Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989)

Director:

Uli Edel

Writers (WGA):

Hubert Selby Jr. (book)
Desmond Nakano (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 May 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The Novel That Shocked The World Is Now A Movie.

Plot:

Set in Brooklyn during the 1950s against a backdrop of union corruption and violence. A prostitute falls in love with one of her customers...

Plot Keywords:

1950s | Prostitute | Union | Strike | Topless

Awards:

6 wins

Cast

Stephen Lang	...	Harry Black
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Tralala
Burt Young	...	Big Joe
Peter Dobson	...	Vinnie
Jerry Orbach	...	Boyce
Stephen Baldwin	...	Sal
Jason Andrews	...	Tony
James Lorinz	...	Freddy
Sam Rockwell	...	Al
Maia Danziger	...	Mary Black
Camille Saviola	...	Ella
Ricki Lake	...	Donna
Cameron Johann	...	Spook
John Costelloe	...	Tommy
Christopher Murney	...	Paulie
Frank Acciarto	...	Eddie
Lisa Passero	...	Teresa
Mike Cicchetti	...	Brickowski
Nicholas J. Giangiulio	...	Stump
Alexis Arquette	...	Georgette
Bernard Zette	...	Regina (as Zette)
Robi Martin	...	Goldie
Sarah Rose	...	Rosie
Julian Alexon	...	Camille
Robert Weil	...	Alex
Mark Boone Junior	...	Willie
Sylvie Spector	...	Submarine Annie
Colleen Flynn	...	Ruthie
Frank Military	...	Steve
David Warshofsky	...	Mike
Daniel O'Shea	...	Bill
Daniel Beer	...	Tral's Trick
Rutanya Alda	...	Georgette's Mother
Al Shannon	...	Arthur
Bruce Smolanoff	...	Lost Soldier
James McDonald	...	Lost Soldier
Andrew Van Dusen	...	Lost Soldier
James Harper	...	Cop
Ray Gill	...	Dowland
Mike Starr	...	Security Guard
Christopher Curry	...	Riot Police Officer
Michael O'Hare	...	Riot Police Officer
Bob Martana	...	Truck Driver
Joseph Carberry	...	Uptown Bartender
John Michael Bennett	...	Uptown Doggie
Bill Mondy	...	Uptown Doggie
Frank Vincent	...	Priest
Brent Katz	...	Bobby
Marc Ryan	...	Jack
Rob Kramer	...	Fred
Hubert Selby Jr.	...	Car Driver
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Steve Baker	...	Dean (2nd rapest) (uncredited)
Mario Biazzo	...	Soldier in Bar (uncredited)
David Giardina	...	Extra (uncredited)
John Hayden	...	Security Guard (uncredited)
Rick McKay	...	Strike Leader (uncredited)
Burke Morgan	...	Soldier hustled in bar (uncredited)
Nick Pernice	...	Striking Dockworker (uncredited)
Jerry Rector	...	Strike Worker (uncredited)
David Sherrick	...	Military Officer (uncredited)
Stan Taffel	...	Striking Worker (uncredited)
George-Michael Tucci	...	Riot Police Officer (uncredited)
F.X. Vitolo	...	Lou (uncredited)

Directed by
Uli Edel

Writing credits (WGA)
Hubert Selby Jr.		(book)
Desmond Nakano		(screenplay)

Produced by
G. Mac Brown	....	line producer
Jake Eberts	....	associate producer
Bernd Eichinger	....	producer
Anna Gross	....	associate producer
Dieter Meyer	....	line producer
Herman Weigel	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Mark Knopfler

Cinematography by
Stefan Czapsky

Film Editing by
Peter Przygodda

Casting by
Deborah Aquila
Jeffery Passero

Production Design by
David Chapman

Art Direction by
Mark Haack

Set Decoration by
Leslie A. Pope

Costume Design by
Carol Oditz

Makeup Department
Kathryn Bihr	....	makeup department head (as Katie Bihr)
Michael Maddi	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Rolf M. Degener	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Glen Trotiner	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Tommy Allen	....	property master
Jeff Balsmeyer	....	storyboard artist
Bruce Lee Gross	....	lead man
Eric Matheson	....	carpenter
John Merrick	....	construction grip
Raymond M. Samitz	....	construction coordinator
Patricia Walker	....	charge scenic
Claudette Didul	....	set decorating production assistant (uncredited)
Timothy Main	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Peter R. Adam	....	sound effects editor
Danny Michael	....	sound mixer
Ian Silvester	....	technical engineer

Stunts
Joan Cunningham	....	stunts
Gene Harrison	....	stunt double: Steven Baldwin

Camera and Electrical Department
K.C. Bailey	....	still photographer
Philippe Carr-Forster	....	camera operator
Morris Flam	....	gaffer
Bob Gorelick	....	Steadicam operator
Kevin Murphy	....	electrician
Claudia Raschke	....	second assistant camera
David Satin	....	video engineer
Gary Steele	....	camera operator
Allen Stillman	....	rigging gaffer
Zoran Veselic	....	assistant camera
James B. Walsh	....	grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jennifer Lax	....	costume supervisor
Ellen Ryba	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Jolie Gorchov	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Guy Fletcher	....	musician
Mark Knopfler	....	musician
David Nolan	....	musician: violin

