at times but also intoxicating. It’s definitely an example of Nicholson’s brilliance as an actor.
Released in June of 1974, the film was a massive hit with audiences and critics. Nominated for several Oscars including Best Picture, the film won Robert Towne an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. At the Golden Globes months earlier, the film won four for Best Picture, Best Director for Roman Polanski, Best Screenplay for Towne, and Best Actor for Jack Nicholson. The film’s legacy lived on as in 1991, it was selected to be part of the National Film Registry. At the same time, the film has consistently been put on many top films list as one of the best. Though a 1990 sequel directed and starring Nicholson called The Two Jakes with a screenplay by Robert Town was a critical and commercial failure. It did nothing to taint the brilliance of Chinatown.
Chinatown is truly one of the greatest films ever made. Thanks to Roman Polanski’s enchanting direction, Robert Towne’s marvelous screenplay, and the tour-de-force performances of Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston. It’s a film that continues to be as timeless since its original 1974 release as it will always capture the hearts and mind of new viewers. For film buffs wanting to discover the work of Roman Polanski will no doubt see this film as one of his quintessential as well as those interested in the work of Jack Nicholson. In the end, Chinatown is a classic noir film that is entertaining and engaging from the wondrous mind of Roman Polanski.
Roman Polanski Reviews: Knife in the Water - Repulsion - Cul-de-Sac - The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary’s Baby - Macbeth (1971 film) - (What?) - The Tenant - Tess - (Pirates) - Frantic - Bitter Moon - Death and the Maiden - The Ninth Gate - The Pianist - Oliver Twist (2005 film) - The Ghost Writer - Carnage (Venus in Fur) - (Based on a True Story) - (An Officer and a Spy) - (The Palace)
© thevoid99 2010
