Review of Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989) by Eric B — 10 Dec 2014

Within the brutality of this story are some amazing performances and brilliant cinematography by Stefan Czapsky.

A work filled with grit, desolation and desperation, it can be a difficult film to willingly sit down and try to "enjoy," but then one would miss the beauty that can be found in Stephan Lang's performance as Harry, dim and rough and tortured. One would not see Jennifer Jason Leigh delve again into the darkness of a character - Tralala, a frightened girl trying to find any way to feel an ounce of worthiness, or the heartbreaking turn by Cameron Johann as Spook, the boy who just wants Tralala to notice him.

Czapsky - who a year later would begin his collaboration with Tim Burton, which yielded Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns and Ed Wood - embraced the darkness so beautifully in this lighting, and the detail of the dirty locales so perfectly with lens choices that one cannot but feel uncomfortable, and unclean.

Uli Edel's work as director can best be seen in the performances, with his actors trusting him to reach into the underbelly of humanity.

While some felt that the film wasn't bleak enough, softening the blow of Herbert Selby, Jr's novel, there is still quite the hammer wielded by Edel, included Tralala's ultimate fall into the abyss.

This is not a film for a fun Friday night with friends, but if one is willing to walk through a grater and find the brilliance of a cast and crew buying into the hard truth of a work, Last Exit to Brooklyn is certainly worthy of that examination.