The New Centurions (1972, Richard Fleischer)

3 REASONS TO SEEK OUT THIS FILM: 

1. THE POLICE PROCEDURE

In a time when cop films were mainly in the extreme such as Dirty Harry and poliziesco films on the rise, we get this film which shows an intricate story about cops with a terrific insight on not only what their job entails, but their lifestyle and how it's effected by the job. We can attribute this sense of authenticity to it's source, a novel written a year prior to the films release to which it's author Joseph Wambaugh was himself an LAPD officer. Wambaugh had also went on to write The Blue Knight and The Onion Field which also went on to be adapted for the big (and small) screen.  

In actuality, this is one of the best films I've seen that truly gets the cop life. From how it effects their marriage, to sleep deprivation, despair, loneliness when not on the job, and that sense of family within the unity. 

2. DOWN TO EARTH STYLE

There's nothing Hollywood about the style of film-making here. It attains no Hollywood gloss, there's no ribbon at the end, it just is how it is. Sometimes they do the right thing, and sometimes not so much. What is does do is truly humanise the police for better or for worse, in actuality what it really feels like is the perfect mixture of William Friedkin and John Cassavetes.

A main factor of this is the almost documentary style film making and the very laid back acting which seems ever so normal we think we're really watching police officers about their day. Though mainly an ensemble piece, actors George C. Scott and Stacey Keach are both in top form here and perfectly suited for the role with Scott as a veteran and Keach starting off as a soft spoken happily married rookie, to a hard edged drinking divorce. 

3. CRIME DIRECTOR

You know you're in for a great crime story when you see the name Fleischer attached. He's directed some terrific crime films over the span of three decades. From Film-Noir like The Narrow Margin or Violent Saturday to non-fiction like Compulsion and The Boston Strangler, to a character study like The Last Run, to mob crime like The Don Is Dead and even action Mr. Majestyk (a personal favourite of mine). 

Director Richard Fleischer just really understands crime, knows how to handle it and knows how to shoot it, keeping it real and maintaining the grit of the streets. He never glosses over a subject or glamorise a scene, it's kept gritty and spontaneous... as it damn well should. Trust me, you're in good hands here.

Rating:  A- 

Click here for the trailer