History Creator / AbelFerrara

He made four films with Creator/ChristopherWalken, four with Creator/WillemDafoe. Both Walken and Dafoe starred in ''New Rose Hotel'' alongside another Ferrara regular, Creator/AsiaArgento.

His career has been quite erratic. Ferrara started out working in American [[ExploitationFilm exploitation cinema]]; his earliest films were either [[PornWithPlot porn]] or [[PornWithoutPlot borderline porn]]. His breakthrough film ''Film/TheDrillerKiller'' saw Ferrara entering the post-''Film/TaxiDriver'' world of vigilantism. His early BreakthroughHit was ''Film/Ms45'', an action thriller exploitation film that marked his first collaboration with Creator/ZoeLund. For most of TheEighties, Ferrara worked on a variety of projects, never quite making it into the mainstream. TheNineties however would prove to be his decade, he made 9 films in 10 years alongside shorts and music videos, which is remarkably productive for an independent film-maker who has never had a bonafide box-office breakout hit, and in this decade Ferrara made crime dramas, science fiction (his remake of ''Film/BodySnatchers'' and ''New Rose Hotel'', an adaptation of a Creator/WilliamGibson story), horror (''Film/TheAddiction'' which is shot in black-and-white) and also a film-about-filmmaking like ''Snake Eyes'' (also known as ''Dangerous Game'' and stars Music/{{Madonna}} in a dramatic role). The 21st Century had him becoming quasi-arthouse, with his films ''Welcome to New York'' and ''Pasolini'' having him taking on real-figures -- Dominique Strauss-Kahn ([[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed renamed as Monsieur Devereux]]) and Creator/PierPaoloPasolini (one of Ferrara's biggest influences).

His most famous films are ''Film/KingOfNewYork'' (with Creator/ChristopherWalken) and ''Film/BadLieutenant'' (with Creator/HarveyKeitel). These films are shocking for their transgressive mix of violence, sexuality, and Catholic values with an outlaw empathy for crooked criminals as well as the downtrodden and rejected. Ferrara's films glorified TheBigRottenApple era, unsparing about the violence and brutality of the city streets at night in its worst areas but also celebrating the tough, breezy melting pot that brought immigrants together and made the city and themselves great. Many of his films are almost ethnographic, such as ''China Girl'' (a BMovie-style take on ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' featuring an Italian-American boy and a Chinese-American girl as StarCrossedLovers), as well as a focus on ethnic succession, such as Little Italy, becoming an adjunct to New York's Chinatown, while his later films like ''R'Xmas'' and ''Go Go Tales'' focus on gentrification and how the Giuliani era has muscled out the poor and struggling out of the city (in the case of ''Go Go Tales'' this is given additional heft by the fact that the film was in fact made in UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} with New York made on sets).

One of the key figures of the American independent film industry who has remained esoteric, obscure and marginal. His most recent films haven't even found distributors for a US release, and most of his films are nowadays funded in Europe [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff where he is considered one of America's greats]]. [[NeverAcceptedInHisHometown Within America]], Ferrara used to be called "the [[PoorMansSubstitute poor man's]] Creator/MartinScorsese" which Ferrara [[IllTakeThatAsACompliment even embraced a few times]]. Scorsese is one of Ferrara's influences, and Scorsese has also praised him as one of America's great talents.

He made four films with Creator/ChristopherWalken, four with Creator/WillemDafoe. Both Walken and Dafoe starred in ''New Rose Hotel'' alongside another Ferrara regular Creator/AsiaArgento.

He also made a video for MyleneFarmer's song ''California''. It is as sleazy as one would predict.

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: His films are pretty firmly on the cynical end as far as portraying the world goes though his portrayal of human nature is somewhat more optimistic as he is fond of portraying people whose good intentions are at odds with the world they inhabit. ''Film/BadLieutenant'', despite soul-crushingly bleak, does portray its title character as being a fundamentally lost person who isn't beyond redemption.

* RaisedCatholic: And trying to reconcile it with carnal temptations. He has recently converted to Buddhism.

