ROMEO IS BLEEDING
US, 1992, 110 minutes, Colour.
Gary Oldman, Lena Olin, Annabella Sciorra, Juliette Lewis, Roy Scheider, David Proval, Will Patton, Michael Wincott, James Cromwell, Paul Butler, Ron Perlman.
Directed by Peter Medak.
Romeo is Bleeding is a kind of arthouse gangster film. It is very stylish in its technical aspects, it uses the tradition of the film noir but seems to drive it to rather emotional and hysterical excess.
Gary Oldman is a policeman who decides that he need to supplement his income and his lifestyle by giving information to the criminals. In playing the double game, he falls foul of the mob boss played by Roy Scheider and an extraordinarily vicious woman criminal, Lena Olin. He is assigned to protect her but ends up doing deals with her as well as having a sexual relationship. However, he fails to understand that both of them are ruthless and will destroy him as well as each other. In the meantime he is struggling to keep his relationship with his wife going and his relationship with a young woman, Juliette Lewis.
Everything eventually catches up with him and he is left with nothing, going to the Arizona desert reminiscing about what has happened to him and waiting for his wife to turn up, which she never does.
The film is interesting as an exercise in gangster film-making in the 1990s, acknowledging the tradition of the film noir, but caught up in the frenetic aspects of stylish film-making. Peter Medak had a varied career, beginning in England with such films as The Ruling Class and then moving to the United States with such films as Zorro the Gay Blade and a number of telemovies.
1. The impact of the film? As drama? As action? Police investigations, gangster film? The comic and parody touches? The excessive performances, style?
2. The title? Reference to Jack? His wounds? The theme of blood throughout the film?
3. The structure of the film, Jack Grimaldi, the diner, the desert, the date, his expectations, wanting his wife to come? His disappearing from the world? The voice-over? The end and the return to Jack, his disillusionment, nobody coming? A type of limbo?
4. The portrait of Jack Grimaldi, as a policeman, with the organised crime force, the surveillance? His home life, his relationship to his wife, an exemplary policeman? His being affected by the gangsters and the surveillance? His decision to change his attitude, selling the information to Don Falcone? The assassination of the gangster in the protection program, the police killed as well? Jack and his continuing the collaboration with the mob? The money in the post box, his burying it in the garden? His ordinary home life with Natalie, his visits to Sheri, her response to him, sexual favours? Jack and his encounter with Mona, her being arrested, his job being to protect her? Falcone and the offer for information about where she was? Jack and his interaction with her, her haughty attitude, taking her to the downtown motel, the seduction? The agents coming into the room, his being caught? The motivation to give further information to Falcone, her escape? Falcone and his pressure on Jack, forcing him to agree to Mona's being killed, the threats for himself? The funeral, Falcone and the chopping off of Jack's toe?
5. Jack and his panic, telling the truth to Natalie, the money? Her reaction, agreeing to disappear? The rendezvous planned for Arizona? His talking with Sheri, breaking off the relationship, asking her to leave the city, his being responsible for her death?
6. The character of Mona, her background, rival to Falcone? Her ruthlessness? Her confident manner, sexy attitudes? The relationship with Jack, the seduction, their being caught? Her escape? Mona and her offer of money for the double cross, to fake her death? Her giving him the ID papers - and then trying to strangle him in the car? Jack shooting her, the crash, her further escape? Mona and her contact with Sal (and Sal's background in being Falcone's contact with Jack, Jack believing he was betrayed)? His attempt to shoot Mona, killing Sheri?
7. Mona, taking Jack again, taking Falcone, her standing over them, the digging of the grave, burying Falcone alive? Jack, her letting him escape, his decision to stay, his arrest, the charges? The courthouse, Jack and his getting the gun, shooting Mona? Her plan to testify against him?
8. The irony of his not being punished, acclaimed by the police, put in the protection program? Back in the diner, waiting for Natalie to arrive?
9. Don Falcone, Roy Scheider and the typical performance of the mob don, his entourage, his antagonism towards Mona, getting the information from Jack, Sal as the go-between? The pressure on Jack, wanting Mona dead? Don Falcone, the brutality of cutting off Jack's toe? The irony of Mona getting the better of Falcone, the digging of the grave, burying him alive? The portrait of mob gangsters?
10. The police, the investigations, the FBI agents? Jack and his double dealing, their not realising the truth? Giving him further jobs? His being arrested, his being hailed as a hero by the police?
11. Jack and his relationship to women, seduced by Mona, finishing by killing her? His love for Natalie, their home life, the money and urging her to go, always waiting for her? Sheri, his love for her, the sex affair, being responsible for her death?
12. The film and its style, its being in the film noir tradition - but also in the atmosphere created by Tarantino and similar writer-directors in the 1990s?
