BUGSY
US, 1991, 135 minutes, Colour.
Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley, Harvey Keitel, Elliot Gould, Joe Mantegna, Richard C.Sarafian.
Directed by Barry Levinson.
Bugsy was a multi-nominated and award-winning movie of 1991. This was the year of JFK, Oliver Stone's reconstruction of the conspiracy theories for Kennedy's assassination. Here is another reconstruction of a noted American, one of the major gangsters of the 20th century, the man who set up Las Vegas as a gambling city.
Bugsy Siegel has been portrayed by Vic Morrow in Portrait of a Mobster in the '60s and Richard Grieco was Siegel in the account of the young gangsters, Meyer Lansky, Siegel and Charlie Luciano, Mobsters. Here he is a suave and dapper Warren Beatty (also Oscar nominated). However, Beatty (who had already portrayed Clyde Barrow in 1967's Bonnie and Clyde) offers a complex performance as Siegel. On the surface, he is a charmer, correct about pronunciation, grammar and enunciation. However, he is prone to go into fits of violent rage as well as committing cold, calculated murders. The screenplay, by James Toback (Fingers, Exposed, Love and Money, The Pickup Artist) punctuates the surface charm of Siegel with these violent actions. Audience response to him is quite ambiguous, ultimately judging him as a ruthless gangster.
Annette Bening is Virginia Hill, the actress called The Flamingo, who gave her name to the first casino in Las Vegas and had a romantic as well as business liaison with Siegel. The supporting cast is strong, led by Ben Kingsley as Meyer Lansky, Harvey Keitel as Mickey Cohen.
The film is set in the last years of Siegel's life, the atmosphere of the '40s in Los Angeles in Hollywood (including Siegel's friend George Raft, played by Joe Mantegna) and the establishing of Las Vegas. There is a score by Ennio Morricone as well as a collection of popular songs of the period. Direction is by Barry Levinson, whose personal films include Diner, The Tin Men and Avalon but who also directed Young Sherlock Holmes, Good Morning Vietnam and won an Oscar for Rain Man.
1.The awards and nominations for the film? Its impact on American audiences? Portraits of gangsters for non-American audiences? The strong credits of direction and acting for the film?
2.The '40s settings, New York, Los Angeles, Hollywood and Las Vegas? The atmosphere of the period, World War Two, the post-war era? The gangsters of the early part of the century moving into the post-war world? Life in Hollywood? Movie-making? The musical score, the range of songs?
3.Audience knowledge of the gangsters, of Bugsy Siegel and his contemporaries? Audience attitudes towards them? The gangsters in American history, in the movies? The decision to establish Las Vegas and its consequences for Nevada and the American image?
4.A version of the American Dream, the poor boy from Hell's Kitchen, easy money, ruthlessness, gambling? The fantasy and dream of Las Vegas? Rewards? The irony of the violence and death? The postscript finale of the glimpse of contemporary successful Las Vegas?
5.The title of the film, its use by various characters? Siegel's anger at the use of this nickname, the media using it? His definition of a bug and his resentment about the name?
6.Warren Beatty's portrait: dapper, the initial family man, driving and his enunciating about the dwarves doing handstands? His respectability, shopping, well known? The memories of Hell's Kitchen, his friendship with Luciano, Meyer Lansky? The young mobsters and their careers? His violence? His visit to the shop and buying the shirts - and the transition to his entry into the building, the quiet conversation about the man who had betrayed the gang, his cold-blooded shooting of him? Leaving the shirts?
7.The portrait of a psychopath and sociopath? A narcissistic man, his charm, violence? Motivations?
8.The Mob and expanding to the west coast, Siegel's being sent to Los Angeles? The plans, the train travel - and the woman getting off the train? His friendship with George Raft and their background? His fascination with Los Angeles, the mansions, admiring Lawrence Tibbetts, going into his house, the conversation, Tibbetts' fear? His buying the house? His seeing a car and buying it? The film studios, the filming of `Manpower' (and the glimpse of Marlene Dietrich)? Siegel mouthing the lines with Raft? His wanting to do a screen test, his questions - the actual screen test and his wooden performance?
9.The glimpse of Virginia Hill, her glamorous style? Their repartee? Standing on the stylised set, the femme fatale - and her rejection of Siegel? His incessant phone calls and her hanging up? Seeing her at the dance, the gift? Her going to his house, the meeting, the silhouette behind the screen? The beginning of the affair? The filling in of her background, relationship with gangsters? His continued spying on her through Mickey Cohen? His finding her with the man and assaulting him and discovering it was her brother? The up and down relationship with him? Her wanting to marry him?
10.The picture of Los Angeles, Union Station, the Hollywood mansions? George Raft and his reputation? Siegel and his confrontation with the local gangsters, the options, giving them the gun to kill him? Cohen and the stealing of the money? The lies told by Jack? Siegel and his standover tactics with Cohen, their becoming friends? Standover tactics with Jack, making him crawl and bark? Building up the contacts, the moneys? Going to visit Las Vegas, the diner as a dump? His idea of the gambling place in the desert?
11.Siegel at home, relationship with his wife, surface respectability, love for his daughters? In the chef's outfit and icing the cake? The visit of Meyer Lansky and his cronies, his phone calls to Los Angeles with Cohen and the surveillance of Virginia? His coping with all this at once, his failing, the resentment of his daughter, the antagonism of his wife? The later meal in the restaurant, his wife detecting that he wanted a divorce, in the ladies' room, their conversation, his wife and her making him say that he wanted a divorce, his cowardice with her? Her taking the children away?
12.His plans and dreams, the title of The Flamingo for Virginia, the discussions with the architects, the pool, changing the position, taking down the wall? Money no object? The discussion with the gangsters - their wariness? His having to sell his house and possessions? Selling 400 per cent of the shares? His being driven by the vision?
13.The portrait of violence? The initial shooting, the ambiguous friendship with Harry, helping him? Harry and his mental disabilities? Dependence on Siegel? His talking to the police, the visit to Los Angeles, his helplessness, Siegel getting him to lie down? Harry's confession, taking him for the ride - and Virginia demanding to come? Killing him? The arrest, the headlines? In court? No bail? In prison and the lavish style, Virginia's visit? Discussions with Cohen? Getting rid of the taxi driver? His freedom? His eruptions, violent arguments? His anger with Joe about Virginia, Joe's hitting him - and his violent brutalising of Joe? The background of his antagonism towards Mussolini, the war? Plans to go to Italy and assassinate him - the discussions with Lansky, with Cohen, reading the papers about Mussolini's death?
14.Cohen, his gangster background? His antagonism towards Siegel, being won over? His right-hand man? Business deals, getting rid of witnesses, surveillance of Virginia and phone calls?
15.The difficulties of the building, Lansky and the money? The opening, its failure, the rain? Summoned to Los Angeles, Virginia's return, the money? Her initial departure and lying about the money? Her love, the return, the money, his not taking it? Los Angeles, watching the screen test - and the assassination?
16.Meyer Lansky, quiet, the bookkeeper, the brains, ruthless? His diplomacy, supporting Siegel? Luciano, his skills, controlling the mobs in New York? Disagreement with Siegel? The deportment party, the cake? In Cuba?
17.The picture of the Mob, New York, Cuba, Nevada and its legislation - and Las Vegas making gambling and the Mob respectable?
18.The postscript about Virginia Hill, Lansky and the others? A portrait of gangsters - the portrait that glorifies or criticised (or both)? The American dream of opportunity? And the ruthless sociopaths who exploited the dream?
