Billy Bathgate (1991)

Movie Deserves More Attention

It's kind of shocking to see less than 15 reviews (as of Sept., 2007) here for a movie that stars Dustin Hoffman and Nicole Kidman and also has Bruce Willis and Loren Dean.

This story of gangster "Dutch" Schultz is told, like the beginning of Goodfellas, through the eyes of a young guy (Dean) who breaks into the business, so to speak. Probably in this case, he was more attracted to Kidman than the business, and who could blame him?

Dean was a complete no-name at the time and is a fine actor. Hoffman plays the crude Schultz and Kidman is his immoral wife. For some people, this film is remembered for quick full frontal nudity shots of Kidman. The most interesting person in the film, I thought, was Schultz' lawyer/confident Otto Berman, played by Steven Hill. Willis also helps make up a good cast, but his role is short.

For a gangster/action flick, there wasn't a lot of violence in here and I liked the period detail. It looks nice, especially on DVD.
September 17, 2007

There is more than violence in organized crime

The film is perfectly performed and absolutely vicious in the vision it gives of crime, or rather criminal ambition. One little non Italian is trying to take over the Bronx in New York from the Italians, among others who have come to terms with the Italians or Sicilians. His method is purely paranoid and psychotic. He kills, by hand if necessary, all those who would stand eventually in his way. A kid, a teenager, gets involved in this trip and he is shown as not understanding at all the why and the how of the crime business. He asks too many questions. He looks too much, and he even has some feeling for the rich woman who is buying herself a gangster gigolo who of course refuses the part. The poor boy will try to save the woman, who is married to a gay man, a very civil arrangement. So, he will be lucky to get out of the place just in time but to face the big boss in New York, and yet he will manage to escape. Amazing because unbelievable. But it is true Billy has to survive since he is telling the story, or rather the story is told from his point of view. He is the voyeur, the camera, the stalker, the witness, etc, and the film is shot through his own eyes. The pleasure is essentially in the acting.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine & University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne
August 22, 2007

My rite-up's is law to a mafia movie freak

( DaviD 1930's MOBSTER)...... This movie is based on the year 1935, The Dutchman's last year of life. It doesn't paint the real picture of the Dutchman or his orginazation. ( Dutch Schultz was a ruthless hot head who didn't entertain a thing. Billy Bathgate was supposed to be Dutch's Protege but was merly an errand boy (No gun play at all). There was almost no gun fights in this movie or the showing of daily operations which was still going on in 1935. There was a apperance by Lucky Luciano which was good but nothing shown of the Commission which Dutch was a part of. The best Dutch Schultz I have seen on Film is (HOODLUM). If your like me and want the real 1930's & 40's minus the watered down or mis leading facts, D your homework before you buy or rent. Or read the review and look for David 1930's mobster). February 9, 2007

Ncole Starkers!

The only great part of this film? The gorgeous, full-frontal nude body of Nicole Kidman in front of a three-way mirror. Oh yes, she's a natural redhead! Smash that pause button! September 20, 2006

Jewish Mafia before today's Brighton Beach Russians

Before I give my review I just want to point out that the Plot Summaries on this website are inaccurate. It is not about Billy Bathgate hooking up with a fledgling Dutch Schultz, and it is not about Billy Bathgate becoming Dutch Schultz's right hand man. Schultz was already a superstar, a very wealthy man, when Billy met him, and Billy never became anything close to Dutch's right hand man.

With all the movies available that are weak for one reason or another, it was a pleasure to find this one. I suspected that it would be good when I saw that Dustin Hoffman was the star, and it was also a plus that Bruce Willis was a co-star. Willis is listed as having a cameo appearance, but it's much more than that.

The movie is about the Jewish Mafia in New York City in the 1930s. Hoffman is Dutch Schultz (A pseudonym for a Jewish mobster) and Willis is the gangster Moe Weinberg, who worked with Schultz.

In this story Schultz is the head of the Jewish Mafia but he is losing his grip as the FBI prosecutes him for tax evasion and mobsters Moe Weinberg and Lucky Luciano turn against him, believing that he's losing his touch and needs to be gotten rid of, that he has become more trouble than he's worth.

Billy Bathgate is a kid from the Bronx who is thrilled to be noticed by wealthy Mr Schultz during the Depression. Billy is hired by him.

Very early in the film it appears that Moe Weinberg is about to be executed by Schultz for betrayal, and that Moe's girlfriend Mrs Drew Preston (Nicole Kidman) is of interest to Schultz. Dutch makes her a proposition, testing her love for Moe. Moe cares for Mrs Preston more than she does for him, but the one she really takes a liking to is Billy Bathgate. She seems to like Billy even more than she likes her own husband. Yes, she's married, though she is playing around with all these mobsters. Her husband is probably gay, tolerating her absence, yet remaining fond of her and protective of her. He is a rich man.

The movie has us worrying first over Moe Weinberg, whether he will be executed by Schultz. Then it has us involved in Dutch Schultz's court case for tax evasion, perhaps rooting for Dutch, perhaps not. Then it has us concerned about whether Dutch is going to murder Mrs Preston. Finally it has us worried whether Billy will get out alive or will be killed by either Dutch Schultz or Lucky Luciano. Some of the characters make it to the end of the movie alive and some don't.

I considered giving it five stars but it doesn't have any strong emotional punch to it, and four stars sounds about right. It is definitely a worthwhile movie. Don't miss it. July 21, 2006

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