In Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, Sergeant Eddie Cusack (Norris) leads a sting operation against a gang but the plan goes awry, resulting in a shootout where several are killed or wounded. Cusack is ostracized for refusing to support a corrupt cop who killed an innocent bystander. Meanwhile, the family of a mob boss is killed, except for his daughter Diana (Hagan), by a rival gang. Cusack, despite being isolated by his department, works to protect Diana and bring the criminals to justice.
Originally written as a potential fourth Dirty Harry film, the screenplay by Michael Butler and Dennis Shryack passed through multiple hands before being purchased by Orion Pictures for $800,000 in 1983. After several high-profile actors turned down the lead role, Chuck Norris was cast in 1984, marking a departure from his usual martial arts films and helping to legitimize his career. The production, directed by Chicago native Andrew Davis, was filmed extensively on location in Chicago, showcasing several iconic landmarks. Molly Hagan, cast straight out of drama school, found the experience formative for her career, while Dennis Farina, then a Chicago police officer, credited the film as a significant break that helped launch his transition into full-time acting.
The film was released by Orion Pictures on May 3, 1985, and received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its slick direction, strong performances, and engaging action. It was regarded as a standout in Chuck Norris's career, with many considering it his best film to date. The film was noted for its heavy-duty thriller elements, stylish urban setting, and sensational stunts, all contributing to its appeal. While some saw it as a successful bid by Norris to reach a broader audience, others highlighted the gritty, realistic feel of the film, drawing favorable comparisons to earlier gritty cop films, particularly in contrast to more cartoonish action movies. The film was recognized for offering genuine human interest alongside its action-packed sequences.
The film debuted at number 1 with an opening weekend gross of $5.5 million and ultimately earned a total of $20.3 million at the US box office. Andrew Davis credits the success of the film into turning him in an action film director.
Plot
In Chicago's Uptown, Sergeant Eddie Cusack leads a sting operation to bust Colombian cocaine traffickers led by Luis Comacho. The plan is derailed when gunmen disguised as painters, led by mafioso "Crazy" Tony Luna, ambush the exchange. Several Colombians are killed, Cusack's partner Dorato is injured, and two of Luna's men die. Amid the chaos, aging cop Cragie kills an unarmed bystander and plants a gun to fake self-defense. He’s put on leave pending a hearing.
Fearing retaliation, Luna flees and asks his associate Lou Gamiani to protect his artist daughter, Diana. Cusack, who refuses to sign a petition clearing Cragie, is shunned by fellow officers and stuck with Cragie's rookie partner, Kopalas, who witnessed the gun-planting but won’t testify.
The Comachos retaliate, massacring Luna’s family while disguised as food vendors. Gamiani is killed trying to stop Diana's kidnapping, but Cusack saves her in a dramatic chase through an L train. He hides Diana in a safe house with retired cop Ted Pirelli, his late father's former partner.
At Cragie’s hearing, Cusack testifies he can’t comment on the incident as he arrived after it occurred. However, it's revealed Cusack once filed for Cragie's transfer. Other officers accuse him of breaking the "code of silence," leaving only Dorato as his ally.
When Pirelli is killed and Diana abducted, Cusack storms the Comacho hangout alone after his backup call is ignored. He’s overpowered but learns from Luis that Tony Luna’s return to Chicago is imminent. Luis threatens Diana’s life unless Luna is handed over.
Dorato tips off Cusack about Luna’s location. A chase ensues, ending in Luna’s death. With no other options, Cusack retrieves the Prowler, an armed police drone, and launches an assault on the Comacho hideout. Other officers criticize his rogue actions until Kopalas exposes Cragie’s misconduct.
Cusack defeats the Comachos and saves Diana from Luis, killing him just in time. Backup finally arrives, and Cusack ensures Diana’s safety. His commander asks if he’ll report for duty the next day, and Cusack, having regained his peers' respect, agrees.
On August 14, 1984, it was announced a film would be made starring Chuck Norris, set in Chicago.[7] At the time, the project was an atypical one for Norris, who was known for his roles in martial arts films. Norris later credited the film with helping legitimize his film career.[8]
This was the first film for Molly Hagan, who had just finished drama school. She later recalled when shooting a scene after her character's family had been wiped out Norris thought his character should not hug or comfort her. Hagan said he should because "if you don’t, you’re an asshole." This caused tension and Davis said Hagan had to apologize because "Mr. Norris really identifies with his character... So I go out and apologize to Chuck Norris. He just looked at me like I was insane. I thought he was still really nice to me... I think part of the problem was that I was really young and who the fuck am I to tell anyone? I don’t think it's necessarily that he was a star. He's a very nice man, and he was terrific on the set. I think I had this attitude that was really not appropriate."[9]
Dennis Farina was an actual Chicago police officer during the making of this film, moonlighting before becoming a full-time actor when cast in the leading role of Michael Mann's 1986 television series Crime Story. Farina knew Davis' father Nate "so I felt very comfortable with Andy", he later said. "There was that Chicago connection where I knew he wasn't gonna lead me astray. He treated me so kindly because he knew I was a novice and kind of watched after me. And Chuck Norris was just a delight to work with, a hell of a nice guy. That film was a nice break for me."[10]
"When you talk about actors, Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier are actors", said Norris. "They can do anything. Then you have your personalities, Burt Reynolds, Sylvester Stallone, Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood, and me. When they deviate too much from what audiences expect, they don't do very well, do they?"[11]
Director Andrew Davis said, "Chuck was easy to work with and very supportive," he recalls. "I think he's proud of the movie, and it was a big hit. It also put me into the world of being an action director, which I guess I'm considered even though I've also done other kinds of movies."[12]
The film was released by Orion Pictures in early May 1985. It debuted at number 1[14] with an opening weekend total of $5,512,461.[2]
According to Film Comment the film earned $8,9 million by the end of the year.[15]
The film went on to gross a total of $20,345,361, making it the second most successful Chuck Norris vehicle at the time behind Missing in Action (1984).
Critical response
The film received generally positive reviews.[16][17][18]Review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes retrospectively collected 20 reviews and judged 68% of them to be positive, with an average rating of 6.1/10.[19]Metacritic gave the film a score of 64% based on reviews from 6 critics.[20] It is considered by fans and critics as Chuck Norris's best film to date.
Vincent Canby of The New York Times said "it could well prove to be his breakout picture". He explains that it marks a potential turning point for Norris, who projects a quiet competence that shines in the film's meticulously crafted fight sequences and that his restrained performance feels fresh and distinct, a departure from his earlier roles. He also felt the film is engaging due to a good direction, writing, a strong supporting cast, and cinematography.[21]
Roger Ebert, in his Chicago Sun-Times review of May 3, 1985, wrote: "This is a heavy-duty thriller, a slick, energetic movie with good performances and a lot of genuine human interest... a stylish urban action picture with sensational stunts." He gave the film three-and-a-half stars of a possible four.[22]
Janet Maslin's review in The New York Times on the same day alluded to the film being "Norris's bid for a wider audience, and it succeeds to a considerable degree."[18]
Gene Siskel in the Chicago Tribune also praised the film, writing: "Chuck Norris takes a big leap in his film career with Code of Silence... it's been a long time between cop pictures that have any kind of gritty feel. Clint Eastwood's last two Dirty Harry films were cartoonish by comparison."[16]
The film earned Norris his best reviews to date. "I really appreciate the acclaim", he said after the film's release. "I've worked hard these last nine years to get critics to look at me in a different light. They're usually more concerned with things like Passage to India, and they've hit me hard all these years, especially in the beginning. I'm really excited, to say the least."[8]
