User reviews

This is a wonderful piece of work. The visual look of the movie is simply fantastic. But it should had been better if it was in black and white! In this case, Public Eye could be seen as a 1930's gangster movie. But the color of this movie looks like black and white. This film had anything I love about the Bogart, Robinson and Cagney movies. It's also give a chance to Joe Pesci to plays perhaps the role of his life. He's fabulous! Hard cigar smoking little guy ain't afraid of anything to have a good photography. He thinks big cities photos is art. He's also very moving, in the way Ernest Borgnine was in Marty, when he falls in love with wonderful Barbara Hershey. This is a great movie, one of the best American movie of the 1990's.

Joe Pesci plays the role of Leon "The Great Bernzini" Bernstein with accomplishment, as a kind of grubby, middle-aged everyman. Barbara Hershey, 44 when she made this movie, makes the screen sizzle by her mere presence as Kay Levitz. Pesci probably should have gotten an Oscar nomination for this performance, which is understated, sincere, and totally convincing. Some of the bit actors turn in good, solid performances with only a line or two.

The movie itself is heavy handed in spots, but director Franklin has written a number of movies and has a good ear for dialog. The mood of the piece is beautifully created and handled; camera work, lighting and music creating a real experience. The use of black and white sequences and inter-cutting of still photography is wonderfully handled. Maybe only a photographer can really appreciate the way Bernzini looks at the world as a photograph waiting to happen. People who are not willing to surrender to the experience of a movie will have less of a reaction to it.

The story is classic film noir, and more remarkable for being based on true events; blending together the great photographer Weegee (many of his photographs are actually used in the movie) and a gas-coupon scandal from the early days of American involvement in WWII. But, having said that, one misses the haunting quality this film conveys.

I've never rated this movie that high but I've gone back to it three times since it came out about 15 years ago on tape, so maybe I am underrating this. There still is no DVD of it, at least in Region I, and that's frustrating. There's something intriguing about this story that drives me back to it.

Perhaps that is so because it's about a photographer, something I did, too, while being in the newspaper business for years and an art form I've always enjoyed. The story also takes place in the 1940s and I love the style and atmosphere of that era which is beautifully shown here.

Joe Pesci is Leon Bernzini or "The Great Bernzini," a newspaper photographer and Barbara Hershey is a mysterious woman who Pesci has the hots for. There is a lot of mystery in here with Hershey's character. Pesci takes gruesome photos, doesn't get involved with anyone but he's willing to make an exception with "Kay Levitz" (Hershey)..... but is she good or bad for him?

Sad to say, the filmmakers kind of make a hero out of basically a sleazy guy who has few, if any, morals. ("Bernzy" was "paparazzi" before they invented the word!). The movie also has an unsatisfying ending, particularly with Hershey's character.

However, I keep getting drawn back into multiple viewings of this and I'd sure like to see what it looks like with a good DVD transfer.

I appreciate that this film was more than a homage to film noir but actually advanced the genre to include populist themes and even women's issues. In many ways, this is film brun because so much effort is made to evoke the brown tones of the time which brought a warmer, less paranoid tone to the proceedings. Brown can be earthy or rich. Men wear brown suits and hats and chew on brown cigars. The nightclub is paneled in rich brown wood. Kay Levitz has brown hair. The script and direction showed a love for the time but a cynicism, too, of government collusion with organized crime to make money at the expense of the fighting men and the citizens during a time of war. I enjoyed the relationships between the characters and was touched by the pan of the cheering crowd of real people at the end, not usually seen in noir. To add to the comments about the actors: I also enjoyed Jerry Adler as Bernzini's friend and was intrigued by Jared Harris's Danny the Doorman.

The Public Eye

Before snapping the shot, the key to hip crime photography is ensuring the victim is wearing Ray-Bans.

In the 1940s, however, fatalities had to be photographed wearing Bobby socks, like the ones in this crime-drama.

Known for his inexplicable ability to be at a crime scene minutes after occurring, photographer Bernzy (Joe Pesci) makes his scratch selling snaps to the rags.

