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The Laughing Policeman

The Laughing Policeman

Crime · Drama · Thriller · 1973

When a gunman opens fire on a crowded city bus in San Francisco, Detective Dave Evans is killed, along with the man he'd been following in relation to a murder. Evans' partner, Sgt. Jake Martin, becomes obsessed with solving the case.

Movie details

The Laughing Policeman

“This movie is so real it makes every other movie in this town look like a movie.”

1973 Crime · Drama · Thriller 1h 52m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.2 / 10

Community rating

When a gunman opens fire on a crowded city bus in San Francisco, Detective Dave Evans is killed, along with the man he'd been following in relation to a murder. Evans' partner, Sgt. Jake Martin, becomes obsessed with solving the case.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Laughing Policeman?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Zodiac

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Stuart Rosenberg

Written by

Thomas Rickman · Stuart Rosenberg

Walter Matthau

Walter Matthau

Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD

Bruce Dern

Bruce Dern

Insp. Leo Larsen SFPD

Louis Gossett Jr.

Louis Gossett Jr.

Insp. James Larrimore SFPD

Albert Paulsen

Albert Paulsen

Henry Camerero

Anthony Zerbe

Anthony Zerbe

Lt. Nat Steiner SFPD

Val Avery

Val Avery

Insp. John Pappas SFPD

Cathy Lee Crosby

Cathy Lee Crosby

Kay Butler

Court is in session

Put The Laughing Policeman on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Big-Idea Head

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.