Abel Ferrara is a unique individual. A director who never compromised his artistic vision. He's made 41 films since his debut in 1971 and the vast majority of them made with money he raised himself. He's made numerous gangster movies and horror movies and there's even been a foray into the world of hardcore pornography. Because his films rarely have studio backing he's free to do what he wants which means a lot of the time his movies have been controversial. I mean, he's had 3 films banned in Ireland (The Driller Killer, The Bad Lieutenant and Dangerous Games), not many people can boast of that.
But for me his best work came when he skirted the mainstream, the stuff he did with actors who could actually act. The Funeral, The Addiction and King Of New York. All 3 starred Christopher Walken but King Of New York stands out. It's a pretty straight forward gangster movie storywise but Ferrara and Walken worked together to put such a quirky edge to it that over the years it's built up a massive cult following. The below scene is part of the reason why.
Frank White has been released from prison. His associates have murdered his rival as a coming home gift for him and they all meet up in the Plaza hotel for a reunion
Walken is amazing ain't he. He's nearly surreal here. Imagine De Niro or Pacino trying to pull this delivery off without resorting to ham acting. Walken makes it look easy. His groovy little bop. Those minute shrieks of pleasure. The gravelly delivery that is just him to a tee. The way he can turn from fun loving to threatening in the space of seconds. That fuckin' hair.
Then there's the gang in front of him. Mostly black with one white face (yes that's a baby faced Steve Buscemi and Giancarlo Esposito aka Gus Fring on the right). None of the usual Italian stereotypes we've seen constantly since the release of The Godfather. Led by an insanely magnetic Laurence Fishburne as Jimmy Jump. Straight away you know you're in for a different kind of gangster film. It might look old hat in 2019 but in 1990 this film was breaking new ground with it's racial politics. Who'd ever heard of a gangster movie with a hip hop soundtrack?
Ferrara even manages to make the age old cliche of two groups facing off before laughing work brilliantly. That dance is the best ice breaker ever. "Bop bop bop whoooooooo BOOYYY." It's the oddest feeling when you find yourself grinning at and enjoying the laughs between a gang of psychopathic drug dealers.
A pretty much perfect 4 minutes of cinema.
Then there's the gang in front of him. Mostly black with one white face (yes that's a baby faced Steve Buscemi and Giancarlo Esposito aka Gus Fring on the right). None of the usual Italian stereotypes we've seen constantly since the release of The Godfather. Led by an insanely magnetic Laurence Fishburne as Jimmy Jump. Straight away you know you're in for a different kind of gangster film. It might look old hat in 2019 but in 1990 this film was breaking new ground with it's racial politics. Who'd ever heard of a gangster movie with a hip hop soundtrack?
Ferrara even manages to make the age old cliche of two groups facing off before laughing work brilliantly. That dance is the best ice breaker ever. "Bop bop bop whoooooooo BOOYYY." It's the oddest feeling when you find yourself grinning at and enjoying the laughs between a gang of psychopathic drug dealers.
A pretty much perfect 4 minutes of cinema.
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