A botched heist and a mob boss make for an unlikely New York escape
In short: In 1984, a crime drama about two cousins in Greenwich Village nearly starred Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Instead, Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts took the lead in a story of safe-cracking, mob retribution, and a desperate bid for freedom that remains a cult favorite for its performances.
Directed by Stuart Rosenberg and adapted from Vincent Patrick’s novel, The Pope of Greenwich Village follows Charlie Moran and Paulie Gibonni, two cousins working as waiters in an Italian neighborhood. After Paulie is caught skimming checks, both men lose their jobs. Desperate to cover debts and fund their expensive tastes, they orchestrate a robbery of a local business safe with the help of a locksmith named Barney.
The plan goes disastrously wrong when the duo accidentally kills a police officer who was secretly recording a local mobster named Eddie Grant. The stolen cash belongs to Eddie, triggering a violent spiral of events. Paulie suffers the loss of his thumb as punishment, and the cousins are forced to navigate the pressures of the criminal underworld while their personal lives crumble. The film culminates in a tense confrontation where the cousins use the dead officer's tape as leverage before fleeing the neighborhood.
The production history is as dramatic as the plot. Originally, the film was set to be the first pairing of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, with Michael Cimino directing. However, when Cimino requested rewrites that would have delayed the production schedule, he and MGM parted ways. The film eventually grossed $6.8 million against an $8 million budget, leaving it as a financial disappointment despite its critical reception.
Critics remain divided on the film's legacy. While Rotten Tomatoes reports a 77% positive rating, Metacritic assigns it a mixed score of 58. Roger Ebert praised the acting and the colorful observation of New York but argued the film was more about the performances than a deep exploration of human nature. Despite this, Geraldine Page earned an Academy Award nomination for her supporting role, cementing the film as a showcase for its cast.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Pope of Greenwich Village
- Also: Wikidata — The Pope of Greenwich Village · CC0
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