Barfly (film)

Barfly
film poster
Directed by	Barbet Schroeder
Produced by	Presenter: Francis Ford Coppola Exec. producer: Menahem Golan Yoram Globus Producer: Tom Luddy Fred Roos Barbet Schroeder
Written by	Charles Bukowski
Starring	Mickey Rourke Faye Dunaway Alice Krige Jack Nance J.C. Quinn
Music by	Jack Baran
Cinematography	Robby Müller
Editing by	Éva Gárdos
Studio	American Zoetrope
Distributed by	Cannon Film Distributors
Release date(s)	30 September, 1987
Running time	97 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Barfly is a 1987 American film which is a semi-autobiography of poet/author Charles Bukowski during the time he spent drinking heavily in Los Angeles. The screenplay by Bukowski was commissioned by the French film director Barbet Schroeder – it was published, with illustrations by the author, in 1984 when film production was still pending. Barfly stars Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway, with direction by Schroeder, and was presented by Francis Ford Coppola. The movie also features a silent cameo appearance by Bukowski himself.

The Kino Flo light, now a ubiquitous tool in the film industry, was specially created by Robby Muller's electrical crew for a scene in this film which would have been difficult to light using the conventional lampheads available at the time.

The film was entered into the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.

Synopsis

During the day, Henry Chinaski (Mickey Rourke) writes poetry and short stories, which he submits to literary magazines. Drinking and fighting is how he spends his nights. He gets into several altercations with the bartender Eddie, whom he despises, and finds out that his girlfriend Wanda slept with Eddie. Despite this fact he stays with her and continues to drink his nights away. He is hunted down by a female book publisher, Tully Sorenson, who is interested in publishing his work; she pays him five hundred dollars and takes Henry back to her home where the two sleep together. At first Henry seems at peace making the big bucks, but soon finds out he is meant for the streets and cheap bars and hotels. He leaves Tully's house, telling her he feels that he "can't breathe in a high class" and that she is "trapped in a cage with golden bars." He returns to his usual bar, to the warm embrace of Wanda and all his bar friends. Tully finds him at the bar and a jealous Wanda tackles her and proceeds to give her a beating. Tully, realizing that Henry does not want any help from her, tells him, "I know you need this—good luck," ostensibly referring to his lifestyle. In the end of the film, Henry buys drinks for all of the people in the bar. Eddie suspects Henry has no money and says he owes over forty dollars for the drinks. Henry pays and leaves a tip for Eddie saying, "Buy a drink on me." The film closes with Henry buying more drinks for all the "Barflies." Henry raises his glass of scotch and says, "To all my friends," where he is given a round of applause. After finishing his drink he asks Wanda if he fights Eddie tonight and loses, will she go with Eddie? She says, "No," she is Henry's girl from here on out. The last shot is of Henry and Eddie looking at each other; Eddie seems to have a hint of respect for Henry. He takes off his jacket and heads to their old fighting ground in the back parking lot. Henry follows and the camera pans out to the front of the bar as the sound of punches and cheers are heard as the credits roll happily.

Cast

• Mickey Rourke as Henry Chinaski
• Faye Dunaway as Wanda Wilcox
• Alice Krige as Tully Sorenson
• Jack Nance as Detective
• J.C. Quinn as Jim
• Frank Stallone as Eddie
• Sandy Martin as Janice
• Roberta Bassin as Lilly
• Gloria LeRoy as Grandma Moses
• Joe Unger as Ben
• Harry Cohn as Rick
• Pruitt Taylor Vince as Joe
• Fritz Feld as Bum
• Donald L. Norden as Man in Alley

Production

• There is a scene where the camera tilts up over Faye Dunaway's legs. This glamour shot was done at her insistence and was not in the original screenplay.

• Charles Bukowski later dramatized his experiences surrounding the film in the book Hollywood.

Trivia

Barfly is referenced in the 2009 movie Precious. When asked by the title character how she is doing that day, the secretary at the alternative school replies, "I went to see that movie Barfly last night....that piece of shit was depressing." (Note: Precious takes place in 1987, the year that Barfly came out in theatres)

Several Barfly quotes are referenced in the NOFX song, "Green Corn" (including the title itself), from their 1991 album Ribbed.

External links

• Barfly at the Internet Movie Database
• Barfly at the TCM Movie Database
• Barfly at AllRovi
• On Set article by Roger Ebert
• Charles Bukowski's Barfly: The Dignity and Depravity of Emotion by Jay Dougherty