ABSTRACT
Misunderstood upon its initial theatrical release, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie has since come to be regarded as one of John Cassavetes’ finest achievements. This chapter explores the history and qualities of the film primarily from the perspectives of business practices and generic revision. The film represented Cassavetes’ most ambitious foray into self-distribution and this chapter largely focuses on how the savvy businessman-filmmaker puzzlingly and perilously misjudged audiences’ appetite for the kind of existential crime film that he delivered. The film itself is oriented around generic revision as well as aesthetic innovation in the burgeoning neo-noir genre. Cassavetes oriented the narrative around “white events” as opposed to causal linkages with an aesthetic that alternates between blinding neon and lusterless monochrome to metaphorically suit the two opposing environments in which the film is set.
