HOODLUM
US, 1997, 130 minutes, Colour.
Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth, Vanessa Williams, Andy Garcia, Cicely Tyson, Chi Mc Bride, Clarence Williams III, Richard Bradford, William Atherton, Loretta Devine, Queen Latifah, Ed O' Ross, Mike Starr, Beau Starr, Paul Benjamin, Tony Rich.
Directed by Bill Duke.
Can there be a gangster movie with a difference? Yes, just as we are beginning to see Westerns with black Americans, this is a picture of Harlem gangsters in the mid-30s, especially a strong, silent, loyal type who confronts Dutch Schultz who is muscling in on black territory and discovers that he is not all that different from the gangsters he despises. Laurence Fishburne is a sombre 'Bumpy' Johnson who goes down the path of violence - but seems to have a conversion at the end of the movie or is moving towards beatification.
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Hoodlum shows the numbers games and protection rackets of the times, punctuated by grim shootouts. It is the black perspective that creates the interest as well as arresting performances by Andy Garcia as Lucky Luciano and Cicely Tyson as 'The Queen'. Tim Roth is there snarling familiarly but more so as a completely obtuse and obnoxious Schultz. Another chapter in New York gang warfare.
1. The title, audience expectations? American crime, gangsters, the rackets? The Depression? African- Americans? The Mafia? The law, corrupt police?
2. New York City, Harlem, downtown, city landscapes? The African- American world? Apartments, streets, headquarters? The Mafia headquarters? The musical score?
3. The film as historical, audience knowledge of the period, the criminals focused on?
4. Bumpy, Laurence Fishburne, his age, career, getting out of prison, involved in the rackets, the numbers, his friendship with Illinois, friendship with Mary? Going back into business? His associates? The meeting with Francine, the attraction, talking, the outings, the development of the relationship? Her judgement on his gangster career? Yet her being with him?
5. At the antagonism with Dutch Schultz? Schultz and his influence, the declaration of war? The various attempts on Bumpy’s life? The sequence with the poisoned ice cream, Jimmie, his confessing? Vallie, his being behind the poisoning, money, his ring? His death, Bumpy cutting of his finger, sending it to Dutch Schultz?
6. The character of Dutch Schultz, psychopathic, age, white, the violence? His set up, the clash with the African- Americans? His rackets? Corrupt police, the attack on Queen, her refusal to work with him? Her arrest? The war with Bumpy? The range of hitmen, associates? The attack on Bumpy in his home, with Francine, the blood, Francine shooting the gangster?
7. The atmosphere of the Cotton Club, the music and singers, Duke Ellington?
8. Blacks forbidden to enter, Bumpy and his challenge, the threats? The warfare, the bombs, buildings exploding?
9. Illinois, his friendship, Mary, the warehouse, finding Mary dead, his being murdered?
10. Schultz, his henchmen, their ruthlessness, Bob Hewlett?
11. The picture of the police, corrupt, the officer?
12. Francine, the attraction to Bumpy, with him, disapproving, the decision to leave, his angers, the dresses and the jewellery?
13. The role of Lucky Luciano, his control, his rackets, invited to mediate? Collaboration with Bumpy, to kill Schultz? Lulu, his shooting Schultz, Schultz coming out, staggering, sitting on dying? And Lulu murdered on Luciano’s borders?
14. Illinois, the church, Bumpy going in, the rain, the singing amazing Grace? At the coffin? How much of a signification that he would change his ways?
15. The importance of this kind of re-creation of the period and New York gangster history?
