Cruising

A great film of the urban, North American night. His voyeuristic camera roams the streets that come alive with sexual promenades after sunset, and it lingers in noisy, jam-packed bars, watching men search for the man of their fantasies.

One of the most original thrillers of the 1980s. It's a lurid, twisted film that brings you into its world and completely works you over.

In its shameless excavation and exploitation of the killer-queen archetype–the homosexual so riddled with self-loathing and guilt that they feel an insatiable urge to kill and punish others–the film is bad politics and dodgy, flawed filmmaking, but it's weirdly resonant and thoroughly haunting all the same.

What Friedkin's film is about is anybody's guess. If he just wanted to make a thriller, he has made a clumsy and unconvincing one. If he wanted to explore the psychology of his characters, he has left out most of the relevant information. If he intended to illuminate the tricky subject of S&M, he hasn't even scratched the surface. "Cruising" is quite effective in working up an atmosphere of dread: the ominous bar scenes are butch grand guignol, full of sweaty flesh, menacing shadows and barely glimpsed acts of degradation performed by glowering, bearded men in black leather and chains. But who are these people and why are they doing all these kinky things? Friedkin isn't interested in explaining his milieu; he merely offers it up as a superficially shocking tableau for the titillation and horror of his audience. [18 Feb 1980, p.92]

Cruising is more of an exploitation effort as opposed to a genuine mind-bender. The film concentrates on the gay underground in New York City, although Friedkin's take on a sexually charged mystery is more funny than challenging

Viewers are spared nothing as Steve Burns undergoes degrading brutality after brutality; virtually nobody is portrayed sympathetically.

Like any approach to the bizarre, it is fascinating for about 15 minutes. In many respects, Cruising [from the novel by Gerald Walker] resembles the worst of the ‘hippie’ films of the 1960s. Taking away the kissing, caressing and a few bloody killings, Friedkin has no story, though picture pretends to be a murder mystery combined with a study of Al Pacino’s psychological degradation.

Extremely well made, Brutal, raw, and riveting all the way, Lots of famous faces in supporting roles, Al Pacino commands the screen. Kudos to the filmmakers by closing .the movie in the way they did.

Cruising doesn't show its age well. The concept is fascinating and the storyline is somewhat based on a real life story too. Direction is below average with a range of performances and even some (possibly) real life club goer's rather than only actors. The vibe is intense and the soundtrack is harsh. Overall I couldn't help but feel things are being done here purely to exploit the controversial nature of the gay s and m scene from the 80's though. We never truly get to know any of the characters well enough to feel anything significant about their choices. Nonetheless its a tour de force to watch and if youre a friedkin fan this ones for you. My modern palette didn't enjoy this one much.