Mord an einem chinesischen Buchmacher (1976)

Mord an einem chinesischen Buchmacher: Directed by John Cassavetes. With Ben Gazzara, Timothy Carey, Seymour Cassel, Robert Phillips. A proud strip club owner is forced to come to terms with himself as a man when his gambling addiction gets him in hot water with the mob, who offer him only one alternative.

“THE KILLING OF A Chinese BOOKIE is John Cassavetes fascinating look into the world of Cosmo Vitelli, owner of the Crazy Horse West, a California strip club. Cosmo, played by Ben Gazzara, owes a fortune in gambling debts, and agrees to commit a murder to payoff the loan. Itu0026#39;s a set-up from the get go because the mob never believed he could pull it off, and was hoping that he would be killed, and then they would inherit his club. Cassavetes creates an homage to The French New Wave by employing surreal settings and improvisational dialog to create a Dadaist framework for the tale. Many scenes begin in near blackness, and abruptly, LA sunlight streams into the murky darkness while actors lines ricochet and overlap. The entertainment at the club is not the standard u0026quot;Bump and Grindu0026quot;, but a strange u0026#39;Theater of The Absurdu0026#39; where Cosmo orchestrates the action, or u0026quot;heu0026#39;ll throw you out on your assu0026quot;. Where Martin Scorsese used high energy rocku0026#39;nu0026#39;roll to highlight this same gangster demimonde, Cassavetes employs a more idiosyncratic soundtrack to heighten the psychological dimensions of the piece. Ben Gazzara provides an unforgettable portrait of a man grappling with a life that is beyond his ability to control. Also, Seymour Cassel puts in a wonderful performance as a mobbed up club owner. All of Cassavetesu0026#39;s films are noteworthy, and THE KILLING OF A Chinese BOOKIE is one of his finest.”