Harvey Keitel has made his menacing presence felt in some of the greatest cult movies ever, from Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" and "Mean Streets" to Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction". The godfather of independent film makers, Keitel has a record for supporting star directors of the future, from Scorsese (his first acting job was in Scorsese's film school thesis film), through Ridley Scott, Abel Ferrara, Jane Campion and Quentin Tarantino. Keitel's background prepared him for the tough and brooding roles he so often plays. Born in Brooklyn to poor Polish immigrants, he dropped out of school and joined the Marines at 17. Drawing on interviews with colleagues and friends, this biography tells the story of the rollercoaster career and turbulent personal life of this powerful performer.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
If you've seen Bad Lieutenant or The Piano, you've seen all there is to see of Harvey Keitel--but what do you really know about him? Although Marshall Fine's biography lacks the intimate insights that direct involvement with his subject would entail, he does an excellent job of collating what Keitel has said about his work--and what others have said about Keitel's performances--over the years, from his electrifying "debut" in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets through the fallow '80s to the gradual comeback that culminated with his performance as Mr. White in Reservoir Dogs.
Most significantly to Fine's credit, he takes seriously Keitel's desire to have his career viewed as a development of craft and a journey of self-discovery, and thus analyzes Keitel's performances (and the circumstances behind them) with sensitivity. Although this emphasis is based in part on editorial necessity--there's simply more documentation of Keitel's professional life than his personal one--Fine does rather well with the available resources. You won't necessarily know Keitel after reading The Art of Darkness, but you will perhaps come closer to understanding him. --Ron Hogan
Review
[Fine] brings to his respectful yet thorough investigation of ... Keitel a purpose, restraint, and polished prose style very unusual for the genre. -- Entertainment Weekly, Caren Weiner
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Rehashes old material,
By A Customer
This review is from: Harvey Keitel: The Art of Darkness (Hardcover)
I was really disappointed with this book. There wasn't one piece of information in it that I didn't already know; and many pieces of information that I know that weren't in the book. In addition, regardless of what actors say (and Mr. Keitel has often said this) about the characters they play not reflecting their personal lives, it's not true. A person's personal life is always reflected on the screen; it's what makes the actor able to project the character they are playing. Therefore, I wanted to know more about Mr. Keitel's personal life so I could get a better picture of his professional life. I wanted to know more about his past and current relationships with Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro. Perhaps I should write my own book.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
harvey keitel - he just keeps getting better,
By A Customer
This review is from: Harvey Keitel: The Art of Darkness (Paperback)
the only way "harvey keitel, the art of darkness" could have been any better is if he had written it himself. too bad mr. fine didn't have more to say about his personal life but maybe that's the way mr. keitel would have wanted it. he is such a gifted versatile actor who only gets better with age, it's only natural to wonder about his personal life. i hope some day he will find the time to write his own biography. he has given many academy award winning performances in his career and i hope some day to see him win one.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Mere Peek at a Genius,
By
This review is from: Harvey Keitel: The Art of Darkness (Hardcover)
When I saw the word 'unauthorized' on the front of this book, I bought it thinking I would find out some real facts about this wonderful actor. Instead, I was spoon fed glossy peeks into what makes Keitel tick, most of which I could have looked up myself. I believe this author was too scared to write the truth. Who can blame him? This book is nothing more than a big disappointment. I never even found out why Copolla really kicked Keitel out of the Phillipines. That alone would have been worth the price of the book.
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