DICK TRACY
US, 1990, 105 minutes, Colour.
Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Madonna, Glenn Hedley, Charlie Korsmo, William Forsythe, Dustin Hoffman, Ed O' Ross, Seymour Cassel, James Caan, Paul Sorvino, R.G.Armstrong, James Tolkan, Michael J.Pollard, Estelle Parsons, Charles Durning, Alan Garfield, John Schuck, Mandy Patinkin, Jack Keogh, Kathy Bates, Colm Meany, Catherine O' Hara, Dick Van Dyke, Henry Silva, Bert Remsen, Tom Signorelli, Ian Wolfe, Mary Woronov, Henry Jones, Mike Mazurki.
Directed by Warren Beatty.
This was an ambitious project by Warren Beatty. He co-wrote and directed the project as well as starring as the famous detective.
Dick Tracy began his life as a comic strip and featured in television series in the 1940s and 50s. With his advanced technology of his watch and the possibility of communication, he actually anticipated all kinds of electronic developments of the 21st-century.
The film takes the tone of the comic strip, characters with make up and disfigurements like the cartoon series personalities. But, it is the villains who are made up in this way – William Forsyth, Paul Sorvino and a mumbling Dustin Hoffman. The colour photography is very bright with many of the characters, going darker when we move into the area of the villains.
While the film is slight in its plot, it is entertaining as a variation on the crime and detection themes.
What makes a difference is the introduction of songs, especially courtesy of Madonna who also plays a significant role.
The cast list is most impressive, so many Hollywood character actors being persuaded by Warren Beatty to appear in his film.
It did not have the follow-up that might have been anticipated and so has become an interesting historical piece from the 80s into the 1990s.
1. The popularity of the comic strip, old films, television series? An interpretation for the 1990s?
2. A comic strip film adaptation before the Action Hero genre?
3. Warren Beatty, star, direction, co-writing? A project for him?
4. The strong cast, stars, character actors?
5. An Oscar for the sets and decoration? The stylised city, New York? Exteriors and interiors? Officers, clubs, warehouse, apartments? Prison? The visual style and the use of basic colours?
6. The musical score, Stephen Sondheim and the range of songs, the Oscar for “Sooner or Later�? The other songs? Madonna and her performances?
7. A live-action comic strip? The range of characters, the Oscar for make up? Masks, the actors underneath the make up? Caricatures? The contrast with the normal characters?
8. Dick Tracy, Warren Beatty, age, style, presence? Information from his watch? Always on the job? His work, not wanting to sit behind a desk? His relationship with Tess, the meetings, the meals, in love with her, his shyness and awkwardness in expressing himself? The target of the thugs? The confrontation with Big Boy Caprice? The other thugs and their machine guns? The attempts to kill him? The cement and his being saved? The machine guns and he and Tess at the door, The Kid saving them? Encounters with the Kid, chasing him, Helping him, all the food with Tess and himself, the new suit and his choice? Not wanting to go to the orphanage?
9. Tracy and his assistants, their clothing and colour? Surveillance and reporting back from Caprice? The attacks on the club? The shootouts in the Chicago gangster style?
10. Tess, personality, living alone, the attraction to Dick? Out together, the meals together? The encounter with the Kid, looking after him? Feeding him? The separation from Dick, wanting him to say something? Being saved by the Kid? Going to her mother, her mother’s advice? The return, her being abducted, the imprisonment planned by the mysterious faceless person? Her being rescued? The dangers, with Dick, his talking, his having to go, his throwing the ring to her? A future? A touch of jealousy with Breathless??
11. Big Boy Caprice, Al Pacino’s screen presence, loud, the gangster, his clothes and shoulders? The confrontation with Lips, killing him? The documents, taking over the club? His ambitions, the song and dance rehearsal with Breathless and the girls? His henchmen and taking over the henchmen from Lips? The pianist and his support of Caprice? Taking over Breathless, forcing her to sing and dance him? Getting rid of his enemies, his puzzle about the surveillance, setting Tracy up, killing the agent with the surveillance? The mystery of the faceless person? With Tess, hiding in the wine cellar, the tunnel, claiming that he did not abduct her? The buildup to the confrontation with Dick Tracy? The fight, the rescue of Tess? His falling to his death?
12. The range of other gangsters, Lips, slurping the oysters, his hold over Breathless, his being abducted, the cement and his death?
13. Caprice, holding the meeting of the gangsters, his plans, the gangsters walking out, disagreeing, being blown up in the car?
14. Breathless, wanting to be a successful singer, her relationship with Lips, being taken over by Caprice, the rehearsals, the range of songs, Sooner or Later, singing with the pianist? The dance routines with the girls? Her coming onto Dick? Her unwillingness to testify? The kiss and Tess seeing them? Her unmasking as the faceless killer? Unable to shoot Dick? Her reassurance requested the end? Her death?
15. And Mumbles, Dustin Hoffman’s look, performance, speech? With Lips, with Caprice? With the police, the Interrogations? Speeding up his speech on the recorder, information? The woman taking stenography notes?
16. The opening with the gangsters, the killings and the machine guns? The various raids, the various confrontations and the cars, crashes, explosions? The buildup to a finale, the deaths of the gangsters?
17. A colourful imagining of a comic strip and bringing it alive?
