MovieChat Forums > King of New York (1991) Discussion > Controversy?

Controversy?

posted 16 years ago by silence_you_fools
18 replies | jump to latest

I just watched the film and I decided to check out the boards here and its Wiki page. I keep reading about its "controversial" nature. On its Wiki page they even mention the director's wife walking out during the screening but they don't actually mention in any way the cause of the controversy.

What is it all about?

As far as I can tell it's got something to do with Frank White being portrayed as some kind of good guy and the police as criminals, which is already completely inaccurate....that certainly wasn't in the film I just watched, but even if that's the reason, I don't see anything particularly difficult in that. From the beginning there have been films about vigilante justice, glorified criminals, corrupt officials. And from the 60s onwards films have contained more realistic (see: swear words) dialogue, more violence, more sadism, higher body counts, drugs and tits....this is a slightly above-average and engaging gangster film with excellent performances by Walken and Fishburne. What's the deal? Was there some other, unbelievably controversial, cut where David Caruso rapes a nun and receives a medal for it? Anyone?

[–] Tokugawa 16 years ago

I liked the film and loved Fishbourne.

I can't think of anything 'controversial" about it. Unless some Al Sharpton-type race-baiters did not like Walken running the show and using many blacks as muscle.

In fact, his character seemed to be very good buds with Jimmy Jump (Fishbourne).

BTW, I could never stand Caruso and liked what happened to him!

[–] benchair 16 years ago

I assume it was mostly for the violence. The Original cut ran for 118 mins, and it had to be edited down to 106 mins.

[–] subzerodemon 16 years ago

I heard the controversy surrounding it was the drugs issue in this movie, the glorification of a drug dealer too. Also, the whole cop killing thing. Very stupid reasons,imo. It was a great movie, no matter what. His wife probably walked out cuz perhaps she might've been embarrassed at the scenes which show womens' tits and asses, which is degrading to women and she really took it to heart that her own husband portrayed such a thing. I also think she may have suspected him cheating on her with Theresa Randle, since in the commentary, he said, "I almost married her."

Wikipedia even posted once, Ferrara was branded a "racist and a sexist".

I got nothing against Abel, btw. He's a fantastic talented movie director and is inspirational to me, actually since I'm an aspiring movie director, also. Just stating what i've heard and read, is all. His personal life is his business and i'm not gonna judge him for anything he may have done 'wrong'.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] brightmidnight71 16 years ago

This movie came out in 1990, with the crack epidemic running strong and before Giulliani cleaned up New York. Gotti was still running his family and organized crime hadn't yet been broken. There was increased awareness of urban blight and the idea that the CIA was pumping drugs into black neighborhoods in L.A. Drug dealers were not being portrayed in a very positive light and were seen as the cause of many if not all problems in US cities.
Here comes a movie portraying a white guy running a gang of ruthless black thugs as a sort of Robin Hood anti-hero and showing the cops as being just as murderous and violent as the criminals. Of course people were going to be upset. Add some interacial love (Snipes' character had a white wife, Frank White has a black girlfriend) into the mix and a ton of graphic violence and of course there's going to be controversy.

Oh, and Squeeth, cats suck and deserve to be drowned at birth. That's for the Stalinist comment. Yeah, yeah, I'm an angry ugly American. Deal with it.

"When you're pushed, killing's as easy as breathing."

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] moviestar26 15 years ago

It was attempt to bring black people in to poverty striken enviroments. More like to destable the community. Very much similar to what is going on in south central. I don't think the movie is controversial.

[–] joshua_carpino 14 years ago

@#$% ferrara's wife and the uppity horse she rode in on.

[–] Zuider_Zee 12 years ago

lol > your ignorant CIA remarks!

[–] Druff 14 years ago

It's easy to say there's nothing shocking or controversial about it 20 years after the fact, with so many fvcked up movies that have come since then. In 1990, it was somewhat shocking to see criminals, police and drugs portrayed this way.

[–] moviestar26 14 years ago

Sure many movies on the gangster genre that released after this has depicted much more violence. But for it's time this may have raised a few eyebrows. I don't understand why. 'Scarface' was way over the top, but it didn't receive much criticism.

[–] Druff 14 years ago

Are you joking? Or were you born yesterday? When Scarface came out it was way more controversial and openly criticized than King of NY was.

[–] chas77 13 years ago

Remember, the time this was made. This was before the Sopranos and such. Around this time we had 2nd-rate crap like "New Jack City." "KONY" was ahead of its time. If Ferrara had pitched it ten years later or turned it into an HBO mini-series people would proclalim him a genius.

I saw this movie twice in the theaters when it came out and bought it on vhs, dvd and blu ray. Absolutely love it.

[–] philoj 13 years ago

I'm going to guess that in 1989/1990 the glorification of drug culture, the idea that a drug kingpin could do better for Harlem than the city government, and the portrayal of someone like Walken's character having the run of New York (especially during NYC's mid-Giuliani cleanup glory) just didn't sit well with people.

[–] nutsberryfarm 13 years ago

i have no idea.

Silver Lining Accounting Service: "We satisfy or we eat it."

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] foster1234 12 years ago

Well I think it was the talk that Frank White had with the sergant,

When he mentioned that he killed, one guy necause he was pimping teengers, killed a Chinaman because he was treating his own people like crap, the italian because he was still running protection rackets, and all he wanted to do was sell Drugs and take care of the people, He gave 16M to the city so it would keep the hospital open. nobody asked why, or how, he was a hero.

All he wanted to do was sell drugs and do good

Mongo like candy!

[–] Milkdoesabodygood 11 years ago

It left a bad taste in UR mouth which made it a very colorful film, but I liked it's grittiness. After seeing a film like that, U know deep in UR soul that the world NEEDS to change and has changed for the worst.

IMDB as of late, sold out and became like City Data and about.com, worthless bureaucrats.