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Bad Lieutenant

  • 1992
  • NC-17
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
51K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,595
493
Harvey Keitel in Bad Lieutenant (1992)
Home Video Trailer from Aquarius
Play trailer2:08
1 Video
94 Photos
Psychological DramaCrimeDramaThriller

While investigating a young nun's rape, a corrupt New York City police detective, with a serious drug and gambling addiction, tries to change his ways and find forgiveness and redemption.While investigating a young nun's rape, a corrupt New York City police detective, with a serious drug and gambling addiction, tries to change his ways and find forgiveness and redemption.While investigating a young nun's rape, a corrupt New York City police detective, with a serious drug and gambling addiction, tries to change his ways and find forgiveness and redemption.

  • Director
    • Abel Ferrara
  • Writers
    • Zoë Lund
    • Abel Ferrara
  • Stars
    • Harvey Keitel
    • Brian McElroy
    • Frank Acciarito
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    51K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,595
    493
    • Director
      • Abel Ferrara
    • Writers
      • Zoë Lund
      • Abel Ferrara
    • Stars
      • Harvey Keitel
      • Brian McElroy
      • Frank Acciarito
    • 234User reviews
    • 93Critic reviews
    • 70Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 5 nominations total

    Videos1

    Bad Lieutenant
    Trailer 2:08
    Bad Lieutenant

    Photos94

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    Top cast50

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    Harvey Keitel
    Harvey Keitel
    • LT
    Brian McElroy
    • LT's Son (#1)
    Frank Acciarito
    • LT's Son (#2)
    • (as Frankie Acciarito)
    Peggy Gormley
    Peggy Gormley
    • LT's Wife
    Stella Keitel
    Stella Keitel
    • LT's Daughter
    Dana Dee
    • LT's Baby Girl
    Victor Argo
    Victor Argo
    • Bet Cop
    Paul Calderon
    Paul Calderon
    • Cop One
    • (as Paul Calderone)
    Leonard L. Thomas
    Leonard L. Thomas
    • Cop Two
    • (as Leonard Thomas)
    Anthony Ruggiero
    • Lite
    Vincent Laresca
    Vincent Laresca
    • JC
    Robin Burrows
    • Ariane
    Victoria Bastel
    Victoria Bastel
    • Bowtay
    G. Elvis Phillips
    G. Elvis Phillips
    • Young Cop
    Stephen Chen
    • Korean Store Owner
    Shawn McClean
    • Korean Store Hood #1
    John Steven Jones
    • Korean Store Hood #2
    Fernando Véléz
    • Julio
    • Director
      • Abel Ferrara
    • Writers
      • Zoë Lund
      • Abel Ferrara
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews234

    7.050.5K
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    Featured reviews

    8claudio_carvalho

    Addiction, Corruption, Forgiveness and Redemption

    In New York, a corrupt and abusive NYPD Lieutenant (Harvey Keitel) is addicted in drugs and gambling and has a great debt with a shark. He takes advantage of his authority to make deals with drug dealers and criminals to get drugs and dirty money and his bookmaker advises him that he owes money to dangerous people. When a nun is brutally raped by two youngsters, the Lieutenant chases the criminals but the nun tells him that she had forgiven the punks. The Lieutenant is affected by her religious principles and asks Jesus to help him.

    "Bad Lieutenant" is one of my favorite films by Abel Ferrara with a great story of addiction, corruption, forgiveness and redemption. Last time I had seen this film was on 27 September 2000 and after seeing once again, I realize that "Bad Lieutenant" is a timeless movie that has not aged. Harvey Keitel has one of the best performances of his successful career in the role of a dirty cop that finds redemption in the end. Unfortunately this film is only available on VHS in Brazil. My vote is eight.

    Title (Brazil): "Vício Frenético" "Frantic Addiction")

    Note: On 21 February 2017, I saw this film again.
    9Movie-12

    Deep, dark, and disturbing--but contains a surprisingly spiritual theme. ***1/2 (out of four)

    BAD LIEUTENANT / (1992) ***1/2 (out of four)

    By Blake French:

    Abel Ferrara's "Bad Lieutenant" could be a solid tale of spiritual redemption if not for the pervasive material through which the film demonstrates its immorality. It contrasts the most disturbing, obscene human behavior with compassion and forgiveness, but the extreme nature of the content and the film's insistence on it's portrayal swindles the spiritual impact. For once a movie deserves the notorious NC-17 rating-the Motion Picture Association of America's most restrictive emblem placed on movies submitted for a rating-but the story contains a message that's more humble and spiritual than most inoffensive productions about spirituality.