His career has been quite erratic. Ferrara started out working in American [[ExploitationFilm exploitation cinema]]; his earliest films were either [[PornWithPlot porn]] or [[PornWithoutPlot borderline porn]]. His breakthrough film ''Film/TheDrillerKiller'' saw Ferrara entering the post-''Film/TaxiDriver'' world of vigilantism. His early BreakthroughHit was ''Film/Ms45'', an action thriller exploitation film that marked his first collaboration with Zoe Lund. For most of TheEighties, Ferrara worked on a variety of projects, never quite making it into the mainstream. TheNineties however would prove to be his decade, he made 9 films in 10 years alongside shorts and music videos, which is remarkably productive for an independent film-maker who has never had a bonafide box-office breakout hit, and in this decade Ferrara made crime dramas, science fiction (his remake of ''Film/BodySnatchers'' and ''New Rose Hotel'', an adaptation of a Creator/WilliamGibson story), horror (''Film/TheAddiction'' which is shot in black-and-white) and also a film-about-filmmaking like ''Snake Eyes'' (also known as ''Dangerous Game'' and stars Music/{{Madonna}} in a dramatic role). The 21st Century had him becoming quasi-arthouse, with his films ''Welcome to New York'' and ''Pasolini'' having him taking on real-figures -- Dominique Strauss-Kahn ([[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed renamed as Monsieur Devereux]]) and Creator/PierPaoloPasolini (one of Ferrara's biggest influences).

* ProductionPosse: Ferrara usually casts Creator/ChristopherWalken, Creator/WillemDafoe, Creator/HarveyKeitel Creator/AsiaArgento and Creator/JamesCaruso for his films.

* ProductionPosse: Creator/ChristopherWalken, Creator/WillemDafoe and Creator/AsiaArgento are Ferrera's regulars in his films.

* BeingEvilSucks: Bad guys in his films don't have it much easier than the heroes and gain little, if any, pleasure from their bad deeds.

His most famous films are ''Film/KingOfNewYork'' (with Creator/ChristopherWalken) and ''Film/BadLieutenant'' (with Creator/HarveyKeitel). These films are shocking for their transgressive mix of violence, sexuality, and Catholic values with an outlaw empathy for crooked criminals as well as the downtrodden and rejected. Ferrara's films glorified TheBigRottenApple era, unsparing about the violence and brutality of the city streets at night in its worst areas but also celebrating the tough, breezy, melting pot that brought immigrants together and made the city and themselves great. Many of his films are almost ethnographic, such as ''China Girl'' (a BMovie-style take on ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' featuring an Italian-American boy and a Chinese-American girl as StarCrossedLovers), as well as a focus on ethnic succession, such as Little Italy, becoming an adjunct to New York's Chinatown, while his later films like ''R'Xmas'' and ''Go Go Tales'' focus on gentrification and how the Giuliani era has muscled out the poor and struggling out of the city (in the case of ''Go Go Tales'' this is given additional heft by the fact that the film was in fact made in UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} with New York made on sets).

His most famous films are ''Film/KingOfNewYork'' (with Creator/ChristopherWalken) and ''Film/BadLieutenant'' (with Creator/HarveyKeitel). These films are shocking for their transgressive mix of violence, sexuality, and Catholic values with an outlaw empathy for the downtrodden and rejected. Ferrara's films glorified TheBigRottenApple era, unsparing about the violence and brutality of the city streets at night in its worst areas but also celebrating the tough, breezy, melting pot that brought immigrants together and made the city and themselves great. Many of his films are almost ethnographic, such as ''China Girl'' (a BMovie-style take on ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' featuring an Italian-American boy and a Chinese-American girl as StarCrossedLovers), as well as a focus on ethnic succession, such as Little Italy, becoming an adjunct to New York's Chinatown, while his later films like ''R'Xmas'' and ''Go Go Tales'' focus on gentrification and how the Giuliani era has muscled out the poor and struggling out of the city (in the case of ''Go Go Tales'' this is given additional heft by the fact that the film was in fact made in UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} with New York made on sets).

