A tragic portrait of one man trapped in the unforgiving clutches of baseball fanaticism.

There's an attempted message here, I'm just not sure exactly what it is, and I'm not convinced the filmmakers do either. Keitel gives a strong performance, though his belabored moans are just as likely to draw a chuckle as they are the intended sympathy. Ultimately I was entertained but a little disappointed.

He does coke, drinks, smokes coke, does hookers, shoots his gun in public while on a bender, repeats, repeats, and...I'm watching something else.

#, reviews, Harvey Keitel

Very good movie about a very bad cop. This raised the bar for movies with anti-hero lawmen. Thought-provoking despite its Catholicism, and much of the film's power is owed to Harvey Keitel who is in top form here.

Well done by Keitel, his epic nude scene will burn into your mind for all of time.

Feels straight out of the 1970s, with its seedy portrayal of NYC and Keitel's amoral, twisted cop - not to mention its themes of redemption and religious faith that recall Scorsese (particularly Mean Streets). As gritty as they come, and one of the most compelling character studies I've seen. Keitel is fantastic.

Excellent and gritty, although I'd also agree to some extent with what paulofilmo said.

The portrait of the dirtiest, filthiest cop ever seen on an american film is all about Harvey Keitel's gripping, intimate and sick perfomance, and Abel Ferrara's ability to frame him with a style of his own.

A deeply dark story of a man falling so low and out of control set against the dark, seedy side if NYC; only offering capital greed, power, lust and the crushing guilt of high expectations of catholocism as explanation for his deviant stray off course. This makes the film all the more nihilistic and destructive, yet the final scenes manage to salvage some shred of hope for this mans soul. Seriously eerie lighting on the starcase scene, great down the barrel shots and Keitel is truly metamorphic

For all it's shortcomings it has enough memorable scenes to be worth a view. Keitel is utterly convincing as a corrupt NY police lieutenant. There's some hilarious whining when his chips are down, and a masturbation scene, that's either unsettling or pathetic. Either way it's not easily forgot.

Somehow this film managed to hit such a depth of depravity that an ending you could normally see a mile away is completely unexpected. A highly effective profile of a guilty conscience.

Ferrara over does it with establishes the "bad" part, but this has one of the best scenes of contrition ever. The ending is quite satisfying, too.

Deep, dark and powerful. Although a few scenes go on too long and some of the dialogue seems slightly stifled, the impact is impressive. Dealing with deep existential themes concerning identity, faith, forgiveness, redemption and - at the very core - good and bad, and bolstered by an electrifying Keitel and Ferraras fondness for the dirty, natural, big city look, this is not to be missed. Almost on par with my favorite of Ferrara's, "King of New York".

An NC-17 Christian film. That turns off nigh-about everyone. Add to that the required existentialism and a full frontal of a drugged-out, whimpering Keitel, and I'm surprised I can find it at Blockbuster. Its Christian quandary: God redeems anyone, no matter what, without penance or merit. And this is the perfect illustration of that spiritual conundrum, personified by Keitel.

I need to rewatch this fuckin movie

Kinky, but featuring unusually restrained direction from Ferrara and a fine performance from Keitel.

Movie's built around its climax, which is fine, but it takes way too long to get there.

Damn.Very bleak take on redemption. Loved the last half hour.

To much of the same thing repeated. And the ending was disappointing.

"Ferrara was in the right place at the right time to make Bad Lieutenant." - Jeremiah Kipp

Should reevaluate.

Film that is darker than satan's anus and heavier than heroin. Keitel swings his dick around, but boy can he act! Hypnotic urban tale that goes downward spiral looking for a light in the end of the tunnel. I can see people calling this film a rubbish, it has weaknesses, but more often it is simply misunderstood.

rare instance where the remake was better, but keital is phenomenal as always

Gorgious police-movie about a sick bad cop. It was for me a black comedy. Many scenes are hilarious but the one with the 2 girls in the car is unforgettable and very funny, awesome!!

Not so tough at all. Or, perhaps, tough but not aggressive enough to be effective.