A police detective goes undercover in the underground S&M gay subculture of New York City to catch a serial killer who is preying on gay men.
Do you believe in fate? I was watching the excellent new season of “Mindhunter” and upon finishing, I curiously looked up the serial killers I wasn’t familiar with. One man, in particular, Paul Bateson, caught my eye. He had acted in the infamous almost “Macbeth”-like cursed production “The Exorcist” and was apparently cast for his skilled ability to perform a medical procedure for a scene. Some years later though, he was convicted of murder. Director William Friedkin was inspired by his former “Exorcist” actor and convicted killer who was involved in the S&M leather sub-culture and wound up murdering a lover after a drug and alcohol-fueled night went wrong. Bateson was implicated in a series of serial killings of which this story is based.
A tugboat churns along the East River amongst a splendid opening shot of Manhattan. The mate on board comes across a mysterious object floating in the water. He calls the captain and upon further inspection, they realize it’s a human severed arm. There’s been a serial killer stalking young gay men and dumping their remains in garbage bags in the water. Later that night, two policemen pick up a couple of crossdressing sex workers and through intimidation, coerce them into sexual acts. Unchecked power and abuse tend to go hand in hand. Later on, one of the sex workers attempts to report it to the police but they are ignored, a frustratingly common experience with law enforcement.
Al Pacino plays Steve Burns, a young patrolman for the NYPD who is called into Captain Edelson’s (Paul Sorvino) office. Edelson wants him to go undercover since he aesthetically fits the victims’ profile, handsome with dark hair and dark eyes. To prepare for his assignment, Burns moves out of his girlfriend’s large comfortable apartment into a cramped studio. He begins to frequent bars like Wolf’s Den and less subtle seedy ones, like Ramrod. In one insightful and humorous scene, a very young Powers Boothe explains all the different sexual preferences of colors behind the bandannas he sells. The killer Burns is pursuing is genuinely scary. He has a gruff voice, clad in leather with pitch-black aviators, only slightly obfuscating his sinister intentions. His weapon of choice is a large knife and after every murder, he affirms to himself out loud, “you made me do that.”
New York City is still dirty now but it was filthy then. The cinematography is perfect for the moody ’80s NYC setting. Strong shades of blue and subtle greens are present throughout. The large widescreen 1:85 aspect ratio shot on 35mm immersed me in the streets of Greenwich Village and the gorgeously ominous Central Park. William Friedkin is one of my favorite directors. His filmography speaks for itself: “The French Connection,” “The Exorcist,” “Sorcerer,” “To Live and Die in LA,” and one of my all-time favorites, “The Hunted.” He really knows how to shoot horror and action in a clean and thrilling manner.
I’m a straight white male but I definitely abhor negative stereotypes in the LGBTQ community. Is there a catch-22 in capturing a small fetish driven minority of a marginalized group? On one hand, I understand the thought that some narrow-minded viewers might think it’s normal for gay people to engage in subversive kinky behavior but I also can see this as a PSA for how dangerous it is to be a homosexual in the United States. Going into the story knowing it’s based on real events made me relinquish its occasional misgivings and enjoy the material. I was impressed by the vivid amount of sexuality on display that would most likely never get made today with a major star like Pacino. I also enjoyed the really solid sound design, especially in one scene after witnessing a lurid NYPD themed kink party, the howling men and blaring whistles continue in his thoughts even while making love with his girlfriend. I think the movie does a decent job of him struggling with his heterosexuality and fearing to pursue some leads since he might want more than just questioning them. It doesn’t demonize homosexuality, to me, it’s shining a light on his character’s insecurity and potential hidden desires.
Pacino does an excellent job sinking into his role and looking the part. While I’m not surprised due to the subject matter, it’s still an astonishing shame that his performance isn’t as praised or noteworthy as his other roles. “Cruising” wasn’t a box office hit but I can see it having a long shelf life in the cult circuit. Thankfully, companies like Arrow Video are restoring and re-releasing titles like this for more movie lovers to experience. Also, what a hell of an ending!
Now available in a Special Edition Blu-ray