    These filmmakers may or may not realize the potential religious impact their product is capable of achieving. It's a very religious film; churches could use this to demonstrate the power of forgiveness and the strength of God's love. Unfortunately many audiences will misinterpret the graphic adult content and strong language as excessively dirty-but this is not a dirty movie. The content is necessary for the exceptional contrast to work. It displays the goodness in people through their wrong doings. Though I still wouldn't recommend gathering the kids around to watch this movie.

    Harvey Keitel plays a character whom the movie calls only "Bad Lieutenant." He's at a stage in his life when human characteristics no longer matter. Filled with fury, need, and depression, his temporary remedies-sex, drugs, and gambling-no longer fulfill his hunger for pleasure. But his family doesn't care anymore. He drops his kids off for school, does bad things during the day, and comes home to collapse on the couch at night. This character does not imagine himself as anything but bad. He interrupts a grocery store robbery only to let the thieves go on a bribe. He buys drugs from drug dealers in exchange for their immunity. He stops a pair of young women in a car only to blackmail them into an unpleasant form of verbal rape.

    The story takes a twist. Several low lives brutally rape a young nun. The nun, who knows her rapists, refuses to reveal their identities because she forgives them for their crime. The bad lieutenant cannot believe a victim can forgive such an atrocity. If this woman can forgive her debtors, could anyone forgive his sins as well?

    Whether the bad lieutenant turns his life around I will leave you to discover. But this idea might be a side issue in the plot. "Bad Lieutenant" displays more of an interest in the dirty lifestyle of the title character than in his decision to seek forgiveness for his sins. Only during the final minutes does Keitel's character realize his choices. Surprisingly, however, the film's ending takes the easy way out in a complete refusal to look redemption in the eye. This ending blends in with the events because of stark, honest realism, but we never comprehend the character's intentions for the future.

    Dark and cringe-inducing, "Bad Lieutenant" is not a fun movie to watch and don't expect to hold your popcorn down if you walk in unprepared. Abel Ferrara and Zoe Lund wrote the script looking into deep, private crevices of the human soul. They travel to places many people will find extremely uncomfortable. It's a harrowing character study portrayed through an unreserved, courageous performance. Harvey Keitel takes a huge risk here-most actors would not want such a character to follow their public image. But Keitel does not hesitate to characterize the bad lieutenant without compromise, mercy, or restraint.

    Hats off to you, Harvey.
    FATLOSER

    Ferrara's Opus

    While I found this film entirely irresistible, I have to say that I found it's strength more on the superficial level, rather than the metaphorical. I was completely uninterested in the obvious story of "the redemption of a damned soul", but I found the journey mesmerizing. Keitel is dead on here and I found myself wondering how deeply immersed in the character he actually was during the drug use scenes.(A la Estevez's drunken tirade in "Apocalypse Now") The use of real locations with no extras and the quasi-impromptu dialogue are probably the two biggest assets here(reminiscent of "Trash" but with better production value). All in all, it's quite a trip through a life of depravity and desperation that gives a great vicarious thrill to the viewer. Don't miss this film.
    7mattymatt4ever

    Good movie

    What more can I say? Keitel gives an astounding performance. Then again, when has he let us down? I was able to find some interesting parallels to "Mean Streets." Aside from the use of "Pledging my Love" by Johnny Ace, it explores the theme of Catholic guilt and how one's temptation and hunger for evil can weaken spiritual judgments. The climactic scene is great, in which Keitel (literally) comes face to face with Jesus. I wasn't a big fan of "Mean Streets" and think this film better explores its Catholic themes. One may perceive this film to be sinful, and it received tons of controversy. It's very rare that a movie is able to show rape of a nun, and get away Scott-free with the MPAA. I think the NC-17 rating was mostly on account of the explicit nudity and sex. I don't know why the hell people are trying to scare viewers by regarding this movie as "graphically violent." About all we really see are aftermaths of violence. However, the language is extremely blunt, and that's about the only warning I can give. Of course, religious activists might protest its use of footage of Jesus on a cross and the aforementioned rape scene, but they simply have to look closer at what message Ferrara is trying to bring out. Cinema is an art form often misjudged by the prudish. The scene where Keitel pulls the two young girls over is classic, and I loved its darkly humorous element.

