MIXED BLOOD

US, 1984, 98 minutes, Colour.
Marilia Pera, Richard Ulacia, Linda Kerridge.
Directed by Paul Morrissey.

Mixed Blood (Cocaine) was written and directed by Paul Morrissey. Morrissey was Andy Warhol's assistant director on many of his experimental films. He then went to direct his own including Flesh, Trash as well as Flesh for Frankenstein and the spoof Hound of the Baskervilles. In the '80s he made Mixed Blood, 40 Deuces and Spike of Bensonhurst, focusing on the seamier aspects of life in New York City.

Mixed Blood is an exploitation film, focusing on rival gangs in Alphabet City in Lower Manhattan. One is presided over by a Brazilian matriarch, a type of contemporary Bloody Mama. The viciousness of the gangs is presented, the ugliness of the drug scene - which nevertheless entices women from uptown to flirt with Hispanic drug dealers. Former police, European drug dealers are also portrayed.

The film acts as a kind of docudrama with the heightened exploitation style.

1.The work of Paul Morrissey, his background with Andy Warhol? Experimental observation of human behaviour? The attraction towards the seamier side of life? A picture of Alphabet City, exploitive, voyeuristic?

2.The semi-professional cast, their authentic appearance and style, impact? The crass aspects of life in Alphabet City, behaviour, language and violence?

3.New York City, the lower east side, Alphabet City and its streets, houses, slums, supermarket drug-dealing? The musical score?

4.The title and its focus? For what audience was the film made? New York, American, international? Why?

5.The quality of observation, docudrama style and detail?

6.The conventional plot, the controlling matriarch, the rival gangs, her influence on their lives, their relationship to her, amongst themselves? Jealousies? Former police, European drug dealers? The society girl attracted by the low life? The violent intrigues and deaths?

7.A portrait of an ugly world, violence and drugs, men and women, relationships?

8.Rita and her presence in New York City, speaking Spanish? The mother and the variety of her children? The attachment to Thiago? The kids and the drugs, her power, money, dealing? Her life and jealousies? The German drug dealer, intrigues? Carol, Rita's reaction? The hiring of Comanche, the killer? The deals, the kidnapping? The stabbing and her gloating? Her observing the deaths? The evil mother? Thiago's return to her?

9.Thiago, caught up in this way of life, his relationship with Rita, the hero of the film? At work, with Juan, the fights between the gangs, the police? The attraction to Carol, the possibility of change, the plan for the trip to Rio? The kidnapping and his being goaded into action? Deaths and his disillusionment? Return to his mother?

10.The two gangs, the Puerto Rican background, the Brazilian background? The young boys - too young to go to prison if arrested? The German observing from his car? The dances and the murder from the rooftops? The fight between Thiago and Juan? The wounds and injuries? The racial components of Alphabet City: Chinese, Hispanics, blacks? The plan for gang warfare? The plots against Rita? The confrontations, Comanche, the avenging of shootings? Juan and his leadership, death?

11.The German, his wealth? Observations, plans?

12.Carol, her relationship to the German, the attraction towards the low life, meeting Thiago, with him, the plea to leave, the abduction and her death?

13.Commanche, his motives, the abduction, the trap and murder?

14.Hector, the former police, the cops, Operation Cleanup? The helplessness of the police?

15.The range of characters, lifestyles? The outside audience evaluating the characters, the way of life, behaviour - with voyeuristic touches?