His career has been quite erratic. Ferrara started out working in American [[ExploitationFilm exploitation cinema]]; his earliest films were either [[PornWithPlot porn]] or [[PornWithoutPlot borderline porn]]. His breakthrough film ''Film/TheDrillerKiller'' saw Ferrara entering the post-''Film/TaxiDriver'' world of vigilantism. His early BreakthroughHit was ''Film/Ms45'', an exploitation film that marked his first collaboration with Zoe Lund. For most of TheEighties, Ferrara worked on a variety of projects, never quite making it into the mainstream. TheNineties however would prove to be his decade, he made 9 films in 10 years alongside shorts and music videos, which is remarkably productive for an independent film-maker who has never had a bonafide box-office breakout hit, and in this decade Ferrara made crime dramas, science fiction (his remake of ''Film/BodySnatchers'' and ''New Rose Hotel'', an adaptation of a Creator/WilliamGibson story), horror (''Film/TheAddiction'' which is shot in black-and-white) and also a film-about-filmmaking like ''Snake Eyes'' (also known as ''Dangerous Game'' and stars Music/{{Madonna}} in a dramatic role). The 21st Century had him becoming quasi-arthouse, with his films ''Welcome to New York'' and ''Pasolini'' having him taking on real-figures -- Dominique Strauss-Kahn ([[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed renamed as Monsieur Devereux]]) and Creator/PierPaoloPasolini (one of Ferrara's biggest influences).

His most famous films are ''Film/KingOfNewYork'' (with Creator/ChristopherWalken) and ''Film/BadLieutenant'' (with Creator/HarveyKeitel). These films are shocking for their transgressive mix of violence, sexuality, and Catholic values with an outlaw empathy for the downtrodden and rejected. Ferrara's films celebrated and glorified TheBigRottenApple era, unsparing about the violence and brutality of the city streets at night in its worst areas but also celebrating the tough, breezy, melting pot that brought immigrants together and made the city and themselves great. Many of his films are almost ethnographic, such as ''China Girl'' (a BMovie-style take on ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' featuring an Italian-American boy and a Chinese-American girl as StarCrossedLovers) focus on ethnic succession, such as Little Italy becoming an adjunct to New York's Chinatown, while his later films like ''R'Xmas'' and ''Go Go Tales'' focus on gentrification and how the city in the Giuliani era has muscled out the city-s poor and struggling out of the city (in the case of ''Go Go Tales'' this is given additional heft by the fact that the film was in fact made in UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} with New York made on sets).

His career has been quite erratic. Ferrara started out working in American [[ExploitationFilm exploitation cinema]]; his earliest films were either [[UsefulNotes/{{Pornography}} porn]] or borderline porn. His breakthrough film ''Film/TheDrillerKiller'' saw Ferrara entering the post-''Film/TaxiDriver'' world of vigilantism. His early BreakthroughHit was ''Film/Ms45'', an exploitation film that marked his first collaboration with Zoe Lund. For most of TheEighties, Ferrara worked on a variety of projects, never quite making it into the mainstream. TheNineties however would prove to be his decade, he made 9 films in 10 years alongside shorts and music videos, which is remarkably productive for an independent film-maker who has never had a bonafide box-office breakout hit, and in this decade Ferrara made crime dramas, science fiction (his remake of ''Film/BodySnatchers'' and ''New Rose Hotel'', an adaptation of a Creator/WilliamGibson story), horror (''Film/TheAddiction'' which is shot in black-and-white) and also a film-about-filmmaking like ''Snake Eyes'' (also known as ''Dangerous Game'' and stars Music/{{Madonna}} in a dramatic role). The 21st Century had him becoming quasi-arthouse, with his films ''Welcome to New York'' and ''Pasolini'' having him taking on real-figures -- Dominique Strauss-Kahn ([[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed renamed as Monsieur Devereux]]) and Creator/PierPaoloPasolini (one of Ferrara's biggest influences).

His most famous films are ''Film/KingOfNewYork'' (with Creator/ChristopherWalken) and ''Film/BadLieutenant'' (with Creator/HarveyKeitel). These films are shocking for their violence, sexuality, and mix of transgressive Catholic values with an outlaw empathy for the downtrodden and rejected. Ferrara's films celebrated and glorified TheBigRottenApple era, unsparing about the violence and brutality of the city streets at night in its worst areas but also celebrating the tough, breezy, melting pot that brought immigrants together and made the city and themselves great. Many of his films are almost ethnographic, such as ''China Girl'' (a BMovie-style take on ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' featuring an Italian-American boy and a Chinese-American girl as StarCrossedLovers) focus on ethnic succession, such as Little Italy becoming an adjunct to New York's Chinatown, while his later films like ''R'Xmas'' and ''Go Go Tales'' focus on gentrification and how the city in the Giuliani era has muscled out the city-s poor and struggling out of the city (in the case of ''Go Go Tales'' this is given additional heft by the fact that the film was in fact made in UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} with New York made on sets).

