41ª DP: Inferno no Bronx

Fort Apache is flawed, but interesting and atmospheric. Newman's and Asner's accents are a bit dodgy, but the location shooting and moral ambiguity place this 1981 movie firmly in the camp of 1970's police/New Yawk flicks. Rachel Ticotin is a real stunner, in a very early role. A lot of fuss was made over the portrayal of minority groups and the South Bronx generally when Fort Apache was being made, though it seems standard movie fodder now.

This film was one of the best of its kind back in the day.Apparently produced by David Susskind ,some of you may recall him from his talk show on TV in the 70's.I really enjoyed this because the producers stayed clear of any standard cliches you usually find in police dramas. Also being from N.Y., I would readily attest that most of this is about accurate as far as the late 70's drug scene goes.As mayor Beame and his political hacks looked the other way ,and coruption flourished in every precinct in the city ,drug dealers became Druglords and then went on to become Kingpins . Certainly Pam Grier steals the show ,and Paul Newman is excellent as the weary beat cop in the ghetto. I liked Lou Grant as a cop ,but he should have had more to do in this.This film is also a kind of time capsule ,most of the South Bronx where this was shot looks completly different today , mostly renovated and redeveloped perhaps because of the attention this film recieved at the time.

Some movies can rely on atmosphere and acting skills alone. This is one of them. The plot is flimsy, and the setting and most characterizations a bit unlikely (but extremely well acted), and the film might recycle many cop-series clichés, but why carp? I expected little more than a gritty urban cop-flick, which it is, but it also proves to be very successful as a heart-felt human drama, thanks in large part to a prime cast with Paul Newman, Edward Asner, Ken Wahl, Rachel Ticotin, Danny Aiello and Pam Grier in a small but extremely creepy part as a deranged homicidal hooker.

Paul Newman is excellent as a tough tired Officer Murphy and his partner, Ken Wahl, at least 30 years his junior, is one of the very few characters in the film blessed with an almost unbendable optimism, but he is in no way naive. He has a strong sense of realism and pride and, in many ways, represents Newman's moral conscience and ratio.

The world here is without glamour. It's all very raw and real - not necessarily a realistic setting, but with believable characters - and that makes the whole thing work. It's not formulaic, and never seems to go where you expect it. The film has a downbeat neon-lit dark photography by John Alcott. Depressing, but perfectly matching the mood. It's simple, straightforward, unpretentious, and s basically a portrait of human tragedy. Don't expect flashy car chases or fast action. There's plenty of violence, but it seems to be a way of life, rather than serve as sensationalism, but proves to be a all the more effective. Worth seeing.

Camera Obscura --- 9/10

I was a bit taken aback when reading through the external reviews and seeing notable critics like Roger Ebert generally panning this movie. Not that it's a high water mark of film making, but a stylish, gritty, well-constructed movie, certainly.

The one major distracting element is Paul Newman. His performance is not at fault by any standards, in fact he was very good, but in this dark look at inner city dwellers and how they're prisoners of the crime and poverty that surrounds them, one of Hollywood's most notable actors just sticks out like a sore thumb. Again, not through any misstep that Mr. Newman might have made, but just simply because he is who he is: Too big to fit into a movie about little people.

Regardless, the movie is highly recommended for anyone wanting a unique look at inner city blight, the people who live in this setting and the men and women who try to protect them. There is nothing quaint about this movie, it is real and rough.

For those who didn't know.... This movie was based on the real life experiences of Thomas Mulhearn and Paul Tessitore who are pictured in some of the stills. Murphy (Paul Newman's Character)was inspired by Tom Mulhearn, he is my sister's dad, and he's a pretty interesting guy. I've heard all kinds of funny stories from my mom whom we will refer to as "V", talking about how Rachel Ticotin stole her role (which she claims is based on her given the fact that she's Puerto Rican and that she was with Tom during the writing of the screenplay). Its true that the story behind the drama is always the most interesting.

The point of this is... to let you guys know.. that the stuff in that movie, isn't even half of what i've heard really happened, and that those guys it was based on deserve props for being some of New York's Finest. I've heard that, it was a pretty tough neighborhood back then. Tom (part of the inspiration) is alive and well with a beautiful family to speak of. I'm not sure what happened to paul.