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King of New York

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2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

KING OF NEW YORK is, for my money, the most valuable (and the most underrated) film of the last 20 years. It is a homage to the classic American genre - the gangster fable - with the depth and subtext of a European art-movie. It's a precursor to urban crime thrillers like New Jack City and Menace II Society (Ferrara points out they first used a rap-score in 1982). An ode to drug-culture. A pitchblack satire of capitalism and its grotesque fallout. It's got a cast to die for, and a close-knit crew at the height of their powers.

It's shot across an array of locations including Sing-Sing, Donald Trump's Plaza Hotel, and various crack-lanes; it weaves seamlessly between an original score, and the music of Vivaldi and Schooly D; the film is meticulously colour-coded (as pointed out by Nick Johnstone in his book) to add up to a cold critique of the red WHITE and blue, the all-American war-on-drugs; the tempo is expertly-managed, the movie simmers for a while then explodes into heavy-metal carnage, and then it dies with a sad whimper. The film is spectacularly violent, but think about the handling of the violence. There's a big Peckinpah slo-mo shootout, then the audacious shootout in Chinatown. But in the 2nd half of the movie the deaths are direct, painful to watch, and pitiful in their execution.

And then there's the cast: Walken was never better. He mesmirises you, brilliantly charismatic. And he looks so otherworldy, what with the hair and the deathly complexion, he's like the man who fell to Earth, the oddest looking `hero' you've ever seen. Fishburne reinvented a character imagined for James Russo and the whole movie turns on that transition. Its simply impossible to imagine how it could have worked ½ as well with Russo, or any1 else for that matter. Caruso is a fire-engine red ball of rage. The scene when he rushes from his colleagues funeral is one of the most beautifully played-out expressions of vigilantism ever put on film. Argo as a weary, deflated, pill-poppin' `old man' who has been there and knows the war is unwise and un-win-able.

As far as Im concerned, every sequence, every line of dialogue ("I'm not the problem, I'm just a businessman") is pure gold. Ferrara's is the cult-of-cults, his movies usually too far-out or nihilistic to get much of a following. But this one I bet Tarantino wishes he'd made.

And the DVD package...The documentary is not comprehensive, but it re-enforces what sets Ferrara's films above those of most of his contemporaries, the sheer degree of collaboration involved. Abe's anarchist mentality has freed up guys like Joe Delia (music), Anthony Redman (editor), Charles Lagola (production design) and Ken Kelsch to make exactly the sort of films they want. Kelsch makes the most telling statement towards the end, which might explain why Ferrara hasn't made a film for about five years (after a Woody Allen-esque burst of creativity in the 90s). In fact, as basic as it is, the doco is startlingly honest and revealing about its subject.

Ferrara previously contributed a delirious commentary to The Driller Killer, but this time round you kinda feel sad listening to his hazy lack of insight, having the suspicion that his personal curse has robbed him of both his allies and his inspiration at the moment when he's finally getting his dues. But the commentary track is actually a blast! Abel and his best-mate Frankie crack open a few brews, he makes some funny asides about Walken's hair and the reaction to the film on release. And if you get to the credits, you get to listen to Abel bang out Schooly's title-track on an acoustic guitar with a Dylan drawl.

Check out the title card on the trailer. Under the title it reads (a Ferrara / St. John original), like the credits on the label of a 45" record. Like Mick and Keef, or Scorsese and Schrader, these guys made dynamite 2gether. KONY is their towering achievement, it's one of the great films ever made.

Some way into Abel Ferrara's 'King Of New York', two gangsters conspire in a small cinema showing F.W. Murnau's 1922 horror classic 'Nosferatu'. Playing the scene where the vampire disembarks his corpse- and rat-ridden ship docked in England, it has clear reference to Ferrara's protagonist, Frank White (Christopher Walken in one of cinema's great, mercurial performances), a drug-smuggler recently released from a long period in prison, hoping to reassert his local criminal power. White refers to his return as 'coming back from the dead', and Walken's long, haunted figure and dancer's movements have some of the aristocratic grace of a famous screen Dracula, Christopher Lee. Mostly seen at night, he gathers new recruits (fresh blood) around him to 'feed' on. One remarkable shot, after a prolonged sequence of speedy violence, has him lit so his eyes shine like some haunted undead; another has the camera following him through a railway station until it is stopped by bars - it can only impotently watch as White glides up the stairs to be swallowed by the night. The film even has as one of his opponents a cop played by future vampire-slayer Wesley Snipes.