* DeliberatelyMonochrome: HIs vampire ''Film/TheAddiction'' is shot in black-and-white.

* BlackAndGrayMorality Many times it is about the fight between evil and slightly lesser evil. His most famous film ''Bad Lieutenant'' is about a corrupt cop learning redemption [[spoiler:by pardoning and helping the rapists of a nun escape justice in accordance with the wishes of the nun herself, who forgave her rapists for their crimes]].

* DeliberatelyMonochrome: ''Film/TheAddiction'' his vampire film is shot in black-and-white.

!!Films With TV Tropes pages

His most famous films are ''Film/KingOfNewYork'' (with Creator/ChristopherWalken) and ''Film/BadLieutenant'' (with Creator/HarveyKeitel). These films are shocking for their violence, sexuality, and mix of transgressive Catholic values with an outlaw empathy for the downtrodden and rejected. Ferrara's films celebrated and glorified TheBigRottenApple era, unsparing about the violence and brutality of the city-streets at night in its worst areas but also celebrating the tough, breezy, melting pot that brought immigrants together and made the city and themselves great. Many of his films are almost ethnographic, such as ''China Girl'' (a BMovie-style take on ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' featuring an Italian-American boy and a Chinese-American girl as StarCrossedLovers) focus on ethnic succession, such as Little Italy becoming an adjunct to New York's Chinatown, while his later films like ''R'Xmas'' and ''Go Go Tales'' focus on gentrification and how the city in the Giuliani era has muscled out the city-s poor and struggling out of the city (in the case of ''Go Go Tales'' this is given additional heft by the fact that the film was in fact made in UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} with New York made on sets).

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: His films are pretty firmly on the cynical end as far as portraying the world goes though his portrayal of human nature is somewhat more optimistic as he is fond of portraying people whose good intentions are at odds with the world they inhabit. ''Film/BadLieutenant'', despite soul-crushingly bleak, does portray it's title character as being a fundamentally lost person who isn't beyond redemption.
* VigilanteMan: Several of his films explore the concept of Vigilantism and question how far is too far when it comes to delivering justice outside the legal system.

He also made a video for MyleneFarmer's song California. It is as sleazy as one would predict.

!!Films

His career has been quite erratic. Ferrara started out working in American [[ExploitationFilm exploitation cinema]]; his earliest films were either [[UsefulNotes/{{Pornography}} porn]] or borderline porn. His breakthrough film ''Film/TheDrillerKiller'' saw Ferrara entering the post-''Film/TaxiDriver'' world of vigilantism. His early BreakthroughHit was ''Film/Ms45'', an exploitation film which marked his first collaboration with Zoe Lund. For most of TheEighties, Ferrara worked in a variety of projects, never quite making it into the mainstream. TheNineties however would prove to be his decade, he made 9 films in 10 years alongside shorts and music videos, which is remarkably productive for an independent film-maker who has never had a bonafide box-office breakout hit, and in this decade Ferrara made crime dramas, science-fiction (his remake of ''Film/BodySnatchers'' and ''New Rose Hotel'', an adaptation of a Creator/WilliamGibson story), a Vampire Story (''Film/TheAddiction'' which is shot in black-and-white) and also a film-about-filmmaking like ''Snake Eyes'' (also known as ''Dangerous Game'' and stars Music/{{Madonna}} in a dramatic role). The 21st Century had him becoming quasi-arthouse, with his films ''Welcome to New York'' and ''Pasolini'' having him taking on real-figures -- Dominique Strauss-Kahn ([[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed renamed as Monsieur Devereux]]) and Creator/PierPaoloPasolini (one of Ferrara's biggest influences).

