PLOT
Three new recruits fresh out of the Academy are partnered with veteran cops. As they work the beat, they face various challenges at work and in their personal lives.
COMMENTS
If you are going to watch this film, you should know a few things going in. First of all, it would be a mistake to expect a crime film. Sure, the characters are cops, and there is some action throughout—including robberies and shootouts. But that is not the focus at all. This is important, because appreciating this film requires a shift in expectations. If you go in thinking it’s a crime film, you’ll expect crimes to be solved, and then you’d be disappointed.
That was, in fact, my frame of mind when I started watching this. In my defense, all the websites out there—including Wikipedia and IMDb—list this as a crime film. And here’s the thing, it’s a slow build-up—as you’d expect from a 70s film. It takes its time introducing the characters and setting the scene. Twenty minutes in (minor spoiler coming up), when Gus shoots an innocent black man, I thought okay, here we go, the story finally starts. This is going to be about police screw-ups and racism, which could be really interesting—not to mention still sadly relevant today. But then the film just moves on and no further mention is made of that major screw-up.
And this went on, with a series of minor and major incidents which never get resolved.
On a side note, I got a strong Hill Street Blues vibe in some of the earlier scenes. Of course, this movie predates the TV series but I wouldn’t be surprised if it had some influence on the show’s creators.
Before I dive further in, I should mention that I watched this right after “Night of the Templar,” and I thought it was interesting how the two have one thing in common. They both feel disjointed. However, in the case of “The New Centurions,” the effect is quite different. But I only understood this 70 minutes into the film.
That, my friends, is when everything changes.
I won’t spoil the scene, but let’s just say it’s the most important one in the whole movie. Because it explains everything.
When I saw that, it was like a light bulb going off in my head.
This was when I realized I had been watching the film with the wrong expectations.
Which is why I recommend going into this expecting not a crime film, but—bear with me—a psychological drama.
And that changes everything.
Because this is not about cop life, let alone crime. This is about a man’s life—arguably two men’s lives—who happens to be a cop.
The disjointed feeling, by the way, comes from the fact that the film is built as a series of sequences that happen at various times during that cop’s career. The cop in question is Roy Fehler, played by Stacy Keach.
There are several examples I could give, but I’ll go with one that isn’t a spoiler. When Roy joins the police, his wife is proud of him. The couple is shown as happy and loving. The second time we see his wife—barely 15 minutes later—she resents him for being a cop and they get into a nasty argument. I was confused, until I realized the scenes are disconnected. There is no indication of this, so it feels like little time has passed between the two, but in reality it more likely has been weeks, if not months.
The film keeps doing this, skipping ahead in time, with no indication that it is doing so. There are sometimes visual clues—like the Keach character will suddenly have a mustache when he did not previously.
This peculiar structure makes a lot more sense once you understand the purpose of the film.
It’s all about Roy’s psychological journey. His relationship with his wife is a part of it, of course, but the story focuses more on his job—how he perceives cop life and how his attitude shifts as various events affect him and those around him.
As such, I have to say, the film is brilliant.
I honestly thought I was going to hate this film, until I got to that pivotal scene at the 70 minute mark.
The problem with this, of course, is that a lot of folks will likely give up before they reach that scene... unless they know it’s a psychological drama.
Honestly, the only reason I kept watching is because I had faith in the director and in the screenwriter (see the trivia notes below for the reasons why I had such faith). Plus, I’ve always enjoyed Stacy Keach.
In the end, I’m happy I kept going.
It’s a great film about the inescapability and unpredictability of cop life. And about loneliness, too—which comes with the territory.
The film was based on a novel by Joseph Wambaugh who was a cop before he became a successful author. So you know there’s experience talking here.
Anyway, if you just want action with a crime investigation, then this is not for you. On the other hand, if you like introspective movies and psychological dramas, then I wholeheartedly recommend watching this.
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Have you watched this movie? What did you think of it?
What is your favorite crime film (that is really a crime film)?
Share your thoughts in the comments! I would love to hear them.
TRIVIA NOTES
Richard Fleischer is best known for having directed the big-budget epics “20,000 leagues under the sea,” “The Vikings,” “Barabbas,” “Fantastic journey,” “Tora! Tora! Tora!” “Soylent green,” and “Conan the Destroyer.” Pardon me while I go catch my breath.
Stirling Silliphant was a high-profile screenwriter who penned many classics such as “In the heat of the night,” “The towering inferno,” and “The Poseidon adventure.” As if that wasn’t enough, he also created three classic TV shows: Naked city, Perry Mason, and Route 66.
Producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff are better known for having produced the Rocky franchise starring Sylvester Stallone—including its more recent spinoff series “Creed.”
The film was scored by Quincy Jones, a famous composer and record producer. He has worked—among many others—with Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, and Donna Summer. He is perhaps best known as the producer of three Michael Jackson albums (including “Thriller”) and as the man behind the 1985 charity song “We are the world.”
George C. Scott played General Buck Turgidson in Kubrick’s “Dr. Stragelove.” He also was in “The Exorcist III” and famously played the title character in the 1970 “Patton” biopic that won him the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Stacy Keach played in Ridley Scott’s “The duellists” and Walter Hill’s “The long riders” (where he played Frank James, Jesse’s brother). He is perhaps best remembered for his portrayal of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer in two TV shows of the 80s and 90s.
Erik Estrada is best remembered for playing Ponch, one of the two leads (with Larry Wilcox) on the cop drama CHiPs of the 1980s.
James B. Sikking was a frequent collaborator of Steven Bochco’s. His most prominent role was as Lt. Howard Hunter on Hill Street Blues. He also played the main character’s father on Bochco’s Doogie Howser.
CREDITS
Directed by Richard Fleischer
Screenplay by Stirling Silliphant
From the novel by Joseph Wambaugh
Produced by Irwin Winkler & Robert Chartoff
Music by Quincy Jones
Cinematography by Ralph Woolsey
Edited by Robert C. Jones
Starring George C. Scott as Andy Kilvinski, Stacy Keach as Roy Fehler, Jane Alexander as Dorothy Fehler, Scott Wilson as Gus Plebesly, Rosalind Cash as Lorrie Hunt, Erik Estrada as Sergio Duran, Clifton James as Whitey, Richard Kalk as Milton, James Sikking as Sgt. Anders, Beverly Hope Atkinson as Alice, Burke Byrnes as Phillips, Mittie Lawrence as Gloria, Isabel Sanford as Wilma.
Produced by Chartoff-Winkler Productions, Inc.
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Released on August 3, 1972
Running time: 103 minutes.
Genre: Psychological drama
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Text (c) 2023 by Alex S. Garcia.
Header: screenshot of the film’s title card.