Continuity mistake: There's a scene after Superboy jumps from the bridge with a paramedic smoking a cigarette close to the butt. The camera switches and suddenly his cigarette is a freshly lit one.
Copland (1997)
Ending / spoiler
Directed by: James Mangold
Starring: Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Ray Liotta, Harvey Keitel
Sheriff Freddy Heflin (Stallone) eventually finds Superboy (Rapaport) hiding out in an abandoned water tower. When he goes by himself to turn Superboy in, Jack (Patrick) and Frank (Nascarella) catch them and Jack fires a gun next to Freddy's good ear, leaving him completely deaf. Freddy walks all the way to Ray Donlan's (Keitel) house and shoots all of Donlan's men. Figgs (Liotta) shows up also and saves Freddy from being shot. Freddy shoots and kills Ray. Freddy and Figgs both deliver Superboy to Lt. Moe Tilden (De Niro) who takes him away. Freddy is then criticised by the rest of the Police Department for being the man who killed Ray Donlan. He decides to stay Sheriff and his ear recovers.
jezzy t
More mistakes in Copland
Moe Tilden: That cupcake makes a mess and we got a case again.
Trivia: In the trailer, there is a scene in which a purple Geo Tracker is doing a 180 degree turn. This scene is not in the film.
Question: Harvey Keitel was supposed to have been a highly respected veteran officer with the NYPD with connections within the department and other agencies as stated in the movie. With all that power and connections, it puzzles me why his character is still a patrol officer working beat shifts as shown in the scene when he intentionally let Joey fall to his death on the roof. He shows up in uniform in a patrol car with his other crooked partner responding to the call.
Answer: Yes that's correct but in actuality it's highly unlikely a veteran officer would stay in patrol their entire career, crooked cop or not, unless they work for a very small department and there are no opportunities to move up.
Yes, in the real world, it is indeed highly unlikely he would spend his entire career on patrol. For the purpose of the movie, it serves the plot to have the Donlan character written as a mobile beat cop for the reasons stated. It also allows for more action and sets up the final confrontation between Stallone and the crooked cops. Movies just do not reflect reality.
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Answer: Being a higher-up not only means more responsibility, but also closer scrutiny. As a low-level beat cop, it allows Donlan a lesser profile, greater mobility out on the street, to be at crime scenes without suspicion, and he can more easily and covertly interact with his criminal accomplices and contacts. Being tied to an office would be a hindrance; he can wield his corrupt power more effectively this way.
raywest ★
Actually, Donlan is a Lieutenant, which is a pretty high rank.