One day a bar owner (Barbara Hershey) who claims she is being strong-armed by gangsters approaches Bernzy to find someone.

Blinded by his infatuation with her, he agrees.

But when that someone turns up dead, Bernzy becomes the prime suspect.

Inspired by a real-life crime photography known for his prescient instinct, The Public Eye is a gritty film crime-noir with sharp dialogue, shadowy backdrops, and a suspenseful script.

Incidentally, 1940s crime photographers make the worst fugitives since they always leave a trail of used flash bulbs in their wake.

(Green Light)

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The Public Eye was an attempt to elevate Joe Pesci to star status from respected character actor in the wake of his acclaimed Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Goodfellas. Though Pesci did give a great performance in the film, the public was not prepared to buy him as leading man status.

The film is really Pesci's show in that there are no really developed characters outside of his in the film. However Robert Zemeckis really did a bang up job in creating the mood and atmosphere of the early 1940s with America just going into World War II.

With the USA engaged in the 'war on terror' and no demands being made for civilian sacrifice, it is probably somewhat vague for people who are not our most senior citizens to realize what was being attempted. And curiously enough though the racket that is being investigated is gasoline rationing.

Joe Pesci is an independent photo journalist who with police scanner always on is first on the scene for every event in town. He gets asked by this glamorous socialite, Barbara Hershey, who normally wouldn't go near someone like him to check out an acquaintance. The acquaintance is found dead by Pesci and that leads him into a racket involving collusion between gangsters and government employees of the Office of Price Administration to control gasoline with stolen ration cards.

Back in that war food and other commodities like gasoline were rationed to the civilian public and the price strictly controlled. This was serious business indeed for those times.

Pesci also fancies himself an artist, not just a paparazzi, he sees himself as a Matthew Brady or an Ansel Adams, a recorder of his times and his city. That vain but artistic streak leads him to take some real chances.

The Public Eye is a good throwback film to the forties. I can see had this been made post World War II a grown up Mickey Rooney playing Pesci's role.

I first saw this film in a 1930's-40's movie theater (with the original large screen) and it fit perfectly with its noir themes and 40s style costumes. I had come to see it as a double feature with 'Delicatessen', and was surprised by the artistically satisfying black and white still photography that was flashed on the screen as examples of the main character's work. The actors well-crafted, enigmatic performances and the lavish interiors set an ambient mood that will stay with you after the film is over.

Provoking and interesting flick about a photographer who takes sinister pictures with Joe Pesci delivering a low-key, rich interpretation . The Public Eye (1992) is a thriller set in the nocturnal underbelly of New York starred by a crime photographer who's always looking for the perfect shot and along the way he has an unsuspected romantic streak. Set in the early 1940s, an infamous New York paparazzo gets an assignment from a club owner to do a background search on a mysterious gangster, which leads him down a very dangerous path. Desperate for work, as he muscles into the night world of New York journalism. Meantime, Leon Bernstein photographs crashes, fires, murder and other mayhem. As Leon sells the indispensable camera work and he possesses a steadfast commitment to his excessive ambition , even if his gruesome crime scene tabloid photos and shooting , earning him the revulsion and shunning of proper society. It is what draws him via a club owner into a web of intrigue that may result in his death, or , in possibly the greatest photoshoot in New York history .

An enjoyable movie with good dialog, nice period and great interpretations. A thrilling and thorny film about an ambitious photo-journalism man who muscles into the cut-throat, dangerous realm of nightcrawling -where each police siren wail equals a possible windfall and victims are converted into dollars and cents. It results to be a suspenseful, twisted, intriguing and depressing Noir look at Photojournalism world in which our starring blurs the line between observer and participant to turn the star of his own story. As the main question results to be the corrupt and mean man who blurs the line between observer and participant to get fame and fortune, as he'll stop at nothing to achieve his purports and at whatever cost. Director Howard Franklyn also wrote the thoughtful and though-provoking screenplay, being a clear precedent to the successful ¨Dan Gilroy's Nightcrawler¨ (2014) and including a final climatic mob shootout that's cinematically bullet ballet. Based loosely on the career of 40s photog Weegee, who defined New York and its times in his work. The main virtue of screenwriter Howard Franklyn's debut as director is Pesci's portrayal of Weegee , the famous low-life tabloid photographer of urban disaster, lightly concealed as Berstein, The Great Bernzini. Watching this isolated Pesci role in this nocturnal environment, cruising and kicking corpses into patters for the shot, seeing the scene freeze into black-and-white for the famous photo, this is the heart of the movie. While Barbara Hershey is the recent widow whose night nightclub-owner husband had mob ties, she seems decorative and the romantic angles never quite develops, but Pesci delivers a low-key acting as the hard-boiled, visionary artist.

