Filmed under the directorship of Barbet Schroeder, a Swiss of Iranian descent, the 1987 American comedy/drama film Barfly (1987) stars Mickey Rourke as the alter ego of Bukowski, one Henry Chinaski. Faye Dunaway appears as Wanda Wilcox, a recurring persona throughout Bukowski’s works based on Jane Cooney Baker, someone Bukowski had profound affection for as the person he shared his first earnest relationship with. Her style of living, the worldview, highly resemble what Bukowski's characters are going through, living in cheap hotels and drenched in alcohol. 

Barfly (B. Schroeder, 1987), a semi-autobiographical film, delivers an artful portrayal of the monotony of Henry Chinaski’s life, or is perhaps a thrilling transgression of it. Barbet Schroeders’ film is more than simply a comedy-drama film, but a shadow form of Charles Bukowski's life. The captain of a debased journey, chronicling the depravity of his travels. A poet who built his prestige through abundant, underground pieces. He is the Los Angeles roamer who spent most of his time in and out of Californian “dive bars”.

Henry Chinaski is a persistent character in Bukowski's works, employed in four of his novels; Post Office (1971), Factotum (1975), Women (1978), and Ham on Rye (1982). The raw and truthful nature of Bukowski's writings blur the lines drawn between himself and Chinaski. Bukowsky acquired his nominal status as 'Beat Writer" through his repudiation of the formal literary structures. These types of parallels were drawn of other writers as well, like Hemingway with the memorable Nick Adams, and the pioneering beat writer Jack Kerouac with Jack Dulouz. Henry Chinaski is a drunk. When he isn’t wasting away in bars, he is in his cheap hotel room with little food or working light bulbs. He is misanthropic, fulfilling the emptiness deep down in his heart with bar fights and whiskey but is that where it all ends? The answer is no, he is a writer, and even though he lacks interest in anything else, he still thrives as he writes and that is what separates him from all the other “lowlifes”. Henry Chinaski is the summit of machismo which is depicted through alcoholism, sex, and bar fights. He is a sentimental man who conceals himself with these masculine endeavors, an underlying layer of a heartful man scared to convey it. This all comes from Bukowskis' personal life, his childhood trauma, and the choice of lifestyle and ideology. He is a character opposed to the classic American dream, he rebels against it, similar to Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, when Biff neglects the concept of working a nine to five office job, and renounces his passions for what's left of his life. 

Henry Chinaskis’ psychological analysis would be that his lack of ambition, drinking, and unemployment are his choices, similar to Bukowski. But they both write. Bukowski never gave up on writing and that's what earned him success towards the end of his time. Chasing after desires that are not truly one's own can result in adverse outcomes, as exemplified by Chinaskis' character.

Mickey Rourke provides one of his best performances as Henry in Barfly (B. Schroeder, 1987). It is independent. It is an ensemble of expression and emotion, humor, and sadness. Contrary to public criticism of his performance, if compared to Bukowski's video footage Rourke's impersonations and mannerisms were quite dexterous. He takes on Bukowski's intonation: he lowers his tone and leaves room for space at the end of sentences. This high-quality performance by Mickey Rourke was unpredictable, along with his boxing skills which came in handy during the bar fights and made the scenes more authentic. Even though there is only one Henry Chinaski in the literary world, we get two different interpretations in the mainstream media. One would be Mickey Rourke's performance in Barfly (B. Schroeder, 1987) and the competing execution of Matt Dillon in Factotum (B. Hamer, 2005). Dillon’s performance, contrary to Rourke's, is a more sophisticated, polished, and elegant portrayal. He is almost the polar opposite of what Mickey Rourke played. But what makes Rourke's interpretation is his rough and robust performances, bringing a raw and unpolished tone to his portrayal. Rourke embodies the rough-around-the-edges nature of the character, capturing his hard-drinking and misanthropic approach to life with authenticity. The performance is seen as a perfect fit for the character, and Rourke's portrayal is often credited with capturing the spirit of Bukowski's original work.

Barfly is set in the rough underworld of Los Angeles, and Bukowski’s chronicles take place in the middle to end of the 20th century. Most of the accounts are situated in liquor stores and dive bars around California. The impact World War 2 had on Los Angeles is essential for understanding the setting of the micro-narratives. Many historians nowadays recount WW2 as being the most significant event in understanding contemporary LA and how it has been shaped. This transformation resulted in population increases. People came from all over the world, African-American and Latino people came for job opportunities and the city was different than it had ever been. This led to thriving consumerism, upscaling suburbs, and a whole different economy that many residents were not ready for. However, not everyone benefited from this newfound expansion. Many people, including war veterans and other individuals who found themselves struggling to make ends meet in the fast-paced and often ruthless city, among which was Charles Bukowski, turned to alcohol and other temptations as a means of escape and a way to cope with the strugges of everyday reality.

When the average societal well-being started falling, the dive bar scene flourished in Los Angeles. Amidst many, dive bars served those on the low ends of society (Lecaro). These bars offered a “safe haven” for those seeking peace from the harsh realities of daily life, and they became a hallmark of the city's cultural landscape. Over the years, dive bars have continued to be a recurring convention in Los Angeles, and they continue to serve as a reminder of the city's rich cultural history. Dive bars were typically small, unbecoming drinking holes. The term “dive” was coined in the late ’70s and was used to refer to dubious establishments that were generally in basements, hence you had to “dive below”. These bars have been unceasingly portrayed throughout the movies of the late 20th century. In many ways, dive bars in films represented a rebellion against the status quo, and they served as a symbol of authenticity and freedom. They were a place where one could be oneself without fear of judgment, and they symbolized a form of rebellion against the norms and conventions of society. They were a countercultural punctuation on consumerism and wealth of the post-World War 2 era (“Los Angeles in World War II”).