But the 'Nosferatu' allusion points to something else - Ferrara's strange absorption of silent cinema. In terms of content, 'King' is a gangster film like any other: loud, ugly, violent, brutal, lurid, hysterical. But it has a purity and beauty very different from the stylised melodramas of Martin Scorcese, whose equally bloodthirsty 'Goodfellas' came out in the same year. The first ten minutes is an astonishing, virtually wordless, visual tour-de-force, not simply presenting the main character, his situation and environment, but introducing symbolic motifs that are all the more powerful for being real, a part of Frank's world, and not simply imposed. Bars and grids (in prison, gates, bridges etc.) are the most prominent, signifying initially Frank's literal imprisonment, then his difficulties with the law and fellow criminals, and his frustrated ambitions (including a Guiliani-like zero-tolerance programme to clean up the streets), but eventually, as we might expect from a Ferrara littering his film with religious iconography, something much more metaphysical, outside the confines of genre (hence the references to Melville).

After this, there is a lot of talk - noisy, profane, funny, aggressive, threatening - but the best sequences retain this silent aesthetic: the night-club double cross leading to a car chase and man-hunt under a bridge; a police funeral in which a limousine hit provokes the scattering of black-clad, bankside mourners; the 'Le Samourai'-like subway confrontation between gangster and cop [although the film's very greatest scene, Larry Fishburne's Jimmy Jump ordering fast food just before being busted for murder, depends for its effect on the conflict between talk and silence, his bluster oblivious to the soundless arrests playing out behind him]. The use of huge, intense close-ups recall the emotional silent era, as does Ferrara's camerawork, more deliberate and heavy than Scorcese's flash pyrotechnics. The staging of set-pieces is as artifical as Murnau's setscapes in 'Sunrise'; the underworld carnival is more Celine than Scorcese. Even the use of blue filter in key scenes is less a signifier of atmosphere or artifice than a nod to the practise of 'colorising' monochrome silents.

By employing this style from a period he clearly loves, Ferrara is able to inject a spirituality and ceremonial gravitas not immediately apparent in the crudity of the genre subject.

Abel Ferraras' "King of New York" is the story of recently parolled Frank White who decides to try to go straight. Kinda. The cast reads like a roll call of modern day screen bad asses: Christopher Walken, Dave Carruso, Larry Fishburne, Wesley Snipes, Steve Buscemi, Giancarlo Esposito, on and on. What I really liked about the film is the development of these characters. We've all seen Gangster movies so we can pretty much tell what's going to happen. But White's character seems determined to get a hospital built in his old neigborhood-no matter what the cost. He faces resistance from all sides: the Italian mob want's nothing to do with the drug dealing king, Asian gang leaders consider him too unstable to be a good business partner, there's rebellion in his own ranks and finally, the police aren't taking kindly to White's return to his old ways. You can feel the contempt and conflict coming off of the screen. Incredibly violent, profanity, with scenes of wanton sex and drug use. If things like Scarface offend you, you better stay away. I watch this movie at least once every six months.

Frank White (Christopher Walken) is a crime boss just released from prison. He rejoins his henchmen, headed up by Jimmy Jump (Laurence Fishburne). No sooner does White step out of prison, that the killing games begin. White is out to finance a local inner city hospital that is on the verge of being closed for lack of funding. He is determined to do this by using the ill gotten gains of drug trafficking, his and that of other drug lords. Since the others apparently will not relinguish the money voluntarily, force is used, quite a bit of it as a matter of fact, to get their money and/or drugs.

Officers Dennis Gilley (David Caruso) and Thomas Flanigan (Wesley Snipes) are part of a team of cops that are looking to stop White. They are outraged that he is on the street and that they are seemingly unable to stop him by fair means. They decide to resort to foul means and end up all the worse for their efforts. Throughout the film, the line is sometimes blurred between the good guys and the bad guys. There is no happy ending here, and justice may or may not be deemed to have been served, depending upon the viewer's own subjective viewpoint.

