Movie Review: Cisco Pike (1972)

Genre: Drama  

Director: Bill L. Norton  

Starring: Kris Kristofferson, Karen Black, Gene Hackman  

Running Time: 95 minutes  

Synopsis: In Los Angeles, former musician Cisco Pike (Kris Kristofferson) is trying to leave drug dealing behind him to rebuild his music career, with the support of his girlfriend Sue (Karen Black). But corrupt cop Holland (Gene Hackman) pressures Cisco into selling $10,000 worth of weed in less than three days. Cisco has to tap into his underworld network to move the product, leaving Sue disappointed as he interacts with dealers, users, musicians, and assorted hangers-on.

What Works Well: In his directorial debut, Bill L. Norton delves into the seedy Venice Beach area and finds desperate characters chasing unlikely dreams. In this deglamorized and downbeat quest to seek a better future, a has-been like Cisco looks for someone - anyone - to listen to his latest music tape, a crooked cop builds a massive stash of marijuana as an auxiliary income source, and Cisco's pathetic ex-bandmate Jesse (a tragic Harry Dean Stanton) confronts the horrors of aging. Kristofferson (in a solid movie debut) provides a few excellent soundtrack songs.

What Does Not Work As Well: Most of the film consists of Cisco desperately crisscrossing town looking for buyers, as energy runs low, padding creeps in (particularly in episodes featuring actresses Viva and Joy Bang), and the premise runs out of ideas. Gene Hackman's antagonist disappears for long stretches, robbing the drama of a counterpoint.

Key Quote:
Cisco Pike (to Jesse): It ain't your goddamned body they're after, man, it's your soul!



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