Really Surprised!

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

In 1971 while working as a police officer Joseph Wambaugh had his first novel published, THE NEW CENTURIONS, to popular and critical praise. His depiction of the average cop on the beat presented a different view than most readers had experienced in the past. Coming from someone living the life it added the authenticity to his books as well. This first novel was so popular it didn't take long for Hollywood to grab up the rights and from that this movie was released a year later.The film follows three police academy grads in 1960 beginning with their first assignment and following them for several years, focusing mainly on Roy Fehler (Stacy Keach). Roy is partnered with long timer Andy Kilvinski (George C. Scott), a cop who knows the streets better than most and handles them in his own fashion. He provides insight to Roy via "Kilvinski's laws", his interpretations of the law that makes things run smooth and rarely upsets the balance of what happens on the street.An example of this is displayed the first night the pair are assigned the paddy wagon to pick up street walkers. Rather than arrest them, book them and then find them on the street again with nothing affected but the time it took to do paperwork, Kilvinski instead buys them a bottle of whiskey, puts them in the wagon and drives them around most of the night. The end result keeps them off the street and requires less bureaucratic bologna. As the film moves forward we witness a chance in Roy as he goes from an officer who took the job in order to pay for college and become a lawyer to an officer who loves the work he does. This come at a cost since it disrupts his marriage to Dorothy (Jane Alexander) who feels he's sold out the plans they had. While patrolling one night Kilvinski goes in to observe a potential robbery taking place leaving Roy to watch and wait for backup. Seeing a couple in a car, he approaches to tell them to move on only to be shot point blank with a shotgun. The couple were part of the robbery.Unaffected by the shooting Roy heals and gets back on the job. As the year mark for the rookies hits he's back on the beat as Kilvinski hits his 25 year mark and mandatory retirement. The two part ways with the intent to get together again but time passes and the odds of that happening decrease until a shocking event happens in Kilvinski's life. Roy is promoted to the vice squad and about the same time Dorothy chooses to leave him taking their daughter Becky with her. Affected by everything taking place around him Roy turns to alcohol both on and off the job. Where it will lead is anyone's guess until the end of the film.There are several things that make this movie work better than most of the genre. The first is the depiction of police as presented by Wambaugh. These are human being with faults just like the rest of us. They are still heroes, men willing to put their lives on the line to protect and serve society. But doing so as a career takes its toll on each of them in different ways. The movie also has that gritty streetwise look to it found in numerous films from the seventies. It's not a glossed over movie set that we get to see here but the mean streets of LA that are on view. The station house isn't the pristine complex so many TV series now use but the beat down grimly painted station that actually exist. The acting here offers solid performances all around. Keach shines as Roy, a man whose life choices change and who is affected by those changes. Scott remains a force to be reckoned with as the most influential character on screen. What happens to him here is sure to stun those not prepared. Rounding out the two other rookies are Scott Wilson as Gus, the wide eyed innocent who learns how difficult things will be early on and Erik Estrada as Serge, completely wasted here in what amounts to a bit part. This genre of film that was so popular in the seventies is a joy to go back and watch now. With movies like THE FRENCH CONNECTION and more coming out on blu-ray they have the chance to be discovered all over again. This one is a great representation of those films. If you're a fan of Wambaugh then this edition of the film will be a welcome one as Twilight Time is offering the film in the cleanest picture ever. They're also offering more extras than usual here including an isolated music track, an audio commentary track with Wilson and film historian Nick Redman, an audio commentary track with film historians Lee Pfeiffer and Paul Scrabo and the original theatrical trailer. And, as with all Twilight Time releases, this version is limited to just 3,000 copies so if you're interested buy yours today.