His career has been quite erratic. Ferrara started out working in American [[ExploitationFilm exploitation cinema]]; his earliest films were either [[UsefulNotes/{{Pornography}} porn]] or borderline porn. His breakthrough film ''Film/TheDrillerKiller'' saw Ferrara entering the post-''Film/TaxiDriver'' world of vigilantism. His early BreakthroughHit was ''Film/Ms45'', an exploitation film which marked his first collaboration with Zoe Lund. For most of TheEighties, Ferrara worked in a variety of projects, never quite making it into the mainstream. TheNineties however would prove to be his decade, he made 9 films in 10 years alongside shorts and music videos, which is remarkably productive for an independent film-maker who has never had a box-office hit, and in this decade Ferrara made crime dramas, science-fiction (his remake of ''Body Snatchers'' and ''New Rose Hotel'', an adaptation of a Creator/WilliamGibson story), a Vampire Story (''Film/TheAddiction'' which is shot in black-and-white) and also a film-about-filmmaking like ''Snake Eyes'' (also known as ''Dangerous Game'' and stars Music/{{Madonna}} in a dramatic role). The 21st Century had him becoming quasi-arthouse, with his films ''Welcome to New York'' and ''Pasolini'' having him taking on real-figures -- Dominique Strauss-Kahn ([[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed renamed as Monsieur Devereux]]) and Creator/PierPaoloPasolini (one of Ferrara's biggest influences).

One of the key figures of the American independent who has remained esoteric, obscure and marginal. His most recent films haven't even found distributors for a US release, and most of his films are nowadays funded in Europe [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff where he is considered one of America's greats]]. [[NeverAcceptedInHisHometown Within America]], Ferrara used to be called "the [[PoorMansSubstitute poor man's]] Creator/MartinScorsese" which Ferrara [[IllTakeThatAsACompliment even embraced a few times]]. Scorsese is one of Ferrara's influences, and Scorsese has also praised him as one of America's great talents.

His most famous films are ''Film/KingOfNewYork'' (with Creator/ChristopherWalken) and ''Film/BadLieutenant'' (with Creator/HarveyKeitel). These films are shocking for their violence, sexuality, and mix of transgressive catholic values with an outlaw empathy for the downtrodden and rejected. Ferrara's films celebrated and glorified TheBigRottenApple era, unsparing about the violence and brutality of the city-streets at night in its worst areas but also celebrating the tough, breezy, melting pot that brought immigrants together and made the city and themselves great. Many of his films are almost ethnographic, such as ''China Girl'' (a BMovie-style take on ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' featuring an Italian-American boy and a Chinese-American girl as StarCrossedLovers) focus on ethnic succession, such as Little Italy becoming an adjunct to New York's Chinatown, while his later films like ''R'Xmas'' and ''Go Go Tales'' focus on gentrification and how the city in the Giuliani era has muscled out the city-s poor and struggling out of the city (in the case of ''Go Go Tales'' this is given additional heft by the fact that the film was in fact made in UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} with New York made on sets).

One of the key figures of the American independent who has remained esoteric, obscure and marginal. His most recent films haven't even found distributors for a US release, and most of his films are nowadays funded in Europe [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff where he is considered one of America's greats]]. [[NeverAcceptedInHisHometown Within America]], Ferrara used to be called "the [[PoorMansSubstitute poor man's]] Creator/MartinScorsese" which Ferrara [[IllTakeThatAsACompliment even embraced a few times]]. [[BigNameFan Scorsese is one of Ferrara's influences, and Scorsese has also praised him as one of America's great talents]].

One of the key figures of the American independent who has remained esoteric, obscure and marginal. His most recent films haven't even found distributors for a US release, and most of his films are nowadays funded in Europe [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff where he is considered one of America's greats]]. [[NeverAcceptedInHisHometown Within America]], Ferrara used to be called "the [[PoorMansSubstitute poor man's]] Creator/MartinScorsese" which Ferrara [[IllTakeThatAsACompliment even embraced a few times]]. Scorsese is one of Ferrara's influences, and Scorsese has also praised him as one of America's great talents.

One of the key figures of the American independent who has remained esoteric, obscure and marginal. His most recent films haven't even found distributors for a US release, and most of his films are nowadays funded in Europe where he is considered one of America's greats. Within America, Ferrara used to be called "the [[PoorMansSubstitute poor man's]] Creator/MartinScorsese" which Ferrara [[IllTakeThatAsACompliment even embraced a few times]]. Scorsese is one of Ferrara's influences, and Scorsese has also praised him as one of America's great talents.