The Movie: "Barfly" [Paperback]

Charles Bukowski (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Black Sparrow Press, Santa Rosa; First trade edition. edition (1987)
• ASIN: B002FZ65KW
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Charles Bukowski is one of America's best-known contemporary writers of poetry and prose, and, many would claim, its most influential and imitated poet. He was born in Andernach, Germany, and raised in Los Angeles, where he lived for fifty years. He published his first story in 1944, when he was twenty-four, and began writing poetry at the age of thirty-five. He died in San Pedro, California, on March 9, 1994, at the age of seventy-three, shortly after completing his last novel, Pulp (1994).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gritty, truthful, heartbreaking movie, March 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Barfly - The Movie (Paperback)

The movie "BarFly" is based on three days on author's Charles Bukowski's life when he was 29 years old. I have seen this movie numerous times (at least 50) and still get something new out of each time. One of my buddies once said of the movie, "I felt like taking a shower after watching Barfly." Exactly!!! While some may find it too gritty, I find the movie an honest look at a troubled man's life. Henry Chinaski is like you or me but he is a raving alcoholic. There is a sweetness to him that comes out throughout the film and that is what I see and what I like to focus on. He finds his match in Wanda, also an alcoholic, and together they try and make an honest go of their reltionship. What follows is drunken mistakes and a bond that is held together by a Scotch and water. There is a purity and beauty to their relationship and it is evident that they truly care for one another but problems arise because of their drinking. To me Henry is an almost "Buddah" like character who lives in the moment and dosen't seem to hold too many regrets about his life. I admire his honesty and generosity throughout the movie. At first glance you may say he is out for himself but if you really watch old Henry you'll see flashes of kindness and sweetness. He's a man who dosen't seem to fit in to 9-5p.m. society and he makes no excuses for it, or as Jim the bartender said to Lilly the barfly, "he's as right as any of us." Keep an eye out for Bukowski himself who has a cameo in the film, a bar scene where Henry and Wanda first meet. I lived in L.A. for 10 years and have been by some of Bukowski's old haunts and the film captures the "working man's" bar scene in L.A. These types of places exist, you just have to do a little searching to find them. Henry Chinaski is a beautiful man in an ugly world. I highly recommend Barfly and suggest you view it with an open mind and an open heart. As Henry says in the last scene of the movie as he buys the bar numerous rounds of drinks, "to all my friends, to all my friends." If you would like a look at an honest, but troubled, man's life I highly suggest you check out the movie "Barfly."

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Its the Script to the Movie, March 23, 2010

By 

Cwn_Annwn (Copenhagen, Denmark) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barfly - The Movie (Paperback)

This is the script to the movie Barfly. It was a bit awkward for me to read something in script form. Its full of all the Bukowski cliches and there are a few laughs. Not that this is bad but I'd recomend Bukowski's Hollywood which is his account of the making of the Barfly movie, and even watching the film before I would reading the script. Really this is probably only worth your trouble if your a Bukowski completist.

3 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars like bukowski? gotta own this, March 13, 2000

By 

"still_born" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Movie: Barfly (Hardcover)

or at the very least rent it. It's great-if you like buk. if not you'll probably hate it, my girlfreind did. There's a two second shot of the man himself sitting in the bar drinking and looking all grizzled(he talks about this in HOLLYWOOD). one complaint-Frank Stalone!