    "Bad Lieutenant" is an impressive character study, and though it occasionally gets meandering and repetitive and seems to be missing something (which I might be able to identify on a second viewing), it's a moving story with terrific acting. I wasn't too thrilled with the other Ferrara pieces I've seen, "King of New York" and "The Funeral," but I was younger and I think I just had trouble understanding the subtle messages he delivers in his films. Of course, he specializes in gritty urban dramas like this, being a Bronx native what do you expect, so something like "Bad Lieutenant" naturally wouldn't appeal to general audiences. It's unpleasant, though somewhat humorous, but life can be the same way. You can't spend your whole life watching "The Wizard of Oz." Every once in a while, you have to take a break and watch graphic character studies like this and learn a little something. After seeing this movie, I'm curious about checking out some more of Ferrara's work, because I know he has talent.

    I can tell this a movie I will have to watch again, because it's not easily understood the first time around, but I'm sure there's hidden messages that just flew over my head. I still think the film could've had more substance, but it's still an impressive work.

    My score: 7 (out of 10)
    7shavlor

    Excellent realism and character

    Harvery Keitel does an excellent job portraying a dirty cop. This dirty cop is not only the main character of this movie but is in fact the only real character of the film. The camera leaves Keitel only once or twice through out the entire movie. As the camera follows Keitel it tells shows his character excellently as a very realistic and trouble cop. It shows his character by following him through one of his ghastly cases. It is a very realistic portrayal of a New York City's cop struggle to stop his wicked ways with a underlining religious theme.

    The movie is only 98 minutes long but most likely will bore anyone who requires action and story. The content of the film earned it a NC-17 rating (My first NC-17 rental). The rating is due primarily due to nudity however it is from for a porno. I would recommend to any Harvey Keitel fans. Also recommended to anyone who enjoys character based films and as a strong constitution.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Abel Ferrara said a scene that epitomized the movie for him, even though he never got around to filming it, was one where the Lieutenant robs an electronics store, leaves, then gets a call about a robbery at the electronics store. He responds in an official capacity (they don't recognize him), takes a statement, walks out, and throws the statement in the garbage. "And that to me is the Bad Lieutenant, you know?" Ferrara said.
    • Goofs
      When the lieutenant stops the car with the two rapists inside, a passerby seen through the driver side window points at the car and can be heard saying "They got a camera."
    • Quotes

      Zoe: Vampires are lucky, they can feed on others. We gotta eat away at ourselves. We gotta eat our legs to get the energy to walk. We gotta come, so we can go. We gotta suck ourselves off. We gotta eat away at ourselves til there's nothing left but appetite. We give, and give and give crazy. Cause a gift that makes sense ain't worth it. Jesus said seventy times seven. No one will ever understand why, why you did it. They'll just forget about you tomorrow, but you gotta do it.

    • Crazy credits
      The "Jersey Girls" character credits are reversed. The actress who plays the driver, Bianca Hunter, is listed as the passenger, and Eddie Daniels, who appears as the passenger, is listed as the driver.
    • Alternate versions
      The original US NC-17 VHS version that was available for rent is completely uncut. As it was produced before the Led Zeppelin legal action, it included all usage of the Schoolly D track "Signifying Rapper."
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Sister Act/Encino Man/Alien³/Far and Away (1992)
    • Soundtracks
      Pledging My Love
      Written by Don D. Robey (as Robey) / Fats Washington (as Washington)

      (P) 1954 Music Corporation of America, Inc.

      Performed by Johnny Ace

      Used by permission of MCA Records, Inc.

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    FAQ19

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    • What are the differences between the R-rated version and the NC-17 version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 17, 1992 (Argentina)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Corrupción judicial
    • Filming locations
      • 1911 Hone Avenue, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA(St. Clare of Assisi School)
    • Production company
      • Bad Lt. Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,000,022
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $47,454
      • Nov 22, 1992
    • Gross worldwide
      • $2,038,916
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 36 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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