Fed up with mistreatment at the hands of both management and union brass, and coupled with financial hardships on each man's end, three auto assembly line workers hatch a plan to rob a safe at union headquarters.
Acting
Pryor's dramatic turn will wreck you. Kotto and Keitel? Perfect.
Direction
Schrader's debut captures factory hell like he lived it.
Writing
Dialogue so real you'll smell the motor oil.
Director
Paul Schrader
Richard Pryor
Ezekiel 'Zeke' Brown
Harvey Keitel
Jerry Bartowski
Yaphet Kotto
Sam 'Smokey' James
Ed Begley Jr.
Bobby Joe
Harry Bellaver
Eddie Johnson
George Memmoli
Jenkins
Lucy Saroyan
Arlene Bartowski
Lane Smith
Clarence Hill
Cliff DeYoung
John Burrows
Chip Fields
Caroline Brown
Harry Northup
Hank
Leonard Gaines
I.R.S. Man
Milton Selzer
Sumabitch
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Schrader was so depressed during filming that he kept a loaded gun on set and threatened to kill himself if the crew didn't finish on schedule. Method directing, apparently.
Shot at the Checker Motors plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan—many extras were actual auto workers who'd just been laid off, lending scenes their raw, exhausted authenticity.
US
