Review of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) by Grant P — 27 Jun 2008

Initially set up to be a kind of gangster noir picture (similar to Le petit soldat actually), The Killing of a Chinese Bookie is more intensely a character study of Cosmo Vitelli.

The film is made to be a direct parallel of Cassavetes' life to preserve a way of life and vision no matter what. Obviously, John never had to kill anyone to distribute a film, but social pressure and financial troubles strained him greatly much like Vitelli. (This is not an obvious theme as I had to watch a feature to learn of, haha).

There's a continuing trend of employing amateur actors, which in turn works to enhance interaction and interplay between characters. Vitelli's interactions with the girls of the nightclub are so captivating even if the dialogue is rather mundane most of the time. Just to watch the nonverbal gestures is wonderful. Transfer this same admiration to the totally unprofessional cabaret shows that Vitelli directs. They are, in a sense, horribly exectued but so authentic.

The conclusion that Cassavetes provides is simply an extension of the preceding scenes. In almost every case, a scene will end prematurely at a point where it would normally (err, conventionally) continue. There's a sense of uncertainty as Ben looks into the distance beyond his sanctuary of Crazy Horse West.

I have questions about Mort and his thugs, but they are mostly forgiven for the emotional honesty and artistic merit represented here.