The performances are good overall, and in particular, Fishburne's manic character, Jimmy Jump, is a good foil for Walker's coolly detached character, Frank White. This is not really a character driven movie, however, but rather a plot driven one. There is a lot of action, a lot of shootings and carnage, and some car chase scenes that will keep the viewer on edge. The violence, when it occurs, is bloody and protracted. Moreover, in addition to being bimbos and sex toys, the women also pack high powered heat and shoot with the best of them. Despite some plot holes, the film entertains, though just how entertaining the viewer will find this film will depend on the viewer's tolerance for violence.

The DVD itself is pretty much no frills, offering pretty standard features, such as widescreen, a theatrical trailer, scene access, and a music video. There is no commentary. The picture, though dark, is clear, as is the sound.

Scarface is the greatest gangster movie ever made. This one is second. King of New York is one of the most underrated movies of all time. To begin with, if you really sit back and look at all of the actors in this movie, there is no way in this day and age you could assemble a greater cast. King of New York features Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne, David Caruso, and Wesley Snipes before most of them were truly famous.
This is one of those movies that I found myself watching over and over again, in fact when I was a teenager I watched this film once a day. I now have to limit my viewing to once a year so I do not ruin it and it still remains fresh, although I'm not sure how fresh a movie can be when you have the full dialog memorized.
The story is about a New York drug lord named Frank White (yes, this is the same Frank White that the Notorious BIG and other rappers refer to in their rhymes.) played by Christopher Walken who is let out of prison after serving 5 years. Once out of prison White is determined to make up for lost time and to continue to build his cartel and ultimately use money to fund hospitals and make the city of New York better. He teams up with his former workers led by high strung and insane Jimmy Jump and unforgettable character played by Laurence Fishburne (Larry at the time) who wields to 9 mili's and a sinister laugh when the stuff hits the fan.
David Caruso, Wesley Snipes and highly underrated Victor Argo play cops who are outraged by Whites release from prison and are so determined to get him back in that they will do anything to make sure White and his crew are off the street one way or the other.
This is a highly dramatic, riveting, and action packed film that will blow even the most jaded movie watchers away. I cannot say enough about this film, it is a must own and an all time classic. In its truest form it is a B movie, however it ranks up there with Scarface, the God Father and Goodfellas. Imagine what could have happened if this movie had a true Holly Wood budget! It might just have been the greatest film ever made and it is my all time #1 favorite film. A true masterpiece.
"I'm not your problem, I'm just a business man."

Abel Ferrara does not make films that could be regarded as wholesome family entertainment; in fact, he is arguably the most raw, uncompromising filmmaker at work in America today. This is the man whose work includes such controversial classics as Ms. 45, the Driller Killer and the extraordinary Bad Lieutenant which featured a fearless, powerful performance from Harvey Keitel. However, King of New York manages to combine the edgy, hardcore tension of his earlier work with the kind of polish that comes from a director who is absolutely aware of his vision. The story begins with Christopher Walken's character, Frank White, being released from prison. No sooner has he left than his rivals in the drug business (who have been getting richer and more powerful since his absence) are being killed off by White's loyal subordinates. These minions include such well known character actors as Steve Buscemi and, giving a truly psychotic, energised performance, Laurence Fishburne as the somehow appropriately named Jimmy Jump. White's aim is to gain ultimate control of drug trafficking in New York, hence the title 'King of New York', a fact that impels the law, here represented by Victor Argo, Wesley Snipes and David Caruso, to take drastic (and unlawful) measures to prevent from happening. One of the most notable aspects of this film is that it steadfastly refuses to pass judgment on any of its characters, good or bad. For example, on one hand, we have Walken's character who is planning to use his ill-gotten gains to fund a local children's hospital. On the other, Caruso, Snipes and other members of the police force, furious that the hoods they arrest are back on the streets within hours, resort to posing as a rival drug gang so that, in one astonishing action-packed sequence, they may kill off the criminals they can't put away under the law. This amoral view of the world will no doubt be off-putting to some viewers but, believe me, if you like your films to be provocative, this is the movie for you. The performances are uniformly excellent; it's great to see such movie mad-dogs as Walken, Fishburne, Caruso and Snipes go up against each other, opposite sides of the same coin. Ferrara gets the pace just right, punctuating the sometimes genuinely moving high drama with scenes of explosive bloody violence. If you've seen some of his other work, you'll know what to expect; no-one stages violence as shockingly or as disturbingly as Ferrara. Just check out the night scene in the rain between Fishburne and Snipes or the scene at the funeral and you'll see what I mean. I personally love this underrated classic and I can't wait to see it in the DVD format. If you like gangster movies, this come highly recommended.