It displays an intriguing and exciting soundtrack by composer Mark Isham. As well as evocative, colorful and dark - at times- cinematography by cameraman Peter Suschitzky, mostly set at night. The motion picture was competently written/directed by Howard Franklyn. He has only directed three films: ¨Quick Chang¨, ¨Larger Than Life¨ and ¨The Public Eye¨ but has written notorious movies , such as: ¨The Big Year¨, ¨Someone to Watch Over Me¨, ¨The Name of the Rose¨, ¨Romancing the stone¨, ¨The Man who knew too little¨, ¨Antitrust¨, among others. Rating: 7/10.

I first saw The Public Eye about ten years ago knowing nothing about it in advance. This movie has really stayed with me over the years. It's very rich in atmosphere and I really bought into the characters. The whole cast was strong and the writing was very good. I read one review that complained that the romance wasn't believable. On the surface that might be understandable but the quality of the acting and the writing completely erased the issue for me. The 1940's setting was portrayed very effectively and the music added so much to the story. The scene with Kay Levitz going through Bernzini's photo album was very moving and captured the whole story in a nutshell for me. I strongly recommend this forgotten gem.

I am so used to seeing Joe Pesci as a mobster (Goodfellas, Casino, Once Upon a Time in America) that I never imagined him in any other role. Well, he certainly surprised me in this noir film as a photographer who took great pride in his work and never let his feeling get in the way - until this one time, and it almost cost him his life.

Pesci was outstanding as the lonely photographer who imagined he could have a relationship with the gorgeous Barbara Hershey (The Portrait of a Lady, A World Apart, The Last Temptation of Christ). He trusted and had his heart ripped out. Isn't that usually the case! This is not a great film (written & directed by Howard Franklin), but it was entertaining to see another side of Pesci. Great work also by Stanley Tucci.

I was stunned by this movie when I saw it, because I'd never heard of it before and it was so excellent. Joe Pesci puts in possibly the best performance of his career, far different than many of his other roles (in other words, he doesn't play a little angry, cursing mobster). Another great actor, Barbara Hershey, also puts in a great performance. The film is directed with subtle but powerful artistry. There are actually themes in this movie! Metaphors! Basically, it's just plain great, but of course totally overlooked because it's not your typical overdone Hollywood film. My favorite scenes are these: the part in the middle of the gun battle when Pesci's character gets a gun pointed at his head, but can only respond by lifting up his camera and taking a picture, and the very final scene when Pesci's buddy tries to turn off his police scanner and he says, "You can't turn it off." A great film.

A film that is not from the golden age or silver age of american cinema. but i felt like i should post about it here. it is definitely a modern noir aimed at classic movie fans. JOE PESCI got a $15 million solo hero movie (the film would have cost $27 million if it were made today) after the success of GOODFELLAS. PESCI plays a crime scene photographer BERNSIE who takes his job very seriously. he considers what he does to be an art form and takes unimaginable risks to photograph shootouts and crime scenes. he is hired by a beautiful club owner (BARBARA HERSHEY) to snoop on the mafia who seems to be intent on ousting her from the club. BERNSIE is secretly very lonely (there is a scene early in a club when a prostitute humiliates him after she sees him take the photograph of a couple) and is in love with HERSHEY.

it is one of those films which you want to like very badly. but it never really rises above a certain level. the scenes lack tension. too many supporting characters but none of them make an impact. the grave background score which is used in black and white scenes when BERNSIE watches people going about their jobs in NEW YORK is not very memorable. roger ebert liked it a lot. i guess it could be compared to THE CONVERSATION. both films feature characters who are immersed in their weird and somewhat unethical jobs but are pulled out of loneliness because of the outside world creeping into their lives or because they are driven by some sense of morality.

the great JOE PESCI has acted in so few films. so i had to watch it. i watched a really bad print. so that might have hampered my enjoyment. it was a big flop. but i guess PESCI made enough out of this movie to retire early and play golf.

