Bad Lieutenant (1992)

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 (as Zoe Lund), Abel Ferrara

Stars:

Harvey Keitel, Brian McElroy, Frank Acciarito

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Harvey Keitel	...	LT
Brian McElroy	...	LT's Son (#1)
Frank Acciarito	...	LT's Son (#2) (as Frankie Acciarito)
Peggy Gormley	...	LT's Wife
Stella Keitel	...	LT's Daughter
Dana Dee	...	LT's Baby Girl
Victor Argo	...	Beat Cop
Paul Calderon	...	Cop #1 (as Paul Calderone)
Leonard L. Thomas	...	Cop #2 (as Leonard Thomas)
Anthony Ruggiero	...	Lite
Vincent Laresca	...	JC
Robin Burrows	...	Ariane
Victoria Bastel	...	Bowtay
G. Elvis Phillips	...	Young Cop
Stephen Chen	...	Korean Store Owner

Storyline

A police Lieutenant goes about his daily tasks of investigating homicides, but is more interested in pursuing his vices. He has accumulated a massive debt betting on baseball, and he keeps doubling to try to recover. His bookies are beginning to get agitated. The Lieutenant does copious amounts of drugs, cavorts with prostitutes, and uses his status to take advantage of teenage girls. While investigating a nun's rape, he begins to reflect on his lifestyle.

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Plot Keywords:

rape | drugs | gambling | police | police protagonist | 

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Taglines:

Gambler. Thief. Junkie. Killer. Cop.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated NC-17 for sexual violence, strong sexual situations & dialogue, graphic drug use

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Abel Ferrara originally wanted Baybi Day, one of his leading ladies from The Driller Killer (1979), to appear in this movie, but she declined.

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Goofs

In the club, when LT is snorting drugs with the tall guy, the Lords of Acid song "Let's Get High" begins to play (at the middle of the song) right before the scene is cut. Then, in the next scene, LT is in a different part of the club and we hear the same song start playing again, but this time it starts from the very beginning.

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Quotes

The Nun: [about her attackers] I have forgiven them.
The Lieutenant: But do you have the right? You're not the only woman in the world. You're not even the only nun. Your forgiveness will leave blood in its wake. What if these guys do something like this again? To other women, other virgins? Old women who die from the shock? Do you have the right to forgive them? Can you bear the burden, sister?

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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".

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Connections

Referenced in Die Mediocren (1995)

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Soundtracks

WE DID IT BEFORE, WE'LL DO IT AGAIN
Written by Cliff Friend (as C. Friend) and Charles Tobias
Published by Warner Bros. Inc & Tobias
Performed by Peter Yellen & Greg Hollister

User Reviews

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.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

17 December 1992 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

Bad Lieutenant

Filming Locations:

1911 Hone Ave Bronx NY 10461

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$47,454, 22 November 1992

Gross USA:

$2,000,022

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,038,916

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bad Lt. Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 91 min (R-rated)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1