Homicide (1991)

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

Director:

David Mamet

Writer:

David Mamet

Stars:

Joe Mantegna, William H. Macy, Vincent Guastaferro

3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Policeman Bob Gold has to capture a murderer that not even the FBI has been able to find. But before he can even start he is re-assigned to the murder of an old Jewish lady in a black area. The evidence points at a Jewish hate group and he discovers connections between them and his previous case.

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Plot Keywords:

neo noir | jewish | murder | policeman | self hatred | 

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Taglines:

Bob Gold is a cop. A good cop. But tonight, he will betray his friends, disgrace the force, and commit an act of violence because he believes it is the only right thing to do.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 1991 (France)

Also Known As:

A gyilkossági csoport

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$2,971,661 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Edward R. Pressman Film, Cinehaus, Bison Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (Stereo)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Principal photography on the picture was filmed during September, October and November 1990.

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Goofs

When Detective Gold discovers the photo behind the picture, in the picture is a Hebrew sign referring to a road being built by the Labor Federation's (haHistadrut) Solel Boneh division. In the sign it's misspelled "Vistadrut - Solel Bono".

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Quotes

Tim Sullivan: The FBI couldn't find Joe Louis in a bowl of rice.

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Connections

Referenced in Invent Nothing, Deny Nothing: Five Guys from Mamet's HOMICIDE (2009)

User Reviews

The FBI couldn't find Joe Frazier in a bowl of rice.

Give me Joe Mantegna and William H. Macy as partners and I'll guarantee that there will be a movie worth watching. Macy has been moving up the chain, and is brilliant here.

The whole issue of Jewish persecution is woven in the story, and Mantegna is conflicted because he is Jewish, but obviously not a practicing one. As things go, his Jewishness is challenged by the investigation. "You say you are a Jew, and you can't read Hebrew. What are you then?" He is finally confronted with the reality of hate and his role as a cop takes second place to his Jewishness.

It is about realizing that he is nowhere until he finds out who he really is. The language of the police is raw and brings everything out into the open. Detective Gold (Mantegna) doesn't find himself at the end of the film. He has a ways to go, but now he has a direction.