The First Deadly Sin (1980) Warner Bros./Suspense-Thriller RT: 112 minutes Rated R (language, bloody violence, surgical procedures, thematic elements) Director: Brian G. Hutton Screenplay: Mann Rubin Music: Gordon Jenkins Cinematography: Jack Priestly Release date: October 3, 1980 (US) Cast: Frank Sinatra, Faye Dunaway, David Dukes, George Coe, Brenda Vaccaro, Martin Gabel, Anthony Zerbe, James Whitmore, Joe Spinell, Jeffrey DeMunn. Box Office: $3.9M (US)
Rating: ***
The First Deadly Sin is one of those movies audiences ignored during its brief theatrical run and I know why. It’s nothing to do with the quality of the film. It’s a good movie… for adults. It’s generally young people that go to the movies; they aren’t interested in a movie where none of the cast members are under 35. When given the choice, teens will always choose a movie about a homicidal maniac butchering horny camp counselors over one about a NYPD detective on the verge of retirement solving one last case. That leaves the adults and for whatever reason, they failed to show up. It’s too bad; they missed out on a decent cop drama.
Based on the best-selling novel by Lawrence Sanders, The First Deadly Sin stars Frank Sinatra (From Here to Eternity) as Sgt. Edward X. Delaney, an aging cop with a lot on his plate. His wife Barbara (Dunaway, Network) is in the hospital gravely ill and getting worse. On top of that, her doctor (Coe, Kramer vs. Kramer) doesn’t really care.
In addition, Delaney is investigating a brutal murder that appears to have been committed with an unusual weapon. He learns that similar murders have been committed in other parts of the city, but the new CO Capt. Broughton (Zerbe, Farewell, My Lovely) refuses to assign additional detectives to a case he doesn’t see as top priority. Because of this, Delaney forms his own team to help him narrow down the list of suspects. It consists of coroner Dr Ferguson (Whitmore, Give ‘em Hell, Harry), the widow of the first victim (Vaccaro, Midnight Cowboy) and an elderly museum curator (Gabel, Marnie).
Keep in mind The First Deadly Sin takes place before the computer age. Solving the case requires old-fashioned police work. The curator visits hardware and sporting goods stores until he finds the weapon the killer used, a small ice hammer. He and the widow sift through address cards until they find a few viable suspects. It leads Delaney to Daniel Blank (Dukes, Gods and Monsters), a seemingly normal businessman who also kills random people on the streets at night. I’m not spoiling anything by telling you this; it’s revealed early in the film.
Meanwhile, Delaney feels helpless as he watches his beloved wife slip away in the hospital. He spends whatever time he can sitting by her bedside telling her all the things they’re going to do when she gets better.
My only complaint about The First Deadly Sin is that we never really understand the killer’s motives too clearly. He says a lot, but it amounts to nothing. All we know for sure is Blank is extremely intelligent and extremely disturbed.
The performances in the movie are very good, especially Sinatra in his final starring role. He does an excellent job portraying a weary detective who wants to go out on a high note by solving the murders. It’s a job made more difficult by a boss who’s a real SOB. Several critics complained about Dunaway’s performance, saying she does nothing but lie in bed. They clearly missed the point of her character. She’s Delaney’s reason to go on. His belief that she’ll get better, no matter how self-deluding, is what keeps him going. He can’t face the reality of the situation which is why he throws himself into his work to solve his final case.
Vaccaro’s widow is one tough lady. Despite her recent loss, she commits to helping the detective find her husband’s killer. Whitmore as an overworked coroner and Gabel as the curator looking to relive the monotony of his life both do excellent work. Dukes, as the killer, effectively gets under your skin. One of my favorite character actors, Joe Spinell (Maniac), has a small role as a helpful doorman. Look quickly for Bruce Willis; he has a walk-on as a man entering a diner wearing a hat.
It’s true The First Deadly Sin moves slowly. There are no car chases or wild shoot-outs. It’s not that kind of cop movie. It’s a character study of an aging cop meticulously investigating a brutal murder while coping with his wife’s illness. I admit there were times I wished the director picked up the pace a bit, but that’s not the point of this particular film. Director Brian G. Hutton (Where Eagles Dare) focuses more on character than action. He bathes it in a realism not seen in more action-oriented cop movies. He shows us the tedium of a murder investigation and the long hours spent looking for clues leading to the killer’s identity. In other words, don’t watch it expecting Dirty Harry.
I like reviewing forgotten or overlooked films like The First Deadly Sin because it gives me the opportunity to direct my readers to movies they’ve never heard of or wouldn’t bother watching at all. In fact, I’d say it’s my favorite part of the job. Now that you’re aware of The First Deadly Sin and how good it is, I hope you give it a chance. It’s worth it.
