Homicide (1991)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

David Mamet

Writer (WGA):

David Mamet (written by)

Release Date:

28 August 1991 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Powerful. Provacative. Controversial.

Plot:

A Jewish homicide detective investigates a seemingly minor murder and falls in with a Zionist group as a result.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Anti Semitism | Ethnic Slur | Bigotry | Jewish Cop

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Joe Mantegna	...	Bobby Gold
William H. Macy	...	Tim Sullivan
Vincent Guastaferro	...	Lt. Senna
J.J. Johnston	...	Jilly Curran
Jack Wallace	...	Frank
Lionel Mark Smith	...	Charlie Olcott
Roberta Custer	...	Cathy Bates
Charles Stransky	...	Doug Brown
Bernard Gray	...	James
Paul Butler	...	Commissioner Walker
Colin Stinton	...	Walter B. Wells
Louis Murray	...	Mr. Patterson
Christopher Kaldor	...	Desk Sergeant
Linda Kimbrough	...	Sgt. Green
Robin Spielberg	...	Records Officer
Yuri Alexis	...	Reporter
Darrell Taylor	...	Willie Sims
Ron Butler	...	Rookie
Jonathan Ridgeley	...	Deliveryman
Willo Hausman	...	Juvenile Officer
Leo Burns	...	Officer Arraigning Wells
Lee Cohn	...	Officer Escorting Mr. Klein
George Harvey	...	Officer Transporting Wells
Charles Chessler	...	Plainclothes Officer
Jordan Lage	...	FBI Team Leader
George Rogers	...	SWAT Team
Steven Anderson	...	SWAT Team
Elmer Aulton	...	SWAT Team
Anthony Boer	...	SWAT Team
Michael Hammond	...	SWAT Team
Guy Johnson	...	SWAT Team
Ving Rhames	...	Randolph
Erica Gimpel	...	Woman with Randolph
Tony Mamet	...	Officer Ferro
Lawrence Kopp	...	Officer Threatened by Dog
J.S. Block	...	Dr. Klein
Rebecca Pidgeon	...	Miss Klein
Bob Moore	...	Police Captain
Keith Johnson	...	Captain's Driver
Olan Soule	...	Crime Scene Technician
Sandy Waters	...	Neighborhood Woman
Purnell McFadden	...	First Kid
Cliff McMullen	...	Officer at the Variety Store, Night
Wesley Nelson	...	Second Kid
Mary Jefferson	...	Randolph's Mother
Jonathan Katz	...	Undertaker
Marge Kotlisky	...	Mrs. Klein
Jim Frangione	...	Police Officer
Natalia Nogulich	...	Chava
Ricky Jay	...	Aaron
Adolph Mall	...	Benjamin
Len Hodera	...	Koli
Robert Bella	...	Bodyguard
Gail Silver	...	Liv, the Kleins' Maid
Scott Zigler	...	Passport Clerk
Jerry Graff	...	Officer in Elevator (as Jerrold Graff)
Rick Washburn	...	Officer in Elevator
Jim Grace	...	BATF Agent
Paul Hjelmervik	...	BATF Agent
James Potter	...	Shoemaker
Steven Goldstein	...	Librarian
Charlotte Potok	...	Asst. Librarian
Andy Potok	...	Library Technician
Lynn T. Weisberg	...	Woman in the Library
Emily Weisberg	...	Young Girl in Library
Alan Polonsky	...	Scholar
Théo Cohan	...	Young Woman with Dog
Bernard Mamet	...	Marv
Neil Pepe	...	Young Man with Dog
Ted Monte	...	Bodyguard with Thompson Gun
Lou Kaitz	...	Leo
G. Roy Levin	...	Barry
Adam Bitterman	...	Young Bodyguard
John Pritchett	...	Police Radio Dispatcher
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cheryl Moore	...	Mail Lady (uncredited)

Directed by
David Mamet

Writing credits (WGA)
David Mamet		(written by)

Produced by
Andy Armstrong	....	associate producer
Matthew Carlisle	....	associate producer
Michael Hausman	....	producer
Edward R. Pressman	....	producer
Ron Rotholz	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Alaric Jans

Cinematography by
Roger Deakins

Film Editing by
Barbara Tulliver

Production Design by
Michael Merritt

Art Direction by
Susan Kaufman

Costume Design by
Nan Cibula

Makeup Department
Frank Rogers	....	makeup artist
Frank Rogers	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Kevin J. Foxe	....	post-production supervisor
Michael Hausman	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Matthew Carlisle	....	first assistant director
Karen Estelle Collins	....	second assistant director
Frank Ferro	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Jeff Balsmeyer	....	storyboard artist
Ted Lubonovich II	....	carpenter
John Mills	....	property master
Siobhan Roome	....	draftperson
Richard Salinas	....	painter
Lorrie Walker	....	property master

