Homicide (1991)

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 | Racial Slur | Neo Noir | Terrorism | Jewish Cop

Awards:

3 wins & 6 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
Leo Burns	...	Officer arraigning Wells
Willo Hausman	...	Juvenile Officer
Lee Michael Cohn	...	Officer Escorting Mr. Klein (as Lee Cohn)
George Harvey	...	Officer Transporting Wells
Charles Chessler	...	Plainclothes Officer
Jordan Lage	...	FBI Team Leader
George Rogers	...	SWAT Team
Steven Anderson	...	S.W.A.T. Team (as Steve Anderson)
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 (as Larry Kopp)
J.S. Block	...	Dr. Klein
Rebecca Pidgeon	...	Miss Klein
Bob Moore	...	Police Captain
Keith Johnson	...	Captain's Driver
Olan Soule	...	Crime Scene Technician (as Alan Soule)
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
Natalija 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 (as Andrew Potok)
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	...	Radio Voice (voice)
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
Keith Weaver	....	scenic

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
Stephanie Finochio	....	stunts
Chuck Jeffreys	....	stunt double: Ving Rhames
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
William Moore	....	rigging gaffer
Bill O'Leary	....	gaffer
Lee Shapira	....	key 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
William Towne	....	production assistant
Darryl Wharton	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Charlie Armstrong	....	the producers wish to thank
Lynn Pressman-Raymond	....	special thanks (as Lynn Pressman Raymond)
Kurt L. Schmoke	....	the producers wish to thank: for their courtesy during the making of this film (as Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke)
Joe Trabert	....	the producers wish to thank

Production Companies

• Edward R. Pressman Film (as Edward R. Pressman)
• Cinehaus
• Bison Films (copyright holder)

Distributors

• Triumph Releasing Corporation (1991) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Film & Teater (1991) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film Distributors (1992) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Pyramide Distribution (1991) (France) (theatrical)
• Sogepaq Distribución (199?) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (199?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Fiction Pictures (2009) (Greece) (DVD)
• Fiction Pictures (2009) (Greece) (TV)
• J&M Entertainment (1991) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS) (with SVS/Triumph Home Video)
• SVS/Triumph Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS) (with RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video)
• Top Tape (Brazil) (video)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2015) (Australia) (TV)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2015) (Australia) (video) (VOD)
• Video Box Office (1993) (Australia) (video)
• e-m-s the DVD-Company (2007) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Atlantic Cine Equipment  cranes and remote heads
• Balsmeyer and Everett  main and end titles designed by (as Balsmeyer & Everett, Inc)
• Baltimore County S.W.A.T.  the producers wish to thank
• Baltimore Film Commission  the producers wish to thank
• City of Baltimore Police Department  the producers wish to thank (as The Baltimore Police Department)
• Du Art Film Laboratories  color by (as Duart Labs)
• Effects House, The  opticals (as The Effects House Corp.)
• Maryland Film Commission  the producers wish to thank
• Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)  acknowledgement
• National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET)  acknowledgement
• Power Station  music recorded at (as The Power Station)
• SVS/Triumph Home Video  VHS package design
• Taylor Royall Casting  casting
• The People of Baltimore  the producers wish to thank: for their courtesy during the making of this film
• Todd-AO Studios  re-recorded at (as Todd A.O.)
• Tremont Plaza Hotel  the producers wish to thank

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language and violence

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (Stereo)

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Edward R. Pressman Film

Trivia:

David 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 novel, 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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Magnolia (1999)

It just gets better and better.

Some David Mamet films have incredible notoriety amongst the literate set (Glengarry Glen Ross, Oleanna, House of Games). His 2 Oscar noms (Wag the Dog, The Verdict) as well as his non-nominated script for The Untouchables have him firmly established with Hollywood's power base as well.

For my money, the oft-overlooked Homicide is a true Mamet gem--startling in its genius.

Put simply, Homicide is a revealing look at a man's journey into himself. Many will be distracted by the subject matter and tune out, but try to hang on.

Joe Mantegna's Bobby Gold is a tough cop who denies his Jewish lineage, until a low priority murder investigation into an aged Holocast survivor forces him to re-evaluate his entire existence. The resulting destruction of the man is cruel and never-ending,…and brilliant.

William H. Macy, an until-now bit player, gets a well-deserved promotion to #2 man among the strong supporting cast as Gold's partner and sounding board.

The intricacies of the plot, the subtleties of the subtext, as well as the perfunctory Mamet attention to detail may mean a second, or third look is necessary for the viewer to get straight with what's going on------- but take the time, if you can, it just keeps getting better and better.