STRIKE FORCE
US, 1975, 73 minutes, Colour.
Cliff Gorman, Richard Gere.
Directed by Barry Shear.
An above average police telemovie. It was the pilot for a series which did not eventuate. The producer was Philip D'Antoni, the producer of The French Connection and director of The Seven Ups. The direction is by Barry Shear, a prolific T.V. director and maker of such cinema features as Wild in the Streets and the police thriller Across 110th Street. The cast is good, the atmosphere and colour photography of New York quite striking. The film is of interest in having Richard Gere, later to make such an impact in Yanks and Days of Heaven and American Gigolo, as one of the members of the strike force. The film reflects the trends of the seventies in popular entertainment concerning police forces.
1. The impact of the telemovie? Its quality in itself, as a pilot for =a series? The production values, qualities. entertainment and interest value? For the home audience?
2. The popularity of the police genres in the seventies? Special Branches, corrupt police? This particular strike force and the focus on drugs, New York? Particular skills, detection, surveillance? The collaboration of the strike force, the F.B.1. and the local police? The credibility of the situations, of this presentation of the police in action? The character studies of the three men involved?
3. Colour photography, New York settings? Police precincts, the Italian section of New York, the streets and homes? The countryside and country estates? New York in the winter? The drug scene and the pushers and dealers? The contribution of the musical score?
4. How striking was the opening in the garbage tip, the killing, the child witnessing the murder? The later killing of the child and his funeral? The shootout at the end in the garbage tip and the poetic justice where the criminals die or are caught in garbage?
5. The entertainment value and interest of the plot? The mystery, the twists, the personal involvement of the men themselves? The characterisations within the plot?
6. The portrait of the criminals - drug men, hired assassins, a gang smoothly operating, syndicate connections? The smart technique of robbing the headquarters of the drugs? The packaging and selling and storing of the drugs? The portrayal of the methods of dealers?
7. The impact of the strike force - its establishment, the hero and his Italian background, the loner, the professional? Seeing him at home? his failed marriage? His contact with the wife of the prisoner, her affair, the man’s death and her reaction? Doing her a favour and he r giving him information? presence at the funeral? knowledge of the Italians around the streets and getting information from them? The humour of the elderly women feeding him up? An authentic flavour in his characterisation?
8. The contract with the F.B.I. man - the black man and his collaboration with the group, his detective skills, his disguises, his involvement in the action? His seeming suspicion of the leader and the mutual distrust, his trying to break through this?
9. The local policeman and his age, experience, lack of experience, his driving, good humour, surveillance in the market, opposite the police headquarters?
10. The building up of suspicions especially within the police force? The authorities and their attitudes?
11. The strength of local colour, side characterisations, the attention to detail?
12. The details of police method - cover, disguise, surveillance, chase, final shootout in the garbage tip?
13. The particularly American tone of this kind of film of the seventies? Audience interest in police work? Police as heroes? The drug situation and the prevalence of crime? The difficulties of administration of the law and justice?