At first glance King of New York comes off as just another gangster film about a vicious crime lord with a soft spot. This is anything but . Christopher Walken in a powerful performance as Frank White is the main character in this movie his right hand man is Laurence fishbourne (When he was known as Larry) who is dead on in his portrayal of a wise cracking henchman . The movie also stars a young Wesley Snipes and Daid Caruso as the cops hellbent on sending frank White to jail. Frank is an evil man but has a heart . He wants to save a public hospital in a poor neighborhood from being sold and privatized. Though Robin Hood he isnt he does come off as a hero to those who look up to him. The story is predictable and has a few holes in it but worth seeing . I guarantee at some point u will find yourself sayin "hey I didnt know he was in this movie" as there are many recognizble role players among the stars mentioned. Caruso and snipes are extremely believable as the cops , Fishbourne is a little over the top yet he doesnt go too far over and after understanding his charcter , you begin to appreciate his performance . As for Walken well he is great in just about any role he takes. Buy this movie you will not be dissapointed.

Christopher Walken plays Frank White, a druglord, murderer, and thief who has just been released from prison. He seems to be a powerful man who is also very well off. He is also on the radar of a gang of close freinds who happen to be police officers. Frank seems to be more at home in the ghetto than he does in his high-rise apartment. That much is clear. What is also clear is that his primary motivation for doing the things he does is to keep dishonest criminals at bay and to make enough money to fund a hospital in an underpriviledged part of town to keep it from closing.

The motivation of the police officers, however, seems to only involve doing their job.

Why I love movies like this is that we've all seen the cops and robbers story a million times. What we don't usually see in movies is that sometimes the line between cop and robber is very thin. In this movie, both groups are portrayed as almost the same type of character. They're all drunk on the power that their lifestyles afford them, and they all use bullets to get their way.

There really isn't much to say about this movie except that it's very realistic to my way of thinking, and it doesn't insult the viewer by portraying a black and white view of the world by favoring one way over the other. Everyone is selfish, and everyone is out to get their way. If anything, I found myself siding with Frank for most of the film.

I like that.

I like that I can watch a character on the screen that I have no realistic attachment to and feel for them. I like that I can look at the "bad guy" and know, if not completely identify with, why he does what he does.

This is not a movie for those of you who get uncomfortable hearing points of view you're not used to.

This is for open-minded viewers only.

Forget about good vs. bad. This is every man for himself, and it's one of my favorite movies of the genre.

Ranking up there with Scarface and even Goodfellas, King of New York is one of the best gangster films ever made, thanks largely in part to the magnetic and explosive performance by Christopher Walken. Walken is Frank White, a ruthless kingpin freshly released from prison who vows to use his connections and money for charitable means. On his trail however, are three cops (David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, and Victor Argo) who, by any means necessary, vow to bring Frank down. Profane, action packed, and filled with unforgettable performances (Walken, Caruso, and Laurence Fishburne are incredible), Abel Ferrara's King of New York is hypnotic from it's first frame to final shot, and the action scenes are pulled off better than most major budget pictures. This new Special Edition from Lion's Gate/Artisan includes a nice amount of extras to tide fans of the film over, and the commentary by director Ferrara must be heard to be believed.

