King of New York

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.


Great Film, Revealing DVD   May 1, 2004
13 out of 14 found this review helpful

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.


SUPA BAD-Intense, brooding and violent   October 13, 1999
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

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.


One Of The Best Gangster Films Of All Time   December 25, 2003
mark__d (Philly)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

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."


Amoral masterpiece from Ferrara   June 25, 2000
Martin Daly (Dublin, Ireland)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

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.