In watching Badge 373 I can't believe that Pete Hamill normally a trenchant observer of New York's social and political scene could write such a mediocre film. If you're an action junkie you'll like it and if you're not politically correct you'll love it.
Hamill really let his own views get the better of him here. The dirty little secret about the Independista movement in Puerto Rico is how little support it does command. If you were to take this film as gospel you would believe that the entire South Bronx was a hotbed of revolutionary activity.
In a film that was inspired by real life New York detective Eddie Eagan, the inspiration also for Gene Hackman's Popeye Doyle in The French Connection, Robert Duvall during a police raid chased a junkie suspect up to a roof where he fell in trying to apprehend him. Of course there were accusations that Duvall helped him along. It wasn't true, but the accusations were enough to force a suspension and departmental inquiry. Truth also be told Duvall hasn't got the kindest feeling toward the Latino community and they know it.
While he's on suspension and working as a bartender, Duvall's partner Louis Cosentino is killed and Duvall though he's suspended and carries no badge or gun decides to investigate on his own. Quite frankly there was no reason not to let the NYPD handle the shooting of one of their own. But Duvall misses the action and wants blood.
He gains access to information through bluff and bluster without the badge, but he sure has reason to regret not carrying some kind of piece before the film is over. He's lucky to survive and remedy what he should have done in the first place. John Wayne in McQ was smart enough to hire out to a friend's private investigation firm so he would have cover to carry a weapon, why didn't Duvall think of that?
And then the idiot compounds it all by involving poor Verna Bloom, a waitress he's been keeping company with in his pursuit of arch criminal Henry Darrow. Duvall gets her killed quite unnecessarily. Bloom and Darrow give the best performances in Badge 373.
I can't believe that Eddie Eagan himself gave some kind of official imprimatur by appearing in this. I suppose he might have owed Pete Hamill a favor.
Duvall was coming off his Academy Award nominated performance in The Godfather and Badge 373 was quite a comedown. It had potential to be better, but I think only action junkies will really like this film.
Hamill really let his own views get the better of him here. The dirty little secret about the Independista movement in Puerto Rico is how little support it does command. If you were to take this film as gospel you would believe that the entire South Bronx was a hotbed of revolutionary activity.
In a film that was inspired by real life New York detective Eddie Eagan, the inspiration also for Gene Hackman's Popeye Doyle in The French Connection, Robert Duvall during a police raid chased a junkie suspect up to a roof where he fell in trying to apprehend him. Of course there were accusations that Duvall helped him along. It wasn't true, but the accusations were enough to force a suspension and departmental inquiry. Truth also be told Duvall hasn't got the kindest feeling toward the Latino community and they know it.
While he's on suspension and working as a bartender, Duvall's partner Louis Cosentino is killed and Duvall though he's suspended and carries no badge or gun decides to investigate on his own. Quite frankly there was no reason not to let the NYPD handle the shooting of one of their own. But Duvall misses the action and wants blood.
He gains access to information through bluff and bluster without the badge, but he sure has reason to regret not carrying some kind of piece before the film is over. He's lucky to survive and remedy what he should have done in the first place. John Wayne in McQ was smart enough to hire out to a friend's private investigation firm so he would have cover to carry a weapon, why didn't Duvall think of that?
And then the idiot compounds it all by involving poor Verna Bloom, a waitress he's been keeping company with in his pursuit of arch criminal Henry Darrow. Duvall gets her killed quite unnecessarily. Bloom and Darrow give the best performances in Badge 373.
I can't believe that Eddie Eagan himself gave some kind of official imprimatur by appearing in this. I suppose he might have owed Pete Hamill a favor.
Duvall was coming off his Academy Award nominated performance in The Godfather and Badge 373 was quite a comedown. It had potential to be better, but I think only action junkies will really like this film.