Description:
If you've seen Bad Lieutenant or The Piano, you've seen all there is to see of Harvey Keitel--but what do you really know about him? Although Marshall Fine's biography lacks the intimate insights that direct involvement with his subject would entail, he does an excellent job of collating what Keitel has said about his work--and what others have said about Keitel's performances--over the years, from his electrifying "debut" in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets through the fallow '80s to the gradual comeback that culminated with his performance as Mr. White in Reservoir Dogs. Most significantly to Fine's credit, he takes seriously Keitel's desire to have his career viewed as a development of craft and a journey of self-discovery, and thus analyzes Keitel's performances (and the circumstances behind them) with sensitivity. Although this emphasis is based in part on editorial necessity--there's simply more documentation of Keitel's professional life than his personal one--Fine does rather well with the available resources. You won't necessarily know Keitel after reading The Art of Darkness, but you will perhaps come closer to understanding him. --Ron Hogan
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