Homicide

David Mamet

United States

1991

101 minutes

Color

1.85:1

English

486

Synopsis

In David Mamet’s cinema, nothing is as it seems—so you better know what you’re looking for. Unfortunately, the protagonist of Mamet’s nightmarish urban odyssey Homicide, inner-city police detective Bobby Gold (Joe Mantegna), is as bewildered about who he is as who (or what) he’s after. Gold’s investigation, following the murder of an elderly Jewish candy-shop owner, leads him down a path of obscure encounters and clues, to a profound reckoning with his own identity. Filled with Mamet’s trademark verbal play and featuring standout supporting performances from William H. Macy, Ving Rhames, and Rebecca Pidgeon, Homicide is a taut, rich work from a true American original.

Cast

Bobby GoldJoe Mantegna
Tim SullivanWilliam H. Macy
ChavaNatalija Nogulich
RandolphVing Rhames
Lt. SennaVincent Guastaferro
Miss KleinRebecca Pidgeon
Jilly CurranJ. J. Johnston
FrankJack Wallace
Charlie OlcottLionel Mark Smith

Credits

DirectorDavid Mamet
ScreenplayDavid Mamet
Executive ProducerRon Rotholz
ProducerMichael Hausman and Edward R. Pressman
Director of photographyRoger Deakins
EditingBarbara Tulliver
Production DesignMichael Merritt
Costume designNan Cibula
MusicAlaric Jans
Unit production managerMichael Hausman
Assistant directorsMatthew Carlisle and Karen Collins
Art directionSusan Kaufman
Production sound mixerJohn Pritchett
Supervising sound editorMaurice Schell

Disc Features

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION

  • New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised by editor Barbara Tulliver
  • Audio commentary featuring writer-director David Mamet and actor William H. Macy
  • New video program featuring interviews with recurring Mamet actors Steven Goldstein, Ricky Jay, J. J. Johnston, Joe Mantegna, and Jack Wallace
  • Gag reel and TV spots
  • PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Stuart Klawans

From the Current

PRESS NOTES: HOMICIDE

Sep 29, 2009

David Mamet’s Homicide is many things: an introspective character study, an examination of racial and religious identity, a conspiracy thriller—and also, as critics have been noting, a damn good cop drama. “Homicide is the rare big-screen policier that can stand up to The Shield . . .

Homicide: What Are You, Then?

by Stuart Klawans Sep 16, 2009

Words are the trained fleas in David Mamet’s sidewalk circus—dirty words, often bloodstained, usually swarming, that perform their acrobatic stunts for gawkers . . .

Related Films

The Auteurs Forum

Displaying 1 discussion topic.

Start new topic  |  See all

Greatest Police/Detective Movies (Crime Genre Part 1)

27 posts by 21 people updated about 1 month ago

Available Editions

Homicide Criterion DVD Add to Cart

DVD

1 Disc

SRP: $39.95

Criterion Store price

$31.96