I am of the firm opinion that Christopher Walken is a national cinematic treasure who is woefully misunderstood and who, sadly, likely won't receive the accolades he deserves until after he's gone. Is there anything this multitalented performer can't pull off? Walken can imbue characters with astonishingly deep dimensions as evidenced in his gut wrenching performances in "The Deer Hunter" and "The Dead Zone." He's also a comedic talent; some of the funniest episodes of "Saturday Night Live" I ever saw were ones hosted by Christopher Walken. He was so great in them that he could easily have joined the cast. The guy can even sing and dance like a professional. Walken's best roles, however, always seem to come in movies where he plays the villain. He was great as Max Zorin in Roger Moore's last James Bond entry, "From a View to a Kill," arguably the best villain to ever grace that franchise. But Walken's portrayals of mob type criminals garner the most acclaim, and that's where Abel Ferrara's "King of New York" comes in. This movie succeeds because of Christopher Walken, no doubt about it, and it's one of the best performances I've seen him deliver. Too bad the movie can't keep up with his performance.

Walken plays Frank White, a jailed drug kingpin who walks out of prison at the beginning of the film. The fact that a limousine takes him to a posh apartment at the Plaza proves this is a man with a lot of money and, after we see his heartfelt reunion with a posse of black gangsters, a man with enormous power. Frank's arrival back on the streets is met with indifference by some of the big mafia chieftains, who think his dependence on minorities is a sign of weakness. It's really no problem for White, however, as he guns down one of the Italians at a card game and thus proves that his power is absolute and unshakable. Life isn't just killing made members of the mob or ordering the executions of Columbian drug dealers; it's also about actualizing some plans Frank came up with in the stir. Prison can change a person, and it's obviously changed our anti-hero to some extent. At a big city affair filled with movers and shakers from both sides of the law, White expresses interest in saving a children's hospital with a multi-million dollar infusion of cash. Perhaps he's just acting out of character to throw a curveball to those on the straight and narrow. Perhaps he really wants to help out his fellow citizens.

Of course, if his intention to help those less fortunate than himself is truly a legitimate enterprise, it's funny that Frank can't seem to break away from his criminal endeavors. He continues to run his multiracial gang, and even enlarges his gang by offering to hire a couple of street thugs after they attempt to rob him one night on the subway. The police watching Frank White wheel and deal are convinced that his attempts at reform are bogus. Disgusted that every attempt to put this guy away forever seems to fail, a cadre of police officers--Dennis Gilley (David Caruso), Thomas Flanigan (Wesley Snipes), and Roy Bishop (Victor Argo)--decide to pursue decidedly extralegal methods to bring Frank White and his gang down. The result is, predictably, a bloody war in which no one is safe from sudden and violent death. "King of New York" also highlights the moral ambiguity involved in big city crime, namely crime revolving around drug trafficking. The illicit profits brought in through the sale of narcotics debase everyone even remotely associated with drugs, from the police to the poor to the politicians. Everyone stands to win or lose, mostly lose, because of their association with drugs. Even Frank White, as powerful as he seems, could very well lose everything thanks to his chosen profession.

It's a bit tricky to provide a thorough summary of "King of New York" because there isn't much of a plot beyond the simple battle between good guys and bad, and how even the men in white hats can fall off their high horse when battling a pervasive evil like drugs. We've seen that theme played out in a million movies portraying organized crime. Nothing new here except that director Ferrara, known for his gritty realism and symbolic images always set against the backdrop of a crime addled New York City, manages to make "King of New York" stand out because of a great cast. Not only do we have Walken in one of his most subtle roles, we've also got Caruso and Snipes in early parts. Laurence Fishburne shows up too in a frightening turn as White's main enforcer Jump, a treacherous goon with a propensity for gunning down anyone who stands in his way. Throw in Giancarlo Esposito and Steve Buscemi in minor roles and you've got all the makings for a fine film. Ferrara tosses out plenty of violent shootouts, some car chases, and lots of menacing dialogue to keep the film zipping along. New York City, as in other Ferrara pictures, is a major character in the film. The city provides the necessary bleak atmosphere against which these actors live and die.

The film's major failing is an ability to fully flesh out the characters. Some of the performers pop up once or twice and then disappear forever, leaving the audience to wonder what happened to them. Too, the motivations of Frank White never receive as much attention as we would like. Why exactly is he planning to help out that hospital? I don't think the movie ever makes this clear. And how does a white guy get along this well with minority gang members? Oh well, the movie still entertains and is one of the better entries in the early 1990s resurgence of crime films with an inner city motif. Fans of Walken should run, not walk, to obtain a copy of "King of New York" if they haven't done so already.