Heavy Traffic

R

Released Aug 8, 1973

1h 16m

Drama

List

89%

18 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Ralph Bakshi's semiautobiographical account of the life and times of a struggling inner-city cartoonist.

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Keith Phipps

The Dissolve

It's a downbeat, dark fantasia of urban life from a filmmaker trying to understand the darkness of the moment before it slipped away.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 16, 2013

Full Review

Jay Cocks

TIME Magazine

Heavy Traffic not only has an authentic tenement toughness but the rough feeling of unassimilated autobiography, of experiences and fantasies still keenly felt.

Sep 4, 2008

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

There's something to offend everyone in this melange of crudely conceived, amateurishly animated stuff.

Sep 3, 2008

Full Review

Mike McGranaghan

Aisle Seat

Heavy Traffic may be a bit dated in terms of its distinct '70s tone, but that doesn't make it any less fascinating. If you're a fan of the animation genre, this certainly qualifies as essential viewing.

Jul 31, 2013

Full Review

TV Guide

Filled with autobiographical resonance and razor-edged humor, this is a cynical portrait of one young man's coming of age.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 3, 2008

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

A zesty abstract-jazz riff of a film.

Rated: A

Apr 9, 2007

Full Review

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Noe G

Heavy traffic is a great Ralph Bakshi film I get this film same as Fritz, the cat 9/10

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/07/24

Full Review

Devon B

It was okay not as good as say Fritz The Cat or Coonskin but it was just okay. To be honest I didn't really come into this film with very high hopes; I saw the trailer and wasn't really impressed with what I saw. The movie includes filler scene like in every other one of his films and switches from live action to animation. This movies comes off sort of like an autobiographical film on Mr Bakshi's life instead of it being a satirical film. With that being said 3 out 5 stars for me.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The best Bakshi film, I just love how natural the film feels.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

william d

Only people who want to indulge in some 70s nostalgia should bother.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

With its use of multiple art mediums, smart (literal) pinball metaphors, and a story between two rational racial characters trying to survive in a crazy ordinary city, "Heavy Traffic" is Ralph Bakshi's quintessential film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A cartoonish cityscape of the profane and absurd with outrageous and often time offensive sensibilities wrapped between some pretty creative editing filled with the same boorish and sexualized humor without the anthropomorphic characters of Fritz the Cat

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

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Ralph Bakshi

Director

Joseph Kaufmann

Michael Corleone

Beverly Hope Atkinson

Carole

Frank DeKova

Angelo "Angie" Corleone

Terri Haven

Ida Corleone

Mary Dean Lauria

Molly

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Synopsis

Ralph Bakshi's semiautobiographical account of the life and times of a struggling inner-city cartoonist.

Director: Ralph Bakshi
Screenwriter: Ralph Bakshi
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 8, 1973, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 30, 2017
Runtime: 1h 16m

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