Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

dentrex It may have the look of a TV movie, as stated by contemporary reviewers, but here's a movie you can't miss. There are no small parts, it's been said, but small actors... Newman and Asner absolutely sparkle here, and the supporting cast follows suit. For those of you who don't know it, there is a healthy dose of late 70's/early 80's reality of what the South Bronx had become. Burning buildings, burnt out people on the edge of despair and madness, and underpaid/overworked police officers who were almost all on the same edge, trying to do their job. Corruption was rife and as Duggan says, "nobody's getting' rich up here". The film portrays, unforgivingly, this bleak landscape. Pam Grier is just priceless as the hooker, she just staggers through the role with panache. Ticotin is marvelous as the nurse, her scene at the end, stumbling down the street, is absolutely unforgettable and really disturbing. One of Newman's most singular performances, he really let his hair down for this role. Asner's curmudgeonly captain is very entertaining as well as powerful. All in all a great experience.

Uriah43 Set in the South Bronx, the 41st Police Precinct goes by the nickname of "Fort Apache" because the police feel like they are in a fort in hostile territory. The story revolves around two police officers, "Murphy" (Paul Newman) and his partner "Corelli" (Ken Wahl) as they patrol the area from day to day. At the same time, a new police commander named "Connolly" arrives from headquarters to take over the precinct. Unfortunately, rather than listen to anybody at the precinct he decides to make decisions that have disastrous consequences for everyone. At any rate, rather than divulge the entire story I would just like to add that this film captures the despair and dismal atmosphere that people in places like the South Bronx have to live in. Illegal drugs, prostitution and violent crime are everywhere. And while this may sound depressing to watch, this movie is still interesting in its own right. Paul Newman performs in an excellent manner as does Rachel Ticotin as the nurse named "Isabella" who works at the local hospital. And be sure to keep an eye out for the prostitute named "Charlotte" (Pam Grier) as she definitely adds her own brand of drama to this volatile environment.

brefane Based on the experiences of 2 police officers who worked in the South Bronx precinct known as "Fort Apache", the film begins with the disclaimer: "Because the story involves police work, it does not deal with the law-abiding members of the community nor does it dramatize the efforts of individuals and groups who are struggling to turn the Bronx around." What follows is a parade of pimps, prostitutes, junkies, welfare recipients, suicidal transvestites, racist cops and nurses who dabble in drugs. The film is framed by a strung out psycho(Pam Grier) who literally stumbles in and out of the proceedings. Back in the day this was considered gritty, but thanks to NYPD Blue, Law&Order... it now seems relatively mild. The film is a mixed bag of shock, sorrow, romance, drama of conscience, humor and ironic comment. The various subplots make it feel like several episodes of a TV show strung together. Nonetheless, it compels, the acting is fine though most of the characterizations are clichés, Pam Grier is memorable, but Ed Asner and Kathleen Beller feel expendable. Thanks to location shooting and Daniel Petrie's limber direction the Bronx itself becomes an antagonist.

Camera Obscura Some movies can rely on atmosphere and acting skills alone. This is one of them. The plot is flimsy, and the setting and most characterizations a bit unlikely (but extremely well acted), and the film might recycle many cop-series clichés, but why carp? I expected little more than a gritty urban cop-flick, which it is, but it also proves to be very successful as a heart-felt human drama, thanks in large part to a prime cast with Paul Newman, Edward Asner, Ken Wahl, Rachel Ticotin, Danny Aiello and Pam Grier in a small but extremely creepy part as a deranged homicidal hooker. Paul Newman is excellent as a tough tired Officer Murphy and his partner, Ken Wahl, at least 30 years his junior, is one of the very few characters in the film blessed with an almost unbendable optimism, but he is in no way naive. He has a strong sense of realism and pride and, in many ways, represents Newman's moral conscience and ratio.The world here is without glamour. It's all very raw and real - not necessarily a realistic setting, but with believable characters - and that makes the whole thing work. It's not formulaic, and never seems to go where you expect it. The film has a downbeat neon-lit dark photography by John Alcott. Depressing, but perfectly matching the mood. It's simple, straightforward, unpretentious, and s basically a portrait of human tragedy. Don't expect flashy car chases or fast action. There's plenty of violence, but it seems to be a way of life, rather than serve as sensationalism, but proves to be a all the more effective. Worth seeing.Camera Obscura --- 9/10