CRUISING

US, 1980, 100 minutes, Colour.
Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino, Karen Allen, Don Scardino.
Directed by William Friedkin.

Distracting, even unnecessary hullabaloo (promoting box office and curiosity). Basically, this is a search for a multiple murderer by an under cover policeman, where suspense is not developed, identity not much concealed and motivation sketchily suggested. The situation of the murders raised controversy, the sub-culture of the New York sado-masochist homosexual world, photographed briefly though somewhat pryingly. It is like the Mr. Goodbar world, dark, night-disguised, inherently violent, a world written up but not visualised by the average audience and therefore more immediately shocking. More on the effects of constant living in this world on Al Pacino's policeman would have been valuable. As it is, more is suggested than explored.

1. The initial critical and public response? The reasons for the hullabaloo? The treatment? The exploitation of the theme? The outcry against the treatment, the topic?

2. The work of William Friedkin - his interests, treatment? (His presentation of The Boys In The Band in 1970, the French Connection?) His work of adaptation of a novel, his screenplay and direction?

3. Homosexuality on the screen: facts, audience response to anomalous sexual situations? The screenplay's attitude towards homosexuals? Respect? The indictment of this particular area especially with its emphasis on sadism and masochism? The sub-group within the homosexual world? The link of sadomasochism with homosexuality? The inherent violence in this sub-culture and its moving towards murder? Discriminatory attitudes in the '70s? Audiences being shocked, unused to visual presentations? Audience curiosity? Prying? Audiences relating homosexuality to their own attitudes? The possibility of identifying with these characters? The audience identifying with Steve Burns and his curiosity, prying, self-discoveries, his job?

4. The technical aspects of the film: the cruising credits and the ending with the boat on the harbour? The presentation of New York and the focus on its ugly waterfront, the lurid colour photography, the focus on the darkness, the bars, the leather, the ugly streets, homes, parks? The ugliness of the police precinct? The contrast with daylight.. the places where the characters worked., studied? Nancy's apartment? The importance of the score - the eerie music, the songs and their lyrics?

5. How realistic was the screenplay? How contrived? The aspects of nightmare? ordinary life and the sub-culture world of sado-masochism? Steve as emerging from an ordinary world and being plunged into the sub-culture? The reality of this sub-culture - the men in the streets. the cruising itself, the bars and recreation. the sexual encounters, the violence? The contrast with Ted Bailey and his ordinariness - the writing of plays, friendships? Yet his death? Was the sub-culture world presented with balance? The crimes within this context and the need for investigation and solution?

6. The presentation of the murders - the limbs in New York harbour, the set-up of the first murder? The forensic examinations throughout the film and discussion of the style of the murder? Captain Edelson and his responsibilities? His decision to invite Steve Burns? His appearance. a possible decoy? Edelson and his team., the search for clues, linking up the clues? The importance for Steve to immerse himself in this world? Edelson and his contacts? The pressure on him from authorities and the District Attorney to solve the case? His retirement? The discussions with the transvestite and listening to the accusations against Di Simone? The arrest of Lee. his interrogation? Edelson's response to Steve's wanting to opt out, his reliance on him? His welcoming him to the detectives?

7. The atmosphere of the killings - the bars and the encounters, the rooms , the park, the pornography shops? The range of people presented, sexual attract~ ion, violence? The compulsions to violence?

8. The film presenting Stuart within this milieu: at the bar, looking at Steve, his presence in the various clubs? Steve recognising him in the photo? The presentation of him in his apartment. his running. weightlifting and exercises? His study? His friend and their discussions? His relationship with his father,, the letters discovered later? His seeing his father in the park and discussing with him? His sense of having to kill people? The relationship with his father? Steve and his watching him, his changing into his leather gear, going out., the encounter.. the mutual stabbing? Finally seeing him in hospital? The portrait of a manic murderer? The clarification of motives?

9. The contrast with Skip? His presence in the bars. drinking? His work at the hotel? His seeming to be a suspect? His picking up Steve. tying him up and the police raid? The interrogations, the torture? The brutal naked policeman bashing him? The wrong man?

10. The importance of the audience knowing the identity of the killer - and the repercussions for the dramatic impact and lessening suspense?

11. Steve and A1 Pacino's portrait: the context of the murders and his training as a policeman, being young, ambitious? His accepting the task? The importance of his relationship with Nancy. his reaction to her at the various stages of his work and his return? The growing alienation? His moving into this world, the taxi ride., taking the apartment., the pornographic magazines, changing his clothes. make-up? The encounter with Ted and his being filled in about the area, the attitudes of the locals to the murders? To the police? Eating,, visiting the bars? His looking with curiosity and the audience sharing this with him? The importance of the focus on A1 Pacino's face and the intensity of his expression. observations? His presence at the bars. the dances. the police night? Wandering the streets, the parks? The pickups? Buying the scarf and the explanations for cruising? His listening for clues? His reporting to Edelson? The decision about Skip, setting him up? The arrest. Steve's being bashed? His wanting to leave the job? The discovery of Stu? Watching him,, ransacking his house? The encounter with Greg and its violence? His being ready to stab Stuart?

12. Steve as a policeman, his obligations,, his readiness with clues, participation in the set-ups? His final presence in the hospital with Stuart? His achievement?

13. Steve as man - the repercussions for his job in changing his personality, clothes, make-up, dancing, moving in this brutal men's world, sexual encounters? The effect on his identity? His need to talk with Ted? His seeking him out, the fight with Greg? The capacity for jealousy? Ted's death at the end and the audience realising how much Steve had become involved in this world?

14. The policeman and his job, skills at detection? The needs of a policeman in his work? His private life? The importance of the encounters with Nancy - and the irony of her standing with the cap and jacket on? Steve returning to the ordinary world?

15. Edelson and his work. contacts, pressures, methods, forcing Steve to continue? His visit to Ted's apartment at the end and his realisation of Steve's proximity and the effect on him?

16. The presentation of the New York police - the District Attorney and his pressures., elections? The officers? The nature of raids? Interrogations and torture? The big black policeman? The forensic discussions - corpses, knives? The dinner at the hotel and the getting of the knife, the fingerprints from the pornography shop? The irony of the police cruising - Di Simone and his companion at the beginning? In the park during the film? The final encounter with Edelson? The homosexuals dressed as police? Police leather and the point being made about uniforms and sado-masochism?

17. The characterisation of Ted - his pleasantness, relationship with Greg? Greg and his violence and the knife? The significance of his death? The variety of sides to the homosexual world?

18. The presentation of the victims - the professor, the actor and his sexual encounter, the man cruising in the park, the man from the shop and his being stabbed in the film booth? Stuart and his compulsion to sing, feel that he was being made to do it?

19. The finale with Steve returning to the ordinary world and Nancy transformed in the cap and jacket? Stuart's letters and the insight into him? Edelson and his insight into what had happened by his presence at Ted's apartment? The ship cruising in the harbour?