| The Public Eye | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Howard Franklin |
| Written by | Howard Franklin |
| Produced by | Sue Baden-Powell |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Peter Suschitzky |
| Edited by | Evan A. Lottman |
| Music by | Mark Isham |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $15 million |
| Box office | $3,067,917[1] |
The Public Eye is a 1992 Americancrime thriller film produced by Sue Baden-Powell and written and directed byHoward Franklin, starringJoe Pesci andBarbara Hershey.Stanley Tucci andRichard Schiff appear in supporting roles.
The film is loosely based onNew YorkDaily NewsphotographerArthur "Weegee" Fellig, and some of the photos in the film were taken by Fellig.
In the 1940s, Leon "Bernzy" Bernstein is a freelance crime and street photographer for theNew York Citytabloids, dedicated to his vivid and realistic work and his unique ability to capture shots that nobody else can. He is very confident of his skills, declaring at one point, "Nobody does what I do. Nobody".
With a policeradio under the dashboard of his car and a makeshiftdarkroom in his trunk, he quickly races to the scene of horrific crimes and accidents in order to snap exclusive photographs. He is so good at his job that he becomes known affectionately as the "Great Bernzini".
Bernzy meets a sultry widow, Kay Levitz, who owns a fancy nightclub. It seems themob is muscling in on her due to some arrangement with her late husband. Kay asks if Bernzy could investigate an individual she considers troublesome. Generally unsuccessful with women, Bernzy agrees to help Kay, and he slowly begins to fall in love with her.
After talking to his contacts, includingjournalist friend Arthur Nabler, he tracks down Kay's man, only to find him murdered. But when he calls the police, he becomes a suspect in the man's death. The police and theFBI are also very interested in this case. Bernstein makes a connection with a local gangster, Sal, uncovering a conspiracy involving a mob turf war about illegalgas rationing, and the Federal government. His activities get Sal killed and place Bernzy's life in great danger as he waits in hiding at an Italian restaurant where a mob hit is about to take place.
Joe Pesci took this role right after hisOscar-winning performance inGoodfellas. It was an attempt to capitalize on his popularity at the time and help elevate Pesci from respected character actor to star status.
Director and writer Howard Franklin was unable to secure the rights to Arthur "Weegee" Fellig's story. Franklin, then, wrote the story of a Weegee-like photographer who smokes cigars and he named him Leon "Bernzy" Bernstein. In the film, like Weegee, cops wonder if Bernzy uses aouija board to snap his photographs and find the stories.[2]
According to journalist Doug Trapp, Franklin was inspired to write the screenplay after seeing a show of Fellig's photos in the 1980s at theInternational Center of Photography inNew York City. And Weegee did, in real life, have a "soul-mate" named Wilma Wilcox, who was the woman in charge of his estate. But, Franklin has always denied that the film was about their relationship.[3]
As the film is loosely modelled on Weegee, but the story is not, several photographers' pictures, along with some by Weegee, stand in for his work, including those ofLisette Model, Mickey Pallas, Wilbert H. Blanche, Irving Haberman,Ray Platnick, Roger Smith and Charles Steinheimer. Director Franklin says he was looking for "edgy, modern, high-contrast 40's" lighting and compositions with the “stark, rather lurid effects of flash, which pick out the central subject while everything around falls off rapidly into darkness”[4]
The Public Eye began filming on July 24, 1991 and completed October 28, 1991.
Even though the film takes place inManhattan, it was shot inChicago, Illinois,Cincinnati, Ohio, andLos Angeles, California.
The producers used the following tagline when marketing the film:
The film premiered at theToronto Festival of Festivals in September 1992.[5] The film also was shown at theVenice Film Festival and the Valladolid International Film Festival inSpain.
It opened on October 14, 1992, inNew York City andLos Angeles and expanded to 635 theatres two days later.[6]
The film's box office performance was a disappointment. The film grossed $1,139,825 for the weekend and the total receipts after 12 days were $3,067,917.[1]
The film was released invideo format on April 14, 1993 and inLaserDisc on April 21, 1993.
In September 2007 anUnbox Digital Video Download was made available. The movie is also available at Amazon.com as digital Video on Demand.
It was released on DVD on January 31, 2011 in the Universal Vault Series. It was released on Blu-ray fromKino Lorber on July 28, 2020.
Chicago Sun-Times film critic,Roger Ebert, was especially complimentary of the film and of actor Joe Pesci, and wrote, "One of the best things about the movie is the way it shows us how seriously Bernzy takes his work. He doesn't talk about it. He does it, with that cigar stuck in his mug, leading the way with the big, ungainlySpeed Graphic with the glass flashbulbs. In the movie's big scene of a mob assassination, he stares death in the face to get a great picture."[7] Ebert said the film made him "think" a little bit ofCasablanca (1942).
Time Out magazine liked the acting and the script, and wrote, "The main virtue of screenwriter Franklin's debut as director is Pesci's portrayal ofWeegee, the famous low-life tabloid photographer of urban disaster, lightly concealed as Bernstein, 'The Great Bernzini'... good dialogue, nice period recreation, great performances."[8]
Desson Howe, film critic forThe Washington Post wrote, "Public wants to be taken for an atmospheric film noir, full of intrigue, romance and street toughness. But it's all flash and no picture. Despite the usual quippy, perky performance from Pesci, as well ascinematographerPeter Suschitzky's moodily delineated images, the movie is superficial and unengaging. It's as ifLife magazine decided to make an oldtime gangster movie."[9]
Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a rating of 61% from 18 reviews.[10]
The original score for the film was written and recorded byJerry Goldsmith, but he was replaced byMark Isham at a late stage. As such, Isham had a lot of work to do and in a short time. He later noted that he found working with director Franklin a wonderful and educational experience.[11]
A motion picture original soundtrack was released on October 13, 1992, under theVarèse Sarabande label. TheCD contained nineteen tracks in total, with one byShorty Rogers. Mark Isham crafts a dark melody focusing onpiano,string, andtrumpet parts, while mixing insymphonic,jazz, andelectronic music.
While originally thought lost or incomplete,[12]Jerry Goldsmith's original score was later released byIntrada Records in 2021.[13] Goldsmith's score features 22 tracks and a run time of just over 40 minutes, proving its completion prior to the change.
