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Al Pacino admits “Cruising” was “exploitation” of gay people

After decades of silence on the issue, Al Pacino says he is aware of the criticism leveled against the 1980 film cruise – and he agrees.

The actor revealed in his recent memoir: Sonny Boythat he was so uncomfortable with the portrayal of LGBTQ+ people in the final version of the film that he ended up anonymously donating his entire paycheck to various charities.

“I never took the paycheck cruise. “I took the money and it was a lot, and I put it in an irrevocable trust, meaning that once I gave it I couldn't take it back,” Pacino wrote. “I don’t know if it eased my conscience, but “at least the money did something good.”

cruiseLoosely adapted from Gerald Walker's 1970 novel of the same name, it follows Pacino's character as a young police officer in New York City who goes undercover in several LGBTQ+ nightclubs to catch a serial killer who targets gay men. Pacino said he signed on to the production because he wanted to be part of a project that “pushes the envelope.”

However, the actor remembered this cruise “became very controversial during its production” because of its condemnatory portrayal of the queer community. The film sparked protests from LGBTQ+ residents in New York City “almost every day” and was even met with calls for a mass boycott among LGBTQ+ people at the time.

Pacino said he remained “silent” about the controversy despite believing the final product was “exploitative” of the LGBTQ+ community, admitting that “they ended up paying me a lot of money and I didn't just let them down.” “” Instead, he donated quietly.

“I didn’t want to make it a PR stunt,” Pacino explained. “I just wanted something positive to come out of this whole experience.”

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