Cruising (1980)

What strikes me while watching the film, is that truth to reality is really refreshing. No editing in the world can make up to a camera catching a dark, rainy street as they could back in those days when equipment was not developed. Aristoleles claimed that cruelty should be committed outside the scene, that is, in the background. The imagination of the spectator is far more imaginative than a view of the actual event. Therefore, leaving out is stronger in terms of storytelling than showing. Quite the contrary to contemporary movies, I'd say. The advantage of this story is thus the suspense built up on lack of knowledge. There is no flirting with the audience; you do not know in advance who dunnit. There is no flirting with the audience on the task of staging one of the protagonists as a gay either. This is not the greatest movie, but really worth seeing.

...are the basic ingredient who defines this film. protests, critics, ambiguity of script, Al Pacino responsability for a character who preserves influences from many others films remaining a challenge and something who propose the controversies as basic tool for understand "Cruising". lost in details, it is just a policier. in not the most familiar space. but interesting for the force of message, for the dedication of Al Pacino and, sure, for the portrait of a world who, for many, could be reduced at fiction.

The controversy over this supposed anti-gay film has stirred debate for nearly 40 years. The slaying of gay men part of the leather and s&m scene is violent and ugly, a view of just one small portion of the community. I've seen it through various gay pride and marches, Folsom Street Fair, visits to Silver Lake near downtown Los Angeles, and various Halloween parades. It does exist, and this is part of its story in the gay naked city.While cop Al Pacino comes off a little brusk, he's just out to do his job, even if disguising himself as a gay man is repulsive to him. He's not homophobic, just not interested in that sort of thing. But in spite of his reluctance and longterm relationship with Karen Allen, he's gotta do what he's assigned to do. So it's off to the gay leather bars of midtown Manhattan and the woods of Central Park.The murders are brutal, showing the fear of the victim before they are killed. This lifestyle isn't just about the gays; perversion crosses over and this just uses a small portion of the gay community to tell its story. It's just not a very good movie. Don Scardino plays an effeminate gay man who befriends Pacino, and it's obvious that Pacino likes him in spite of their differing sexualities. As a gay man, I look back on it as a warning against promiscuity, and with the AIDS crisis just around the corner, it's a bit prophetic.

What people think about what it comes to "Cruising" is the gay S&M material. But, the movie is essentially a hunt-for-a-serial-killer film. Pacino is undercover and trying to find out who's slaying the victims. The rest is really backdrop more than the guiding force of the story.Given that, the serial-killer hunt is kind of muddled. Friedkin has been said to purposely misdirect the audience in the film. So, when you get to the ambiguous ending, it pretty much adds muddle to muddle.As always, Pacino is very dedicated to the part, and the other actors contribute fine work too. But, as said, Friedkin short circuits his film with the added confusion. And, that's too bad, because the film is certainly atmospheric and achieves the proper mood throughout.The film is based on a novel, and the source material might be better and clearer in purpose than the movie was.***** (5 Out of 10 Stars)