Homicide (1991 film)
Homicide | |
---|---|
Directed by | David Mamet |
Written by | David Mamet |
Produced by | |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Roger Deakins |
Edited by | Barbara Tulliver |
Music by | Alaric Jans |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Triumph Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 102 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $11 million[1] |
Box office | $2.9 million[2] |
Homicide is a 1991 American
Plot
Bobby Gold is a
A nighttime survey of the crime scene uncovers an important piece of the woman's past, and Gold's reluctance turns to curiosity, leading to the discovery of a
Gold finds the old woman at one time was running guns for a Jewish liberation group. The group is attempting to protect their people from threats within the community. When asked to steal a list of group member names from police evidence to protect the group, Gold objects and is rejected by the Jewish group leaders for denying his faith.
Asking the help of a Jewish woman in the group, Gold is led to a toy shop in the city that is a secret stronghold of Nazi sympathizers, filled with anti-Jewish propaganda - proving the Jewish group's fears of danger and antisemitism were true. Gold erupts in anger, setting off the bomb given to him by the woman, destroying the stronghold/toy shop.
He is again approached by the Jewish group to retrieve the list from police evidence. When he refuses, the group shows him photographs of his acts at the toy shop, attempting to blackmail him into assisting.
During a raid to apprehend Randolph, where Gold is late to arrive due to the meeting with the Jewish group, Sullivan dies in Gold's arms, killed by gunshot. Gold, filled with rage, charges through the building and loses his gun. He wraps a rusty chain around his arm and catches up to Randolph who is attempting to escape through the basement. Randolph shoots him and talks through his last moments. Gold informs him that it was Randolph's mother that turned him in, earning him another gunshot to the arm. Gold gives him a phony passport arranged by his mother, as a police officer turns the corner and shoots Randolph in the chest, killing him.
Gold returns to the precinct to apologetic words from his fellow police officers. He comes to find the old woman was killed by a pair of young black kids, attempting to get the “fortune” hidden in her basement.
Cast
- Joe Mantegna as Bobby Gold
- William H. Macy as Tim Sullivan
- Ving Rhames as Robert Randolph
- Natalia Nogulich as Chava
- Vincent Guastaferro as Lt. Senna
- J. J. Johnston as Jilly Curran
- Lionel Mark Smith as Charlie Olcott
- Rebecca Pidgeon as Miss Klein
- Ricky Jay as Aaron
- Roberta Custer as Cathy Bates
- Charles Stransky as Doug Brown
- Bernard Gray as James
- Paul Butler as Commissioner Walker
Reception
As of January 2023[update], the film holds an approval rating of 88% on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on 25 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Guided by David Mamet's searing dialogue and assured direction, Homicide tells its morally complex story with an immersive mood and a crackling zeal."[4] Roger Ebert praised it, giving it four out of four stars.[5]
Home media
The film was released on
On September 8, 2009, the film was given a
References
- Daily Variety. May 14, 1990. p. 1.
- ^ "Homicide". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: Homicide". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-04. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "Homicide". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (October 18, 1991). "Homicide". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ^ "Homicide - Releases". AllMovie. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
- ^ "Homicide (1991)". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
External links
- Homicide at IMDb
- Homicide at Rotten Tomatoes
- Homicide at AllMovie
- Homicide at Box Office Mojo
- Homicide: What Are You, Then? an essay by Criterion Collection