Sound Department
Richard P. Cirincione	....	sound editor
Laura Derrick	....	second boom operator
Susan Sklar Friedman	....	assistant sound editor
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	sound editor
John Pritchett	....	production sound mixer
Maurice Schell	....	adr sound
Maurice Schell	....	supervising sound editor
Joel Shryack	....	first boom operator
Leo Trombetta	....	assistant sound editor
Susan M. Wagner	....	assistant sound editor
Maurice Schell	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ken Estes	....	special effects coordinator

Stunts
G.A. Aguilar	....	stunt double: Gold (as George Aguilar)
Andy Armstrong	....	stunt coordinator
Jeff Jeffrey	....	stunt double: Randolph
Sean Kelly	....	stunt double: Walter B. Wells
Chuck Jeffreys	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Myles Aronowitz	....	still photographer
Rusty Gardner	....	electrician
Bruce Hamme	....	dolly grip
Jonathan Herron	....	first assistant camera (as Jon Herron)
Steve Hurson	....	second assistant camera
Jeremy Knaster	....	electrician
Bill O'Leary	....	gaffer
Lee Shapira	....	grip
John Sigmon	....	lighting technician
Rick Strodel	....	grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sheri Dunn	....	assistant costume designer
Heidi Shulman	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Kent Blocher	....	second assistant editor
Alice Stone	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Suzana Peril	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Charles E. Bauer	....	driver
Michael Luckeroth	....	driver

Other crew
Randall Balsmeyer	....	title designer
Cathleen Clarke	....	assistant production coordinator
Dona Davis	....	script supervisor
Debra Donaldson	....	location manager
Gwen Everman	....	production accountant
Kevin J. Foxe	....	location manager
Nancy Hackerman	....	production consultant
Mary A. Kelly	....	script supervisor
Christopher Otto	....	production assistant: Los Angeles
Alison Sherman	....	production coordinator
Shelly Strong	....	production assistant
Darryl Wharton	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Bison Films
• Cinehaus
• Edward R. Pressman Film
• J&M Entertainment

Distributors

• Sandrew Film & Teater (1991) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar (USA) (laserdisc)
• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• SVS/Triumph Home Video (USA) (video)
• Sogepaq Distribución (Spain)
• Top Tape (Brazil) (video)
• Triumph Releasing Corporation
• e-m-s the DVD-Company (2007) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Atlantic Cine Equipment  cranes and remote heads
• Taylor Royall Casting  casting

MPAA:

Rated R for language and violence.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Germany:12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Bison Films

Trivia:

Mamet's script began as an adaptation of his friend William J. Caunitz's novel "Suspects", but the more Mamet wrote the more his story diverged from the book until it ultimately became an original screenplay.

Goofs:

Continuity: Toward the end of the film, when two policemen take Randolph away from Bob Gold, Bob's right arm is hanging. In the next shot, Bob's right arm is stretched.

Quotes:

Tim Sullivan: If he had any self respect, he'd work for a living.

Problems in the narrative will bother some viewers but mostly fans of Mamet will find what they are looking for

While on his way to the case that will make his name, homicide detective Bobby Gold gets sidelined to the scene of a murder of an elderly Jewish woman in a candy shop. Present when the family arrives, Gold is then transferred from his case to this murder – much to the annoyance and sympathy of the rest of his team. At first Gold resents the assignment and doesn't believe any of the paranoid theories about the murder put forward by the family, but digging deeper he finds there may be more to the case than he first thought.

I came to this film because I generally like the work of Mamet and specifically the great pattern and flow of dialogue that he delivers. And yet again, in this regard, I was not disappointed because the film does have a great flow to the script that gives each character energy and presence. I always struggle to describe what it is Mamet does (and have failed here as well) but it works and those that know of it will find more of it here. The problem for me does rather lie in the narrative though. The ending is quite unsatisfying and leaves many questions unanswered. Now, to me, I could accept this if the film was about Gold rather than the two cases in play, and, in a way I think that was the intension. However the script is not strong enough to make the film all about his character – which is a shame because I wanted to understand him more.

Mantegna delivers the character well anyway. He is the heart of the film and his presence and delivery bring out Mamet's script. He is surrounded by a famous support cast, all of whom do equally as well with the dialogue even if they have lesser roles. Macy, Guastaferro, Wallace and others all turn in good support. So mostly a good film and certainly one that will appeal to fans of other work from Mamet. The narrative may leave some viewers feeling a bit disappointed but it still has enough forward motion and energy to engage throughout.