Billy Bathgate (film)

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The oily allure of underground power is compelling. During the heyday of New York’s mob scene, it was more than a mysterious, dynamic draw, it was a ticket out of poverty and stepping stone to notoriety. Based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow, Billy Bathgate is the story of a street-smart boy (Loren Dean) who, after a chance encounter with racketeering kingpin Dutch Schultz (Dustin Hoffman), sets out to apprentice himself to the Mafia and ride the roller-coaster life of a gangster.

Central to the story development is the idea of fate and circumstance. Except for Billy, who is merely a criminal voyeur, all the characters play out the hand they were dealt, good or bad, live or die. Moving from misunderstood businessman, struggling to legitimize his line of work, to a steely, vengeful egomaniac, Dustin Hoffman gives a powerful performance. The role of Schultz is so strong, however, that Hoffman overpowers the cast, leaving some characters underdeveloped. Despite being the movie’s namesake, Billy always seems a bit vacuous and leaves the audience wondering if he appreciates and values his luck. Bo Widerberg, played by Bruce Willis, is a slick gangster with a weasely demeanor and Drew Preston (Nicole Kidman), the girl to be fought over. Although Kidman’s performance isn’t her most memorable, she does a good job in balancing and evolving her character amid all the gunslinging and testosterone of the mob. If you’re a Hoffman fan, and like gangster flicks, this movie’s for you. —Jeff Leinaweaver

Related works

Billy Bathgate

E.L. Doctorow

• 1990 PEN-faulkner winner
• 1989 NBCC–Fiction winner
• 1990 Pulitzer–fiction finalist
• 1989 NBA–Fiction finalist
• Score: 32.4

In 1930’s New York, Billy Bathgate, a fifteen-year-old high-school dropout, has captured the attention of infamous gangster Dutch Schultz, who lures the boy into his world of racketeering. The product of an East Bronx upbringing by his half-crazy Irish Catholic mother, after his Jewish father left them long ago, Billy is captivated by the world of money, sex, and high society the charismatic Schultz has to offer. But it is also a world of extortion, brutality, and murder, where Billy finds himself involved in a dangerous affair with Schultz’s girlfriend. Relive this story through the title character’s driving narrative, a child’s thoughts and feelings filtered through the sensibilities of an adult, and the result is E.L. Doctorow’s most convincing and appealing portrayal of a young boy’s life. Converging mythology and history, one of America’s most admired authors has captured the romance of gangsters and criminal enterprise that continues to fascinate the American psyche today.

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