Der Detektiv

A surprisingly subversive film, detailing a "rainbow" of conspiracies that affect all aspects of urban sixties society. The homosexual "other," along with the mysogynistic undercurrent of testosterone-controlled society is played to powerfully ironic and symbolic effect, from the closeted bisexuality of the mysterious spouse of Jaqueline Bissett, to the triumphantly cynical reasoning of the lone "colored" Detective who strips his suspect as a paean to Nazi interrogation tactics ( many Nazis were avowed closeted homosexuals). The establishment is skewered for "not facing responsibility" as Det. Joe would say. Slums, inadequate housing, homophobia, the death penalty ( the last execution in New York had taken place five years prior to the movie's release), marital infidelity, mental illness, political patronage, police corruption, and establishment hypocrisy ( "rainbow"-- come on, how blatant!)are all taken on by the man with old-fashioned, starch-shirted integrity. Thank God for "The Detective."

An honest cop gets caught up in a web of corruption as he investigates the murder of a prominent gay socialite. Frank Sinatra plays Detective Joe Leland, a beacon of decency and stability in his own unhinged world. His wife (Lee Remick) is practically a nymphomaniac, unable to control her sexual appetite, while his fellow detectives (Ralph Meeker and Robert Duvall) are involved in a widespread real estate corruption scandal known as Rainbow. The investigation of the murder takes place after the prime suspect is wrongly executed for the crime, and leads into the underground New York homosexual world of the late 60's, with some fascinating scenes shot at one of the bars, with a few faces that have been seen in other films, and a surreal atmosphere. Some have called this gay-bashing, though it seems more to be a portrayal of the secretive and closeted world of that time. In any event, the threat of being outed is an essential part of the story, and that element is quite dramatic and well done, with William Windom quite believable as the closeted and married gay man at the center of Rainbow. A tough movie of a detective caught up in a weird world of public corruption and personal crisis, catch it if you can.

An old fashioned, sometimes silly, but altogether decent and moral little film. The isolated accusation of homophobia present elsewhere in the list of reviews is not accurate. This assumption might be made from watching only the first few minutes of the film, when certain suspicions arise, but as the film develops those suspicions turn out to be quite ungrounded and in fact the Sinatra character openly defends gay characters from a homophobic cop, and so on.

Throughout this movie the hero has actual moral integrity and refuses to abandon it, most of the time, and if he does it is not glorified. This in itself makes it worth watching just the once, given the general state of other films in the genre.

Part of the Film Noir genre is the romance angle with a powerful female lead. This neo-noir fails on that point offering a watered down, trifling character portrayed by a non-threatening Lee Remick, whose eyes the director seems obsessed with capturing long expressionless shots of. Sinatra's acting is fine, but the film technique... I can't explain how it makes him seem uncool, and the character of Leland is extremely cool and wildly open-minded for the time. Trouble is, they go very far out of their way to make him seem at once overly modern, and decidedly anchored in his values. Doesn't work. I didn't care for the camera work at all. A brilliant performance by Tony Musante as the basket-case ex-lover of the murdered gay man in the opening sequence is dminished by not properly photographing it. Great story and plot. Very sadly executed in a "message over story" way.

Forty years on, it's all too easy to pick holes in the naïve depiction of gays in this movie. Given its otherwise honest and sometimes brutal portrayal, I'm quite sure it was dictated, at least in part, by what the producers thought could be shown without alienating the majority who might watch.

Aforementioned aside, this is a gritty, adult story of an intelligent, upright cop battling marriage problems and a sleazy murder, in addition to the bigots and small minds in his own department.

Frank Sinatra, in one of his best roles, plays the world-weary lead with deceptive ease, ably backed by a good script and fine supporting cast, including Lee Remick (one of my favourite actresses) as his soon-to-be ex-wife, battling problems of her own, dealt with in flashbacks (again, probably simplistically, but at least with some style and intelligence); and Lloyd Bochner as the doctor with the high-price clientele and secrets he'd rather not share. Not to mention an outstanding (and sadly forgotten) theme by Jerry Goldsmith.

Yes, it's very sixties, but it's *good* sixties; and in the best traditions of film noir too. All in all, it reminds me of a quote from Lee Remick herself: "I make movies for grownups. When Hollywood starts making them again, I'll start acting in them again".

Amen.