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.
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.Written by
Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com>
Roger Ebert wrote in his critic review, "Harvey Keitel plays this man with such uncompromised honesty that the performance can only be called courageous; not many actors would want to be seen in this light". This extract perfectly sums up the lieutenant Keitel plays, who is supposed to investigate homicides, but is instead corrupt, lascivious, alcoholic, and addicted to drugs and gambling. See more »
Goofs
At the end, when the Lieutenant enters the bus terminal, he leaves his car behind the street sign, but when he returns, the car has moved forward. See more »
Quotes
The Lieutenant:
You raped a holy thing. You destroyed that young girl. And she forgives you. Ya hear that? She forgives you. You fucking heroes. Ya like holding her down and shoving your dick into her? While she couldn't do nothing about it. Did you like that? Watch this motherfucker! Watch this you cocksucker! Look at that! You can't do a thing about that can you? Can you? Look at me! Can you? Can you fuckface? Can you? There, move. Move you cockscker. Move. I'd like to blow your fucking face apart.
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Alternate Versions
The UK cinema release was uncut, but the 1995 Guild video version was shorn of 1 min 47 seconds of "instructional" heroin use, and the rape scene was slightly trimmed. The video version also omits the rap song. See more »
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. See more »
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.
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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.