Over on the Criterion Forum a member got a confirmation that Homicide will be released as part of the collection latter this year. They stated that Homicide was in the works but that they had no plans for The Spanish Prisoner.
shareExcellent news! Hopefully includes Mamet commentary, his are among the better out there. That I'm aware of, he's recorded commentary tracks for Edmond, Redbelt, and of course Criterion's House of Games. If I'm missing any somebody let me know, I'd like to pick those up.
shareYes indeed! Excellent news!
"If it works, it's obsolete." - Marshall McLuhan
http://www.criterion.com/films/3558
shareAwesome.
great news!
good to see there's more people who think this is one of mamet's best (if not THE best)
It's not only my favorite Mamet, it's on the shortlist of my all time fave films by anyone.
I'm a sucker for mystery films and this one resonates with me a lot - it's an incredible screenplay.
I love it not just for the dialogue, which is obviously great......but also because of the way all the pieces fit together in sly little ways.
Echo that. It is slightly confusing how some consider the film as drivel while others put it among their top ten (certainly among my top ten), its either loved or hated. Dumb question I know, but how many films create such an extreme spectrum of value among film viewers?
shareWhen I first saw this in the theater back in '91, I was expecting a more conventional cop thriller and walked out at the end feeling more than a bit bewildered and disappointed with what the movie provided.
But it stayed in my head for a considerably longer amount of time than I expected it to, and, after watching it again after its home video release, no longer having any preconceived notions about what to expect from the film, I found I appreciated Mamet's efforts for what they were, not what I assumed they'd be the first time I sat down to watch the movie.
Now, after years of repeat viewings, it's become one of my all-time favorites. Probably my favorite of all the films Mamet's written-directed, actually. Joe Mantegna's never been better than he is here.
So now, how about a Criterion release for John Sayles' City Of Hope, (which I saw on the same day, in the same multiplex in Kansas City, that I first watched Homicide)...
I just watched it. Good but uneven... I'm still trying to figure out exactly what the ending means. Any thoughts? Feel free to send me a P.M.
shareI've always wondered if there was special significance to the ending. The director provides commentary on the dvd and from what I gather the ending just reiterates the film's commentary on the character of Bobby Gold. That he has no place. Not acccepted as a Jew, mainly among the Jewish gunrunners he attempts to aid, and not entirely accepted as an equal among his fellow detectives or of great value to the higher ups. Signs of this, Detective Gold's dressing down by the Mayor's man, being switched over from the city's most important case to what is ultimately a simple homicide, Gold is viewed with disdain by the Jewish fundamentalist in the library for not knowing his heritage, obviously the deceit and betrayal by the gunrunners, Gold's recognition of his worth in his conversation with Ving Rhames, all culminating in the somewhat cold reception he recieves from those at the station just before being informed of his removal from homicide. I suppose it (the ending) can be seen as a punctuation mark.
shareSPOILER ALERT!
Very good DVD copy of a movie that makes no sense in the end. When Detective Gold finally follows orders and devotes all his resources to finding the murderer of the old Jewish store owner, he cannot accompany other cops trying to arrest a cop killer. The arrest goes wrong, Gold arrives late and gets shot three times. The next scene is in the station house with Gold walking in with the aid of a cane. For following orders, the Homicide squad boss tells Gold he is out. In real life, Gold would have gone out on a disability pension.
Mamet's snappy dialogue cannot overcome the fact that Homicide is a movie that ends up going nowhere. If his purpose was to reflect life, where things can go wrong and resolution to situations often does not happen, Mamet has accomplished that goal. Homicide is a movie filled in the end with red herrings.
"In real life, Gold would have gone out on a disability pension"
If movies were like life, you have a lot of scenes of nothing happening. Stand on a corner and watch "real life" - it would make a bad movie.
Movies reflect themes IN life, not necessarily life details of course.
The film isn't filled with red herrings at all, there is not great emphasis placed on the murder itself to even have red herrings.
It's about the disconnect between the individual self and world at large.....and that's about as life specific as you can get really.