Other crew
Stephan Beringer	....	production assistant
Andrew D. Cooke	....	location supervisor
Quincy Z. Gunderson	....	location assistant
Rich Murray	....	production assistant
Howard Samuelsohn	....	dialect coach
Timothy D. Klein	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Allied Filmmakers
• Bavaria Film
• Neue Constantin Film

Distributors

• Plånborg Film (1989) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Egmont Film (1989) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Cinecom Pictures (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• Guild Film Distribution (1990) (UK) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (19??) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Neue Constantin Film (1989) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Shochiku-Fuji Company (1990) (Japan) (theatrical)
• América Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Highlight Film (2005) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Completion Bond Company  completion bond
• Nancy Seltzer & Associates  publicity

Also Known As:

Letzte Ausfahrt Brooklyn (West Germany)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA | UK | West Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

New Zealand:R18 | Germany:16 | Iceland:16 | Sweden:15 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | South Korea:18 (cut) | Australia:R

Filming Locations:

Bavaria Filmstudios, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Allied Filmmakers

Trivia:

Ralph Bakshi had made a previous attempt to direct the film, a production he was to co-produce with Steve Krantz and author Hubert Selby Jr. Actor Robert De Niro accepted a major role in the film. However, the project fell apart when Bakshi and Krantz had a falling out. Bakshi and Selby became friends, and, according to Bakshi, they "tried a few other screenplays after that on other subjects, but I could not shake Last Exit from my mind."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Last Exit to Springfield (#4.17)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Be Ba-ba Le-ba

Powerful drama

Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989) is based on the book by Hubert Selby Jr. about a group of working class during a labour strike in early 1950's in the gritty streets of Brooklyn. German Uli Edel directed this and Desmond Nakano wrote the screenplay. Stephen Lang plays Harry Black, the leader of the strike unit and Jennifer Jason Leigh is Tralala, a lost soul who works as a hooker for the various soldiers and other drunken males that use the services of the hookers drinking beer and acting dirty. The film explores the forms of love and how desperate we are for it, because living without it is not too easy or even possible as it belongs to being a human being.

The film opens with a line from the Bible which thickens the theme of the film and the above thing I wrote. Soon we get introduced to the main characters who don't seem to be too happy. Harry doesn't care about his wife and child but seems to be very attracted by a sensual and very attractive transvestite who lives with other transvestites in their own apartment while the "straight" prostitutes are mainly in the streets. This relationship between Harry and the transvestite(s) is very great and emotional and depicts the nature of love and caring as it doesn't always involve just different sexes together. Just watching Harry's eyes when he first sees his new interest in the street shows how powerful cinema can be without one single word.

Another important character is of course Tralala and she is also involved in the film's harrowing and almost unbearably sadistic and ugly end scene that finally (or what happens after that) makes the film a very strong experience. She is completely lost even though she meets a nice sailor who truly falls in love with her even though Tralala doesn't understand it at once. She understands it during the end scene as well as the meaning of the crying boy she first gets to meet during the act. Last Exit to Brooklyn explores love and caring between human beings and how strong it can be. Tralala wouldn't survive without the motorcycle boy, or she would live the rest of her life in pure emptiness and void.

The film handles also violence and weak human nature desperate for sex and other of his instincts. The violence is very harsh and off putting and the film's view of life is dark to say the least. Violence is here as unjustified and brutal as in real life, too, and maybe that's why so many seem to dislike the film and its honesty saying it is "unpleasant and repellent".

The sets are very impressive and the atmosphere in this film is all the time like the actors could any minute start singing and dancing their lines! This creates also a very strong feel of danger and "clock ticking" as the workers and strikers wait for the decision by the authorities and it is like it is night all the time. The film feels like a depiction of the world's last day that still may not be the last but no one knows it yet for sure.

Equally great with the photography and sets is the music by Mark Knopfler. The beautiful theme is played during the film restrainedly and it makes the strong events and situations even stronger, as always a great soundtrack does. The very conclusion is pretty optimistic and again the music makes it look even brighter and hopeful. Some characters didn't manage to learn before it was too late, but at least those who did have a chance for a better tomorrow.

The major negative sides in the film are in the occasional restlessness as the writer tried to give us more information than it was necessary. I mean mostly the scenes involving Burt Young character's family tragedy with all its screaming and shouting and crying. These scenes are not too powerful but more irritating as they could have been different. The characters' motivations are not always clear and sometimes they seem to develop too fast. What they tried to express through screaming and horrible noise should have been done more aesthetically and with the tools of the art and much more effectively.

Last Exit to Brooklyn is a powerful, challenging and at the end, beautiful film about the most important and universal things in life and about humanity, and it is also a great film visually. This is very powerful drama and only few steps from being a nearly perfect masterpiece. 8/10