Director: Frank Pierson
Writers: Frank Pierson (screenplay), Peter Mass (novel)
Starring: Eric Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Sterling Hayden, Judd Hirsch, Shelly Winters, Brooke Shields
Year: 1978
Duration: 118 mins
BBFC Certification: N/A
12 years before Julia Roberts launchd her Hollywood career in Pretty Woman, her brother Eric Roberts was attempting to do the exactly the same thing in the ambitious 1978 crime saga, King of the Gypsies. As a vehicle to launch a career, King of the Gypsies certainly seemed to tick all the right boxes. It not only boasted a stellar cast, mixing old Hollywood talent such as Sterling Hayden and Shelly Winters with emerging stars Susan Sarandon and Judd Hirsch, but the talent behind the camera was equally as impressive. Directed by the Oscar winning screenwriter of Dog Day Afternoon, based on a book by the writer of Sperpico and shot by none other than Ingmar Bergman’s DOP of choice, King of the Gypsies seemed, on paper at least, to be a sure fire hit. Yet the film bombed so badly (both critically and commercially) that few people today seem to have heard of it. Step in Imprint, who released a new Blu Ray edition of the film a few months ago. Has time been kind to King of the Gypsies? Has it been unfairly languishing, all but forgotten about, but now ready to re-emerge as a long lost classic? Or was the rather muted reaction all the way back in 1978 actually deserved?
The biggest influence on King of the Gypsies is clearly The Godfather. With its epic tale of a feuding crime family, specifically focusing on the problem of succession and the transfer of power, Francis Ford Coppola’s peerless film certainly looms large. Like the classic mafia tale, King of the Gypsies begins in the 1940s, where we are introduced to Sterling Hayden’s bold and arrogant King Zharko Stepanowicz, who uses unorthodox methods to ensure that his son, Groffo, will marry Rose, the daughter of rival gypsy Spiro Giorgio (Michael V. Gazzo). Around a decade later, both Groffo (who has aged terrifyingly quickly into Judd Hirsch) and Rose (Susan Sarandon) have given birth to a son, Dave. After seeing Dave’s rough upbringing, where he is both used by his mother to help her commit crimes and abused by his drunken failure of a father, we cut to 1970s New York, where Dave (Eric Roberts) has shunned his gypsy family and is eking out a tenuous living by committing insurance fraud. Yet when King Zharko grows ill, he summons Dave to his bedside. He tells Dave that he wants him, not Groffo, to become the next King of the Gypsies. Will Dave finally accept his heritage and destiny? And more tantalisingly, what will Groffo do when he learns that he has been passed over in the line of succession?
Director Frank Pierson (who also adapted the screenplay from Peter Mass’ book) had far more success as a screenwriter than as a director during his career (although he did, admittedly, come to King of the Gypsies hot from directing the 1970s remake of A Star is Born). Unfortunately, King of the Gypsies does little to assuage the fact that Pierson’s true talents remained in screenwriting. Despite the seemingly best efforts of everyone involved and a plot that seems ripe for high drama and conflict, King of the Gypsies frequently feels languid and rather dry, with the film lacking a sense of urgency and pace. While there are certainly moments of tension and conflict, the film consistently fails to achieve a true sense of drama or maintain an emotional investment in its characters. In contrast to the operatic brilliance of The Godfather, King of the Gypsies all too often feels more like a restrained, intimate family drama that coasts rather than soars.
Which is a great shame, as the incredibly impressive cast certainly give it their all. The real stars here are Susan Sarandon and Judd Hirsch. Sarandon crackles with fire and passion whenever she is on screen, delivering a committed and brilliantly watchable performance as Dave’s charismatic mother, while Judd Hirsch subverts his role in Taxi (that was making him a household name at the time of the film’s release) by playing the violent and narcissistic Groffo. Yet, despite these high points, King of the Gypsies also commits an almost unforgivable sin in completely wasting Shelly Winters. While she gets a star billing, Winters barely appears in the film at all; when she does get some screen time, she is then hardly given any lines, relegated almost to background artist as opposed to a main character. Anyone expecting some fireworks from one of classic Hollywood’s most brilliant actresses’ is going to be sorely disappointed.
Eric Roberts himself delivers a rather mixed bag of a performance. His dark, smouldering good looks can’t do enough to mask a slight lack a screen presence in this very early role. As the young man who has been chosen to lead a large crime family, he certainly doesn’t seem to posses either the charisma or grit to make this believable. Yet this actually works in Roberts’ favour. His character doesn’t want to be King of the Gypsies, preferring instead to aim for a normal life away from crime and violence. In this regard, Roberts frequently shines, imbuing Dave with a fragile humility and kindness that makes his internal struggles all the more convincing.
Despite ending on a rather anti-climatic note, King of the Gypsies is certainly not an outright failure. With the help of legendary DOP Sven Nykvist, Pierson crafts a handsomely staged crime and family saga that is elevated by a trio of great performances, especially from Susan Sarandon, who dominates the screen whenever she appears. Yet, boasting a cast and crew as impressive as King of the Gypsies does, the film disappointingly never manages to fully take off, perhaps going some way to explain why it has been relatively forgotten for all these years.
King of the Gypsies has been released on Blu Ray by Australian label Imprint. The film was deliberately designed to have a soft appearance, which has been fairly well captured on the disc. There are several instances of print damage, however, so it is possible that a rather dated source was used. There are no huge errors or anomalies, but there is no doubt that King of the Gypsies could certainly benefit from a full restoration. It is doubtful that will ever happen though, so for the time being, this may be the best King of the Gypsies is going to look on home video. The sound throughout was clear and legible.
There are several extras on the disc. The first is a commentary from film historian/filmmaker Daniel Kremer. Kremer offers an in depth commentary, full of details about the key people behind the film, especially Eric Roberts and DOP Sven Nykvist. He doesn’t necessarily stick to what is on screen all the time, but this is still an interesting listen for those who want to learn more about the film.
Imprint also include two interviews. The first is with the film’s editor Paul Hirsch (editor of a huge array of Hollywood films, including Star Wars). During this 26 minute interview, conducted via Zoom, Hersh offers a wide range of entertaining anecdotes and memories about King of the Gypsies. Definitely worth a watch.
Next up is a 1978 interview with Eric Roberts. During 22 minutes, a very shy Roberts offers a range of interesting insights into the film. It also ends on a funny and interesting note, with Roberts revealing he has been offered a role in The Godfather Part Three, which was going to be directed by John Guillermin as Francis Ford Coppola was still too busy shooting Apocalypse Now!
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