Harvey Keitel

  • István Szabó – Taking Sides (2001)

    2001-2010DramaFranceIstván SzabóPolitics

    Plot
    A tale based on the life of Wilhelm Furtwangler, the controversial conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic whose tenure coincided with the controversial Nazi era. One of the most spectacular and renowned conductors of the 30s, Furtwangler’s reputation rivaled that of Toscanini’s. After the war, he was investigated as part of the Allies’ de-Nazification programme. In the bombed-out Berlin of the immediate post-war period, the Allies slowly bring law and order–and justice–to bear on an occupied Germany. An American major is given the Furtwangler file, and is told to find everything he can and to prosecute the man ruthlessly. Tough and hard-nosed, Major Steve Arnold sets out to investigate a world of which he knows nothing. Orchestra members vouch for Furtwangler’s morality–he did what he could to protect Jewish players from his orchestra. To the Germans, deeply respectful of their musical heritage, Furtwangler was a demigod; to Major Arnold, he is just a lying, weak-willed Nazi.Read More »

  • Roberto Faenza – Copkiller AKA Corrupt Lieutenant (1983)

    1981-1990CrimeDramaItalyRoberto Faenza

    This gritty and powerful police thriller is a classic stand-alone independent film. With good performances from Harvey Keitel (Reservoir Dogs, Bad Lieutenant) and John Lydon (former Sex Pistols frontman), Corrupt really is a one-off. As the film progresses, Leo Smith (Lydon) and Lieutenant Fred O’Connor (Keitel) engage in a vicious and engrossing psychological battle of wills in a sadistic game where they are both dependent on each other. As for the Director, Faezna’s direction seems as good as any of the excellent Italian films of the day, effortlessly moving from smooth exterior compositions to the angular perfection of the prison-like apartment. BAFTA award winning Ennio Morricone reinforces this precision with an excellent score full of mechanical percussion mixed with a whispy guitar lead which underscores the foreign presence of Lydon. Music plays a very important role in Corrupt, especially the strange country music track “Tchaikovsky’s Destruction” which is played throughout the entire film to emphasise the changes occurring to the characters.Read More »

  • Paul Schrader – Blue Collar (1978)

    1971-1980CrimeDramaPaul SchraderUSA

    Quote:
    Paul Schrader’s directorial debut examines the trials of Detroit autoworkers living at the mercy of a heartless corporation and a corrupt union. Surviving from paycheck to paycheck, Checker Cab assembly linemen Zeke (Richard Pryor), Jerry (Harvey Keitel), and Smokey (Yaphet Kotto) scrape by and take pleasure in a few rounds of beer or bowling (and occasional illicit amusements). But when their money troubles pile up, Jerry and Smokey join Zeke in a desperate plan to steal cash from their local union office. Along with a piddling $600, they unexpectedly swipe evidence of union corruption.Read More »

  • Abel Ferrara – Bad Lieutenant [+Commentary] (1992)

    1991-2000Abel FerraraCrimeDramaUSA


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    Description: This provocative film has an almost documentary-like feel in its depiction of New York lowlife, and another credible performance by Harvey Keitel, but at times it’s as stagnant as the “hero’s” life – Ferrara holds the shots too long, as if we’re supposed to look for something more into them than what is actually there. Still, the film is certainly not the exploitive trash that some have labeled it as, and deserves a solid “7”.Read More »

  • Abel Ferrara – Dangerous Game (1993)

    1991-2000Abel FerraraDramaThrillerUSA

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    IMDB Plot Synopsis
    A New York film director, working on his latest movie in Los Angeles, begins to reflect the actions in his movie and real life, especially when he begins an affair with the lead actress.Read More »

  • Martin Scorsese – The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

    1981-1990DramaMartin ScorseseUSA

    Quote:
    At his execution, Jesus is tempted by an alluring image of a peaceful and pleasant life with Mary Magdelene to try to get him to refuse the sacrifice he must make. The carpenter Jesus of Nazareth, tormented by the temptations of demons, the guilt of making crosses for the Romans, pity for men and the world, and the constant call of God, sets out to find what God wills for him. But as his mission nears fulfillment, he must face the greatest temptation: the normal life of a good man. Based, not on the Gospels, but on Nikos Kazantzakis’ novel of the same name. One of my favorite movies. I like the role of Judas in this portrail when he get angry with Jesus and tells him: Traitor….I loved you so I betrayed you…etc. Without Judas’ betrayal no resurection.Read More »

  • Nicolas Roeg – Bad Timing (1980)

    1971-1980ArthouseDramaNicolas RoegUnited Kingdom

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    The setting is Vienna. A young American woman is brought to a hospital after overdosing on pills, apparently in a suicide attempt. A police detective suspects foul play on the part of her lover, an American psychology professor. As doctors try to save her life, the detective interrogates the professor, and through flashbacks we see the events leading up to the woman’s overdose; her stormy and intensely sexual relationship with the professor, her heavy drinking and numerous affairs, and her estrangement from her Czech husband. A darkly erotic study of several rather unsympathetic characters. Written by Marty CassadyRead More »

  • Theodoros Angelopoulos – To vlemma tou Odyssea Aka Ulysses’ Gaze (1995)

    Arthouse1991-2000EpicGreeceTheodoros Angelopoulos

    Quote:
    Starring Harvey Keitel, just a year after his turn in the American masterpiece Pulp Fiction and two years after the controversial indie double whammy of Bad Lieutenant and Reservoir Dogs, Ulysses’ Gaze would win multiple awards the world over, including the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival (the film would not take the Palme d’Or, the festival’s highest honor, prompting Angelopoulos to shockingly declare, “If this is what you have to give me, I have nothing to say.”).Read More »

  • Damiano Damiani – L’inchiesta (1986)

    Drama1981-1990Damiano DamianiItaly
    L’inchiesta (1986)

    Tito Valerio Tauro is sent by the emperor Tiberius in Galilee to investigate the disappearance of the body of Jesus. Tito thinks quickly attend to his duties and return to Rome, but meets Claudia Procula, Pilate’s wife, fascinated by the personality of Jesus, who reveals that Mary Magdalene was a witness to the resurrection of Jesus. Tito became convinced that Jesus is still alive and that is in place and a conspiracy to hide it, pretending to be Christian, begins to search for Mary Magdalene.Read More »

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