THAT AUTHOR AND former L.A. Cop, Joseph Wambbaugh ascended to the heights of pop culture in the 1970s surely was neither a fluke nor should it have been a surprise. Due to the great period of unrest and defiance of all that is "establishment", the Police of America were called to the main stage, front & center, in the spotlight, etc.GARNERING ALL OF this ink, the next logical steps were to have someone tell the Cops' story and then to produce popular entertainments with Police as the subject. Furthermore, the guys in blue were the logical successors to all those six-gun toting dudes from all of the Westerns that glutted the TV tubes and the Matinée Playbills during the 1950s and '60s.BEGINNING HIS CAREER as an author while still an active Policeman on the Los Angeles P.D., THE NEW CENTURIONS was his first published novel; as well as the first to be adapted to the screen. The author gives his best effort in looking beyond the uniform and badge; penetrating into the very souls of the guys who do the job.IN CASTING THE parts of the "Rookie" and the "Old-Timer", we have Stacey Keach and George C. Scott. In every respect, the two are defined ion bold relief to one another. Officer Kilvinski (Mr. Scott) is pragmatic, instinctive and proactive. Likes so many street veterans, Kilvinski has his own rules and methods.BEING THE ANTITHOSIS of this approach, Officer Kehler (Stacey Keach) is educated, polished "by the book". His very image was that of the "modern" law enforcement official. Slim, trim and fit, his very figure is that of an illustration for a modern police training manual.BUT, THIS TOO comes to an end when his marriage dashes on the rocks. He next he resorts to hitting the bottle, Before we know it, he is a full blown alcoholic. By this time, he is at least a journeyman and well on his way to superseding Kilvinski as the grizzled veteran.AND SPEAKING OF Kilvinski, he has retired by this time. He does, however, still maintain contact with his former pupil. Lamenting the loneliness of his retirement and reminiscing about the old days in a phone call, Kilvinski turns his service revolver on himself.HOPING FOR SOME solutions to his own problems, Kehler meets an answer to a prayer; while he was being treated for on the job injuries in the local ER. It is here that he finds his new love in the Nurse, who treats him.NOW BEING SERIOUSLY involved, putting the booze behind him and seemingly straightening out his life, he is fatally shot in the last part of a midnight to morning tour of duty.AUTHOR WAMBAUGH AND the production team managed to squeeze all of the main problems of the police into one story; not living happily after ever.

I have read the book and seen the movie; however, they both did not show the bigot side of police when it came to dealing with union activists, civil rights organizations, blacks, other minorities, etc. Police work is dangerous; however, it would not be so dangerous if the police got rid of their racist, sexist, political, and ideology attitudes against the rest of the community. The police in America are always voting and upholding the same economic, political, and social system that causes many people to turn to crime just to survive which in turn makes the streets dangerous for the police. The book and movie never show incidents of dealing with rich people who threaten to destroy a police officer's career if they are arrested.If police fought for progressive change in America, then they would not have to face high divorce rates, suicide, and drunkenness on and off the job. Then again, if the crime rate in America was low like it is in Canada, Japan, and Europe, I think the police would get drunk out of sheer boredom of the job because they get too few calls. Many of them live for that adrenalin rush.

I saw this movie when it first came out. I was in high school and the son of a cop. I later became a cop myself and other than the setting (Los Angeles) this movie, while flawed, shows a side of policing that people rarely see, or at least then. Up until this time, with few cinematic exceptions, police officers had either been comic buffoons or squared-jawed emotionless men who always got their man. Here we have a young man who became a cop to pay for law school. He is introduced to an old veteran who only knows police work, nothing more. Together they become partners then friends. SPOILER: The scene of Kilvinski's (Scott) death is griping, but not unexpected. He was a lonely man who did not have his life (police work) any more. Juxtapose that with Fehler's (Keach)death. His life had hit a bumpy road but was upbeat and hopeful when he died.END SPOILER.There are no heroes in this movie, but it does show the heroism of these officers going to work and doing their duty as best they can under trying and sometimes deadly circumstances. A good movie but a better book. If you have a chance, read all of Wambaugh's novels. He nails police work as it was in the 60s and 70s.