(6/10)

The Private Eye (1992)

This is a fictionalized story of the very real NYC crime photographer Weegee, and if you've seen pictures of Weegee or heard his story, Joe Pesci is the perfect cast for the role, coming right after "Goodfellas." He nails it, a terrific performance, even down to handling the cameras well.

Too bad the rest of the film is hit or miss. Maybe on the hit (good) side is the general set design and atmosphere. It feels like a slightly simplified and cleaned up 1942 Manhattan (where most or all of this occurs). And Barbara Hershey as the leading woman (not quite a femme fatale, it seems, but she has that look) is solid, especially with her hair up. You'll see, a good strong look. And the cameras are pretty right on (I'm a photographer, and I shoot with one of these 4x5 Graflex press cameras all the time), though at a glance it seemed that at least one of his Graflexes was a post-war model. We'll let that slip. And on the plus side it has to be said that Mark Isham's last minute hiring for the score was inspired, because it gives the movie the depth it needs.

The misses on the film are deeply integral to enjoying it all the way--the plot, the secondary actors, the direction. The latter is hard to pin down within the obvious and almost purposely clichéd plot, but you feel all along that the movie is put together functionally, as if the director knows most of all that these pieces have to go in order. But giving it flow, elegance, power, and even a convincing mise-en-scene is not just a matter of logic. It feels off, as it out of tune. It's especially noticeable because so much of the film is going right, including Pesci.

There is the question of why did they take Weegee (a.k.a. Arthur Fellig) and turn him into Bernzini (a.k.a. Leon Bernstein)--apparently it was a rights issue with the original story, but certainly the new story could have still been based on Weegee. The images in the film look like pseudo-Weegee moments as much as Pesci looks like Weegee, and Wikipedia says that some of these are actual Weegees. (I have my doubts, but who knows?) Both men had outrageous rubber stamps for the back of their prints that are almost identical--Weegee's said "Weegee the Great." The car is identical, for sure, and even the pace and the world are Weegee's.

Beyond all of this, the movie is entertaining if never commanding, and quite beautifully photographed--I'm talking the cinematography, now. My copy was VHS, and it doesn't sound like the DVD service through Amazon called the Universal Vault Series has very high standards (one user said it looked like VHS quality). I would think a full widescreen version would be worth the trouble--maybe try an Amazon instant play for $3. This says specifically that it is widescreen.

Loosely based on New York photographer Arthur "Weegee" Fellig , and some of the film shots were taken by Fellig, the plot is kind of clinging, still, slow, had potential, interesting plot, undeveloped, unattractive...

Movies should be able to transport you to the time and place without much effort. "The Public Eye" does so. I saw this in -- of all places -- a redeye bus trip from New York to DC, and this only enhanced the viewing enjoyment. This is definitely a movie to "get into the mood" for 40's noir, down to the gritty life of the City After Dark.

This one keeps getting overlooked as one of the best of the 90's. See this one.

Well, I've just seen the movie tonight and Pesci is certainly great in it. I finally saw a side of him that I've never seen before. In almost all his other movies, he got on my nerves, but in this one, he managed to make me respect his acting. I have to agree with the other comments. I've never heard of this movie and that's too bad. It's very touching and gave me a feeling of je ne sais quoi... It's a very attractive movie in a quiet sort of way. I don't know. I really enjoyed it and it's too bad that it hasn't been credited as one of Pesci's best (if not THE BEST) movies.

