I first became aware of the existence of this movie when I read a recent interview with actor Stacy Keach in an issue of Shock Cinema magazine, so when the movie showed up on Dish I made a point to DVR it. The New Centurions is based on former Los Angeles police officer Joseph Wambaugh's 1971 debut novel of the same name. Wambaugh would go on to write a number of novels concerning LA police work as well as to help develop a poplar 1970's police drama uninventively titled Police Story.
The movie has a lot in common with the various cop shows of the 1970's, its episodic in structure, ensemble in cast, and is as much about the personal lives of its cop characters as the cases they solve and the crooks they bust. The cop show this movie is probably most reminiscent of is The Rookies, in that it concerns three rookie cops played by Scott Wilson (Herschel from The Walking Dead), Erik Estrada (I know right) and Stacey Keach. All of these characters get there own screen time and stories, but the character of central focus is Stacey Keach's Roy Fehler, a young man who joins the police force to get some on the ground experience with criminal law before going to law school. Fehler is partnered with veteran police officer Andy Kilvinski (George C. Scott) a stern but fair cop whose a bit cynical and willing to bend the rules a little when it will benefit the people he's charged to protect. Fehler comes to almost worship Kilyinski and finds that he really enjoys being a cop, so he keeps putting off law school and thus putting pressure on his marriage to his wife Dorothy (Jane Alexander).
Over the course of the movie Fehler is shot but then recovers, Kilynski retires, Roy transfer to the Vice Squad for a while, his marriage to Dorothy breaks up, and in what was a big surprise to me (spoiler) Kilyinski ends up killing himself. This event unhinges Roy for a while and he starts to drink a lot, but eventually finds solace with a nurse played by Rosalind Cash. There are actually many more interesting events in this movie, I'm surprised they could fit so much into a 103 minute running time. I found this film to be surprisingly enlightening and effecting, with good performances all around, it actually stayed in my thoughts for days after viewing. A nice little find which I recommend. ***1/2
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