Cruising

On its initial release in 1980, “Cruising” was the target of criticism and protest by gay and lesbian activists who saw it as a negative and destructive portrayal of urban gay life. In retrospect, “Cruising” proves to be one of the most fascinating and chilling dramas about sexuality and violence to come out of Hollywood. Al Pacino plays Steve Burns, a heterosexual cop who has to go undercover in New York’s gay S/M subculture to uncover the identity of a serial killer who is murdering gay young men. As Burns becomes increasingly immersed in the highly sexualised world of gay S/M, he finds his own identity, centred on fixed definitions of gender and monogamous fidelity, challenged by the seductive allure of promiscuity, fast sex and drugs. As the film unfolds, his search for the killer becomes confused by the unleashing of his own repressed desires. Director Friedkin is known for his fast-paced and highly kinetic movies such as “The French connection” and “The Exorcist”, “Cruising” is equally taut and frightening. It is also a film which explores graphically the connections between violence, sexuality, homophobia and masculinity. Far from being a destructive portrayal of gay life, “Cruising” refuses neat sociological positive stereotyping and instead offers chilling insights into the aggressive desires of men, whatever their sexuality. Based on the novel by Gerald Walker.