'The Public Eye' has been one of my favorites since I first saw it ... my personal interest in Black & White photography initially attracted me to it, but, after watching it several times, I have really come to admire the great 'feel' of the film ... the sets are authentic-appearing, lots of attention to detail, they even got the camera and props right ... any fan of film-noir, and period pieces, should love this one ... excellent acting all-around ... Pesci's character comes across as 'real', to me, a very believable portrayal, definitely one of his top performances ... there should have been some Academy Award nominations for this one, in my opinion ... it's a shame 'The Public Eye' hasn't made it to DVD, and been promoted more ... I've always been curious as to Pesci's opinion of this film ... ?

I picked this up at the local grocery never having heard about it before, I thought it was a comedy, it is not. Joe Pesci scores one for the little guy that nobody likes in a big way. There is one confusing thing however. Was that Walter Winchell he was supposed to be friends with? That part confused me. There was also something said about the American mob families working with the Italian mob families to overthrow Italy in the movie era 1942. Was that true? Over all I really enjoyed it and for once could not predict the outcome. If you want something a little different, this is it.

Joe Pesci is the perfect little pain in the rear end photographer getting into everyone's way with no real change for a normal life. His one dream? To have his book published, to get the picture no one else does. That he accomplishes in the photograph of a mob hit. The movie set against World War 2 and the gasoline rationing scandal he uncovers. Barbara Hershey seems to fall in love with him, but he doesn't seem to be paying attention. That one thing, the picture overwhelms his mind. Pesci is the whole movie, everyone else are just players. With Hoe Pesci you would think this to be a comedy, it isn't.

I stumbled across this film for the first time last night. I was immediately caught up by the 40's style back drops, especially in the initial club scene, and was reminded of every noir movie I've ever seen. At first I just watched to see what a terrible mess the modern cinema would make in modern styled noir film, it was late and I also detest Joe Pesci (whose foul mouth often detracts from his character) as a rule… but after a few minutes I was still watching.

I read somewhere that Barbara Hershey looked like a clothes horse for classic 40's dresses, and in that, she did remind me of Veronica Lake, again in the noir style.

In all it was a great attempt at capturing the feel of 40's Manhattan. The storyline flattens out in the middle and the end is a somewhat up/down affair but I still rate this film as a close runner behind L.A. Confidential. Its nice to see a well made and written movie that hasn't been torn apart to be more commercial. (8/10)

This was and is the most influential cinematic masterpiece of all time, with a particularly incredible performance by the most talented extra ever to hit the silver screen.

Actually I've always wanted to say that.

Neat history and story.

It was great fun as an extra, i was in a ton of scenes, movie came out and I don't know if it even was in a theater in Cinti, where much was filmed, but I saw it in a video store later. My elbow out the window of a car on the street, shot from the 8th floor of a bldg 2 blocks away was the extent of my acting career. The end.

It was so much fun, Pesci was a normal joe with everybody, great catered food, fun nice crew, fun other extras to hang with. Final product, cool, I guess. Neat that it finally got a following, They'll be talking about my Oscar Award nominee elbow for years to come. I'll stop now.

Movie NEEDS to be on DVD stat.

This movie is wonderful...wonderful and severely underrated.

Its beautifully filmed, beautifully acted, beautifully edited, beautifully photographed, beautifully scored via Mark Isham. This film is the best example i can ever give anyone when talking about film as art.

I cannot believe how underrated it is--not only as a forgotten film from the early 90's but just how forgotten it is as a film starring Joe Pesci. Just today i was in a Staples and i found a DVD set that contained both The Super and With Honors--and while both of those are just dandy if you like Pesci--i just can't for the life of me understand how both of those are widely available and this jewel is somehow lost. C'Mon Universal--I know you're not the best at getting your back catalog to DVD but this should be a no brainer--its from the 90's for god's sakes. How is something like Splitting Heirs or Pure Luck available from your backlog and this isn't?!?!?!? If you need a synopsis--Pesci is a very omnipresent shutter bug--he prowls the night taking with his camera and his police scanner frequently crashing crime scenes just to be the first one to get a photograph of the leftover carnage. He lives through his camera if you will. He's forever dreaming of getting a coffee table book published of his crime scene photos--and one day he gets a phone call from night club owner (and very high on the social ladder) Barbra Hershey who wants Pesci to investigate the shady circumstances of her dead husband, etc, etc. The plot is pure noir of course---i hate to say given how much i love it, but the plot is actually kind of irrelevant---the whole point of this gorgeous movie is just to bask in the wonderful atmosphere the movie provides. I mean the plot is fine--Pesci soon finds himself over his head in corruption, and feuding gangsters, and etc--and there are a lot of wonderful moments throughout that come from Pesci's character reacting to the latest obstacles that the film's plot is throwing in his path--(LOVE that one quick scene of him squirming on the floor while the gangster interrogating him is calling him a cockroach and Pesci lifts his fingers to simulate a cockroach....there are just too many quick visual scenes like that throughout.) but again the whole beauty of the movie is just the wonderful wonderful atmosphere.

