Heavy Traffic
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| Heavy Traffic | |
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 Style "A" theatrical release poster. |
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| Directed by | Ralph Bakshi |
| Produced by | Ralph Bakshi Samuel Z. Arkoff Steve Krantz |
| Written by | Ralph Bakshi |
| Starring | Joseph Kaufmann, Beverly Hope Atkinson, Frank DeKova, Terri Haven, Mary Dean Lauria, Jacqueline Mills, Lillian Adams |
| Music by | Ed Bogas Ray Shanklin |
| Cinematography | Ted C. Bemiller Gregg Heschong |
| Editing by | Donald W. Ernst |
| Distributed by | American International Pictures |
| Release date(s) | August 8, 1973 |
| Running time | 79 minutes |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Heavy Traffic is a 1973 American animated film written and directed by Ralph Bakshi, and originally distributed by American International Pictures. It bears some thematic relationship to Bakshi's 1972 film debut, Fritz the Cat (based on a character created by Robert Crumb).
Heavy Traffic was a critical success. It was re-released by Orion Pictures Corporation, and is now available on VHS and DVD by MGM Home Entertainment, the current copyright owners of the Orion and AIP film catalogues.
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[edit] Plot Overview
Heavy Traffic uses pinball imagery as a metaphor for inner-city life. It begins by showing its young protagonist, Michael Corleone (Joseph Kaufmann), a 22-year-old pinball playing virgin in New York City, as a live action person. The scene is then thrown into animation. New York has a tough and violent atmosphere. We meet Michael's Italian father, Angelo "Angie" Corleone, a struggling mafioso who constantly cheats on Michael's Jewish mother, Ida. The couple constantly bickers and tries to kill each other. Out of the apartment and into the streets, Michael ambles through a catalog of freaks, greasers, and dopers. Unemployed, he dabbles with cartoons, artistically feeding off the grubbiness of his environment.
He regularly hangs out at a local bar where he gets free drinks from the female black bartender, Carole (Beverly Hope Atkinson), in exchange for sketches, somewhat annoying Shorty, Carole's violent, legless barfly devotee. One of the regular customers at the bar, Snowflake, a homosexual transvestite, gets beat up by a tough drunk after only just realizing that Snowflake was a man in drag, and not a beautiful woman. The bar's white owner fires Carole over this. Shorty offers to let Carole stay at his place, but not wanting to get involved with him, Carole tells Shorty that she's staying with Michael, and that they've been "secretly tight for a long time." Michael is turned on by her no-nonsense attitude and strong sense of self-reliance. This relationship arouses his father's racist fury as well as the jealousy of Shorty.Michael moves out of his parents' house and tries to make a living, often failing. He gets a chance to pitch a film idea to an old movie mogul lying on his death bed, but the story proves too outrageous:
After a nuclear war, the world is covered with garbage. Most of humanity has been either destroyed or mutated. Guys are still horny as hell, and would hump anything in sight. A pile of humped garbage comes alive, and becomes known as "Mother Pile," and is worshipped as a religious figure. The last living human female, Wanda The Last becomes a sort of sideshow attraction and tours the land with her duckbilled mutant manager. One night, God speaks to Warren, asking Warren to let Him screw Wanda. Warren obliges, and Wanda gives birth to the new messiah. Throughout His son's life Mother Pile searched for him, and although she crucified many men, not one of them gave her his location. Also, God had been giving His son lessons of what he called, "The Truth." The story ends after the son spent roughly three months meditating in a cave; after a shout of "I have the Truth!" he shoots God in the head, who in turn topples over and crushes Mother Pile. The ending quote was this: "The Truth is, God, you've been conning us all along."
Michael's bizarre science fiction story is too much for the movie mogul, and gives the poor guy a heart attack. Carole tries to work at a dancer. Michael acting as her manager, tries to pass her off as "the fourth Andrews Sister" ("'cause she was black, they kept her in the background"). A quick flash of her panties gives an old man a heart attack, and Carole gets fired. Meanwhile, Angie tries to use his Mafia connections to try and put murder contract out on his son for "disgracing the family" by dating a black woman, but it seems that nobody wants to be a part of this until a jealous Shorty tells Angie that he'll take the contract.
