It was 1977 and oil finally flowed through the Alaskan Pipeline for the first time, Gary Gilmore was the first prisoner executed in a decade, and Seattle Slew won the Triple Crown. "The Thorn Birds" hit bookshelves, "Roots" kept everyone glued to their TV sets, and John Travolta strutted his stuff to the disco beat of the Bee Gees, while the world mourned the loss of three "kings," Elvis, Bing Crosby and Charlie Chaplin.
While a little film by the name of "Star Wars" came out of nowhere and heated up the summer movie season, three things were even hotter in New York City: Studio 54, the New York Yankees, and everyone's temperature after a 25-hour blackout turned the city into a simmering cauldron.
Yet nothing captured the attention of more New Yorkers than the serial murder spree of 24-year- old David Berkowitz. A Yonkers postal worker who was finally caught in August of that year after a 12-moth killing spree left five women and one man dead and seven more injured, Berkowitz, a.k.a. the "Son of Sam," became the city's most infamous resident.
Of course nowadays, thanks to the proliferation of such people and their dramatization in novels and movies, serial killers don't evoke the same type of response as they used to. Yet Berkowitz was different, he paralyzed the city that never sleeps, and besides, the fact that he blamed everything on his neighbor's dog was the stuff of which the tabloids couldn't get enough.
Although movies featuring such characters have been pretty much run into the ground in recent years, the pairing of that volatile murderer with the occasionally controversial director of films such as "Do the Right Thing" and "Malcolm X" would seem quite tantalizing. Unfortunately, it turns out that Spike Lee's latest film, "Summer of Sam," really only uses Berkowitz as an occasional "player" and really more of a backdrop in an otherwise less than completely riveting "summer in the city" yarn.
Of course the title gives that fact away, although a better moniker for the picture may have been "Summer of Scum." Had this film been released in its fictional year, it might also have caused that summer's voice of reason and logic, Obi-Wan Kenobi, to rethink his line about never finding a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
That's because Lee has populated his Bronx neighborhood with such an ultimately distasteful cast of major characters -- along with their subsequent behavior -- that viewers will be digging through the secondary ones hoping to find someone for whom they can root.
While not all films have to contain heroes, the fact that this film doesn't, coupled with the barrage of profanity, sexual behavior and, of course, the necessary serial killings, will make it hard pressed to appease viewers, particularly regarding those of the female persuasion.
In fact, it feels a bit like a coarse Martin Scorsese picture (yes, perhaps a redundant modifying adjective), what with the 1970's setting, music, drug use, violence and organized crime. Yet, despite Lee's obvious talent and a few decent scenes and music montages, this is no "Goodfellas." Nor is it as good as "Boogie Nights," another picture set in the '70s that showed there was much decay and decadence under the glossy veneer of the disco days.
Beyond the apparent Scorsese influence, the film is most reminiscent of one of Lee's own films,
"Do the Right Thing." Since he mainly uses Berkowitz as a catalyst in the Bronx neighborhood, the film is really just about tensions rising during an incredibly hot spell in one of New York's less glamorous neighborhoods -- which for those who've seen Lee's critically acclaimed 1989 film, should sound quite familiar.
Although such a setup certainly makes for decent dramatic moments as we clearly see that the increasing tension and conflict will eventually erupt, the effect here isn't nearly as powerful as it was in that other film. That's partly because many characters -- both major and minor -- are nothing but recycled clichés from other similar films.
More noticeable and damaging, however, is the feeling that we're mostly kept at arm's length from the proceedings. Beyond the unnecessary barrage of material that will make the film inappropriate save for the oldest of teens -- and many adults -- we're never allowed to get wrapped up in the events or the characters.
While some of them are interesting to watch and several cast members deliver good performances, for the most part we don't care about them, their lives, or what will happen next. Part of that's obviously tied to the handling of the serial killer material.
While it's understood what Lee's trying to do and that the film isn't supposed to be about Berkowitz, his victims, or the cops that were tracking him down, the way in which that part of the story is presented often feels more like a manufactured plot element instead of an integral part of the story.
If the killer's sole plot purpose is to instigate fear, increase tension and eventually lead to mob mentality, there's no reason to see him. By remaining anonymous, he would hopefully -- from a filmmaker's standpoint -- elicit the same reaction from the viewer as he does his characters. Although we realize Lee wasn't going for a whodunit or suspenseful "madman on the loose" general plot, the fact that we see the killer -- appropriately presented as nothing more than a raving lunatic -- deflates the balloon.
Our "superior position" -- where we know the identity of the killer but the characters don't -- also ruins what little fun the viewer might have garnered from the film. We could have been guessing along with the characters if Ritchie really was the killer and then questioned and/or feared the mob's late-in-the-game actions. While the ending still contains some irony, its effect is quite muted from the way it should have been.
The film, however, does have some things going for it. Lee delivers some decent scenes and sequences -- most notably two music montages set to The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Baba O'Riley," the latter better known as "Teenage Wasteland -- and cinematographer Ellen Kuras (who also shot Lee's Oscar nominated documentary, "4 Little Girls") keeps things visually interesting.
It also has a good cast and the leads certainly put their hearts -- if not their mouths and proficiency with profanity -- into their performances. As the troubled adulterer, John Leguizamo ("Spawn," "To Wong Foo: Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar) is riveting to watch. While he's clearly not an admirable character, Leguizamo plays him in such a charismatic way that you can help but watch and then cringe at actions and behavior.
Oscar winner Mira Sorvino ("Mighty Aphrodite," "At First Sight") is certainly easy on the eye -- especially considering the sweaty and predominantly male cast -- but can't really do much with her weakly written and subsequently underdeveloped character.
Faring much better is Adrien Brody ("The Thin Red Line," "The Last Time I Committed Suicide") as the punk rocker wannabe. Although he's played as the neighborhood's troublemaker and aberration, Brody gives him enough decency -- notwithstanding some rather questionable behavior -- to make him one of the film's more empathetic characters. The rest of the supporting performances are okay, but either don't get enough screen time to be memorable or are too stereotypical and clichéd to stand out.
I've enjoyed most of Lee's previous efforts, including the aforementioned "Do The Right Thing" and last year's underrated "He Got Game," and usually find him to be one of the industry's most creative and better storytelling forces. Unfortunately, and except for a few decent or compelling moments, this film -- that also runs about a half hour too long and contains a few too many cameos by Lee as a TV reporter -- makes you want to go and shower with some sort of antiseptic cleanser after seeing it instead of marveling over its artistic merits.
Although films don't have to be sparkling clean or contain upstanding characters to be good, they had better otherwise offer some great material or performances to compensate for the deficiency. For the most part, this one doesn't.
Regarding the disc itself, both the picture and audio are quite good, but the supplemental material (a lone theatrical trailer) is lacking. Where's the running audio commentary by the often outspoken Spike Lee and/or information on the real Son of Sam?
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