Bugsy (R) Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Elliott Gould, Bebe Neuwirth |SwapaDVD.com

MPAA Rating: R
Content Advisory: Violence, Nudity, Adult Situations, Strong Sexual Content, Not For Children, Profanity
Movie Release: 1991
DVD Release: 01/26/1999
Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan
Audio Tracks: English, French
Subtitles: English, French
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 2 hrs 16 mins
Studio: Columbia TriStar
Total Copies: 2
Genres: Crime, Crime Drama, Gangster Film, Biopic [feature]
See Also: Bugsy [Extended Cut]

Bugsy is a character study of mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel wrapped up in a gangster movie. Siegel (Warren Beatty in a flashy performance) arrives in California in the Forties, assigned to oversee the L.A. rackets. He is quickly seduced by both the glamour of Hollywood and actress Virginia Hill (Annette Bening), whom he romances despite being unable to leave his wife and children. Siegel soon has a vision to transform a barren stretch of Nevada desert into an oasis of gambling and entertainment -- the seeds from which Las Vegas was sown. Funded by his gangster bosses, including Meyer Lansky (Ben Kingsley), the flamboyant Siegel sees his budget soar past its original $6 million, a problem compounded by the fact that Virginia has embezzled $2 million of it. In trouble with his superiors, Siegel flies back to L.A. to face the music, telling Virginia to keep the money. He would not live to see his dream of Las Vegas come true. The film is fast-paced and well-directed by Barry Levinson, with an intelligent script by James Toback and excellent support from Kingsley and Harvey Keitel as gangster Mickey Cohen. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

Warren Beatty - Bugsy Siegel
Annette Bening - Virginia Hill
Harvey Keitel - Mickey Cohen
Ben Kingsley - Meyer Lansky
Elliott Gould - Harry Greenberg
Bebe Neuwirth - Countess di Frasso

Barry Levinson's biopic of gangster Benjamin Siegel, Bugsy, comes to DVD with a widescreen transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. An English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround, while a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Stereo. Subtitles are accessible in English, French, and Spanish. Supplemental materials include theatrical trailers. This is a decent disc from Columbia/TriStar, but considering the film's success with critics and audiences one might have expected a few more extras. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Jason C. (JJC) from NEWARK, NJ wrote on 1/30/2008...

A gangster flick I'm quite fond of is "Bugsy," a very well-done film about legendary gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel in his later years when he meets an instantly falls in love with Virginia Hill, a would-be singer/actress who "got around in Hollywood."

The film starts off with Bugsy, still in league with his childhood street-buddies Charley "Lucky" Luciano and Meyer Lansky, en route to Hollywood on a business meeting which then turns into his official base of operations when he takes over a gambling operation from crime boss Jack Dragna. While there, he meets Virginia Hill, the woman that would change his womanizing ways forever, and introduce him to the world of true love.

Bugsy was known for being a handsome and charming thug, very popular amongst the ladies; even putting them above all things including money and power. Always wore the best wardrobe and made sure things were in order. The film really gets into the charming side of the man, the well-spoken side, and of course the notorious, insane side; especially when you called him 'Bugsy' to his face.

The film also gets into what Bugsy was best known for, the creation of Las Vegas as we know it today. Of course I'm talking about The Flamingo, the hotel/casino that Bugsy had constructed in the middle of the Nevada desert. The construction went severely over budget which had a hand in the fate of Ben Siegel.

Lavishly classy sets, top-notch costumes and beautiful cinematography make this a class A piece of film, directed by Barry Levinson ("Rain Man", "Diner"). Warren Beatty gives, what I think to be, the performance of his career...as well as solid support by, well the whole cast!!

"Bugsy" is a different kind of gangster film, but it works and it's very true to the real-life events!!