Cruising (film)
| Cruising | |
|---|---|
Original film poster
|
|
| Directed by | William Friedkin |
| Produced by | Jerry Weintraub |
| Screenplay by | William Friedkin |
| Based on |
Cruising by Gerald Walker |
| Starring |
Al Pacino Paul Sorvino Karen Allen Richard Cox Don Scardino |
| Music by | Jack Nitzsche |
| Cinematography | James A. Contner |
| Edited by | Bud S. Smith |
|
Production
company |
CiP-Europaische Treuhand
Lorimar Film Entertainment |
| Distributed by |
Lorimar Productions/United Artists (theatrical release) Warner Bros. (DVD release) |
|
Release date
|
February 8, 1980 |
|
Running time
|
102 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $19,798,718 |
Cruising is a 1980 American crime thriller film written and directed by William Friedkin and starring Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino, and Karen Allen. The film is loosely based on the novel of the same name, by The New York Times reporter Gerald Walker, about a serial killer targeting gay men, in particular those associated with the leather scene. The title is a play on words with a dual meaning, as "cruising" can describe police officers on patrol and also cruising for sex.
Poorly reviewed by critics upon release, Cruising was a modest financial success. The shooting and promotion were dogged by gay rights protesters, who believed that the film stigmatized them. The film is also notable for its open-ended finale, further complicated by the director's incoherent changes in the rough cut and synopsis, as well as due to other production issues.
In New York City during the middle of a hot summer, body parts of men are showing up in the Hudson River. The police suspect it to be the work of a serial killer who is picking up homosexual men at West Village bars like the Eagle's Nest, the Ramrod, and the Cock Pit, then taking them to cheap rooming houses or motels, tying them up and stabbing them to death.
Officer Steve Burns (Al Pacino), who resembles the victims, is sent deep undercover by Captain Edelson (Paul Sorvino) into the urban world of gay S&M and leather bars in the Meatpacking District in order to track down the killer. He rents an apartment in the area and befriends a neighbor, Ted Bailey (Don Scardino), a struggling young gay playwright. Burns's undercover work takes a toll on his relationship with his girlfriend Nancy (Karen Allen), due to both his refusal to tell her the details of his current assignment and Burns building a close friendship with Ted, who himself is having relationship problems with his jealous and overbearing dancer boyfriend Gregory (James Remar).
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