Michael and Carole turn to crime. Posing as her pimp, potential customers are set up, robbed and killed. Carole flirts with a businessman, brings him to a hotel room, where Michael finally beats the guy to death with a lead pipe. The two walk out into the street with his cash, and Michael is shot in the head by Shorty. The bullet is seen going through his skull in slow motion. We see a kaleidoscope of shocking images and horrifying events before throwing back to the live action story. The "real" Michael destroys a pinball machine after it tilts, and walks out onto the street, bumps into the "real" Carole, and follows her into the park. The two are seen briefly arguing before they finally take each others hands and begin dancing in the park.
[edit] History
Production on the film began in 1972, shortly after the release of Bakshi's feature film debut, Fritz the Cat. Among the sources Bakshi credited as an influence on the film were Hubert Selby's controversial novel Last Exit to Brooklyn, Jack Kerouac's Visions of Cody, the music of John Coltrane, and the photography of Robert Frank.[1]
Although it is widely rumoured that Heavy Traffic was produced after Bakshi failed to purchase the rights to Last Exit to Brooklyn, Bakshi actually tried to seek out the rights after Heavy Traffic was completed. Author Hubert Selby agreed to the adaptation and Robert De Niro accepted a role, but Bakshi never got to make the film.[2] Last Exit to Brooklyn was finally made by director Uli Edel, as a live-action film, released in 1989.[3]
Halfway into production, Ralph Bakshi got into a fight with producer Steve Krantz over not receiving a paycheck for Fritz the Cat, and was fired from his own film.[4] Animation legend Chuck Jones was approached to complete the film, but declined, out of respect for Bakshi.[5] Another director (whose name has not yet been confirmed) was finally hired, and shot one sequence, before he was fired and Bakshi was re-hired. Despite this, Bakshi later stated that Heavy Traffic was the most enjoyable film to make.[6]
The original screenplay had an alternate ending—a car chase scene that takes place throughout New York City. During the car chase, penny arcade war games are being flashed throughout the sky. This idea was never completed due to lack of budget and thus the current ending was used.[7]
[edit] Response
The film is considered to be Bakshi's biggest critical success. Film website Rotten Tomatoes, which compiles reviews from a wide range of critics, gives the film a score of 90%.[8] It is also Bakshi's favorite of his own work.[9]
[edit] Trivia
- The album cover for the soundtrack to George and Ira Gershwin's legendary opera, "Porgy and Bess" hangs on the wall of Michael's bedroom.
- Director Ralph Bakshi has an audio cameo as one of the voices in the Garment center owned by Michael's uncle.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Ralph Bakshi, as quoted on the official Bakshi forum; last accessed October 8, 2006
- ^ Ralph Bakshi, as quoted on the official Bakshi forum; last accessed October 8, 2006
- ^ Last Exit to Brooklyn at the Internet Movie Database; last accessed October 8, 2006
- ^ Ralph Bakshi, as quoted on the official Bakshi forum; last accessed October 8, 2006
- ^ Ralph Bakshi, as quoted on the official Bakshi forum; last accessed October 8, 2006
- ^ Ralph Bakshi, as quoted on the official Bakshi forum; last accessed October 8, 2006
- ^ Ralph Bakshi, as quoted on the official Bakshi forum; last accessed October 8, 2006
- ^ Heavy Traffic at Rotten Tomatoes; last accessed October 8, 2006
- ^ Ralph Bakshi, as quoted on the official Bakshi forum; last accessed October 8, 2006
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Heavy Traffic at the Internet Movie Database
- Heavy Traffic at Rotten Tomatoes
- Heavy Traffic at Movie Tome
- Heavy Traffic at the official Ralph Bakshi website.
- Heavy Traffic at Blaxploitation.com
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| Films: Fritz the Cat • Heavy Traffic • Coonskin • Wizards • J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings • American Pop • Hey Good Lookin' • Fire and Ice • Cool World • Cool and the Crazy • Last Days of Coney Island • Short films TV series: The Mighty Heroes • Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures • Spicy City TV specials: Christmas in Tattertown • The Butter Battle Book |