This is a film where truly everything comes together just perfectly to form a glorious movie experience. (i know that sounds dumb to say--but its truly one of the best films i can recommend to anyone interested in just observing how a film can function as both a movie and as art.) It helps of course if you're a fan of black and white photography and classic film noir--but you don't really have to be to just sit back and enjoy this one either. (The end shootout in particular is so beautifully shot---and so stylistically original--I can't for the life of me think of one other film that has even tried to rip it off over the years.) Howard Franklin (who directed this as well as my own personal favorite film Bill Murray's Quick Change) sadly never got to make another serious film along the lines of this one--and that i think is a real shame because judging just from this one film--he could've been one of the best today instead of just a one off director. (I'm sure it didn't help that this prob cost Universal a pretty penny to make and only eked out about 3 mil in total--and i remember being in 5th grade when this came out--this had a pretty substantial campaign behind it because i clearly remember seeing the ads for it when it came out, so right there i know universal must've been expecting something to happen from this) I can't implore all of you hard enough to check this one out--even if it means watching it on a plain olé' VHS tape (altho i believe there are torrents of it available to download) Good Lord if there's one movie--if there's ONE film that i wish would see the light of DVD right now it would be this one.

This Thing Never Shuts Off. You Can't Shut It Off.

Throw In The Hat. People Love To See The Dead Guy's Hat.

God I Love This Movie!

The Public Eye, is one of many movies advertised with it's poster up, yet avoided a cinema release. It's one film, you don't want to avoid. Pesci plays an avid cameraman, Bernzy, who's always first on the scene to flash his camera, yet plays a very lonely type, who on his latest shoot, gets involved with a woman, Hershey, who implores him to find out who killed her husband, where soon, he's in over his head, with some high up, corrupt and powerful dudes, coming after him. After all, it is 1940, and the backdrops are awesome, where this little gem of a drama, offers a lot of color and taste, and it's great to see Pesci, a so underused actor (nothing can top his performance in Goodfellas) steer this one. Is he doing it all for her, cause he's smitten by her? Probably. Is she using him? Probably. But it is a cute little partnership, amidst some actions, yet again those 1940 backdrops are awesome. Sadly this movie is of course, one of those, that deserves much more recognition. If still able to spot it now, in the world of DVDS, or if by such a slight chance, you happen to spot it on sale on VHS. Buy it. I guarantee you'll be glad you did. Watch for Australia's Nick Tate in a cameo.

The Public Eye is loosely based on the life and work of Arthur Fellig.

Fellig's nickname, ("Weegee"), was a phonetic rendering of Ouija, due to his frequent arrival at scenes only minutes after crimes, fires or other emergencies were reported to authorities.

He is best known as a candid news photographer whose stark black-and-white shots documented street life in New York City. Weegee's photos of crime scenes, car-wreck victims in pools of their own blood, overcrowded urban beaches and various grotesques are still shocking.

In 1938, Fellig was the only New York newspaper reporter with a permit to have a portable police-band shortwave radio. He maintained a complete darkroom in his trunk of his car, to expedite getting his free-lance product to the newspapers.

The Public Eye shows much of this with added, (untrue), drama. I recommend this movie for anyone who enjoys a good crime yarn and people with an interest in the life and times of Arthur "Weegee" Fellig.

Much of the factual information in this review was gleaned from Wikipedia.