CITY OF INDUSTRY

US, 1997, 97 minutes, Colour.
Harvey Keitel, Stephen Dorff, Timothy Hutton, Famke Janssen, Wade Dominguez, Michael Jai White, Lucy Liu.
Directed by John Irvin.

City of Industry is a tough crime film. It is set in one of the uglier parts of Los Angeles. The film focuses on Harvey Keitel as a thief, doing a robbery with his brother, played by Timothy Hutton. Stephen Dorff acts as the getaway driver. Wade Dominguez is the local contact and Famke Janssen is his wife.

The robbery is a success. However, the getaway driver is shrewd and kills two of the members of the gang. Harvey Keitel’s character survives and is bent on revenge and pursuing the driver.

The film is peopled with ugly characters who behave in ugly ways. However, it is presented with some tension, following the obsessive Keitel as he pursues his goal, even to dying.

The film was directed by British John Irvin whose film career has a variety of styles of film ranging from The Dogs of War to Turtle Diary to Hamburger Hill and Next of Kin and Robin Hood.

1.A film noir of the 1990s? Robbery? Revenge? The conventions of the genre as updated at the end of the 20th century?

2.The Los Angeles settings, Palm Springs, the affluent world, the world of work, homes, jewellers, the roads? Credible authentic atmosphere? Stylised – and the touches of black and white, speedy filming, editing and pace?

3.The title, expectations, action?

4.The musical score and its mood?

5.The strong cast and their careers?

6.The credible world, its norms and values, morality and amorality, criteria for moral judgments?

7.Lee and living in the city, his car, his friendship with Jorge, buying the information about the jewellers? Roy and his collaboration? The motel, luxury? Characters and motivations? The contact with Skip? His being brought into the group?

8.Jorge, his family background, prison, criminal nature, his relationship with Rachel and the kids, friendship with Lee, anxiety?

9.Roy, his age, the background of imprisonment in Folsom, the loner, his bond with Lee, love of luxury?

10.Skip, his appearance, loud, speeding, buying the guns, cars, the phone and his girlfriend, selfish, his plan?

11.The job, the visit and checking it out, surveillance, timing, the computers out, the brutality of the attack, the stealing and the getaway, the police cars? The shrewd manoeuvres?

12.Dividing the money, Skip and his girlfriend, the shooting, Roy escaping? Lee and Jorge dead?

13.Roy his enquiries for Skip, the club, the girl, the lawyer, the phone call? Visiting Rachel and her reaction? The pursuit of Skip? The contact with the local gangs, the gang members? The violence, the money? The build-up to the confrontations and the shooting? Rachel helping, her being abducted? The final confrontation and the escape? Leaving, the hospital? The final letter – and vengeance?

14.The character of Skip, callow, his greed? Uncle Luke, the money? Robbed? The interrogation of the stripper? His shooting the girl? Paying the protection? Bashed and dead?

15.Rachel in herself, her work, with the kids, love for Jorge, laying down the law to him? Helping Roy? The sixty thousand dollars? Her being bashed and abducted? The help and her escape?

16.The world of the gangs, the clubs, the fences, laundering of money, the ethnic backgrounds, the violence and shoot-outs?

17.Los Angeles in the 90s, a microcosm of America? Style, characters, motivations, morality – and Rachel finally prospering with her children?