“Great art is horse shit, buy tacos.” This is Charles Bukowski, the honorary beat writer and memorable poet of the 20th century. Charles Bukowski was born in Germany, amid the creation of the League of Nations, as women earned the right to vote in the United States, but in Andernach, Germany there was an economic crisis, prompting Bukowski's family to move to Los Angeles when he was the young age of 3. After studying at Los Angeles City College, he dropped out and moved to the city that never sleeps, New York. He failed to pursue writing and fell to drinking. He started working various minimum wage jobs and this phase of his life is what’s most prevalent in his works (Luebering).

Bukowski’s works can be compared and analyzed among other literary movements and writers such as Raymond Carver and the minimalist movement in fiction. He and Carver both share a minimalistic, straightforward attitude toward composition. The concept of conveying everyday life, representing the working class with the utilization of uncomplicated language usage with the ambition of reaching a level of authenticity is a characteristic both writers share (Trussler). Similarly, The Black Mountain Poets approached these themes from a rather experimental and innovative attitude. Capturing motifs of loneliness, despair, and the struggles of the human condition in their writing (Tikkanen).

Furthermore, all these matters, style of writing, and approach to the literary world remark on the concept of micro-narratives fulfilling the voids created by grand historical narratives. Modernity's mass narratives (meta-narratives) have given philosophies a rationalizing conception of history. The epic narratives of the Revolution, democracy, and Marxism are a few examples. According to American historian Hayden White, "there are four Western master narratives: Marxist utopianism, bourgeois progressivism, Christian redemptionism, and Greek fatalism." The narrative throughout these circumstances is a tale that serves to justify societal norms, status, and autonomy. A grand narrative is an account that endeavors to reconcile disparate historical occurrences and sensations by drawing on some sort of universal understanding or schema. It makes claims about being able to explain different historical events (Potts). The emanation of micro-narratives is rooted in various literary movements such as minimalism, modernism, or Dadaism which emerged upon the termination of World War 1. Writers began to place emphasis on the everyday and personal experiences. The advent of new technologies and media increased the accessibility and ease of publishing personal stories. Micro narratives usually remark on the detailed aspects of individual lives; delivered a view of the human experience as they cast doubt upon the concept that grandiose, historical occurrences hold more importance over the human condition (Quinlan).

The significance of Barfly (B. Schroeder, 1987) lies in the capability of precisely portraying Charles Bukowsksi's life and works, and not only his life, but Henry Chinaski as a representative for everything despicable about 20th century Los Angeles. Through Mickey Rourke's powerful performance as Chinaski, the film represents a repudiation of the classic American dream and the hardships that an everyday person has to face. The film's depiction of Chinaski's alcoholism, bar fights, and relationship with Wanda Wilcox (Faye Dunaway), based on Bukowski's own experiences, make the film not only an artful portrayal but also an educational one, allowing audiences to gain a deeper understanding of Bukowski's life and writing. Furthermore, the film's impact on culture, specifically American culture, is undeniable. This movie helped in the marketing of Bukowski's works and spread his image as an honorary "Beat Writer." Bukowski's negation of formal literary structures and his raw and truthful writing style continue to inspire generations of writers and artists. "Barfly" serves as a testament to the everlasting significance of Bukowski's works and the impact they have had on the world of literature.

“I wanted the whole world or nothing.”

― Charles Bukowski, Post Office

Works Cited

“Barbet Schroeder.” Barbet-Schroeder.com, barbet-schroeder.com. Accessed 31 Jan. 2023

Lecaro, Lina. “A Brief History of the Last 20 Years of LA Barhopping.” Thrillist, 8 Jan. 2006, www.thrillist.com/drink/los-angeles/a-history-of-barhopping-in-la. Accessed 31 Jan. 2023

“Los Angeles in World War II.” The PLATO Society, theplatosociety.org/study-discussion-groups-1/los-angeles-in-world-war-ii. Accessed 31 Jan. 2023

Luebering, J.E. “Charles Bukowski | Biography, Books, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Bukowski

Potts, John. “Chapter 7. Narratives Grand, Damned, Wandering and Broken.” OpenEdition Books, Presses universitaires de Provence, 14 Oct. 2021, books.openedition.org/pup/50523?lang=en. Accessed 31 Jan. 2023

Quinlan, Tony. “Narratives, Strategic Narratives and Micro-Narratives.” Narrate, 8 Oct. 2012, narrate.co.uk/2012/10/narratives-strategic-narratives-and-micro-narratives/.

Tikkanen, Amy. “Black Mountain Poet | American Literature.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/art/Black-Mountain-poets.

Trussler, Michael. “The Narrowed Voice: Minimalism and Raymond Carver.” Studies in Short Fiction, vol. 31, no. 1, 1994, pp. 23–38.

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Volume 29, Issue 1-2 / February 2025 Film Reviews   barbet schroeder   charles bukowski   faye dunaway   mickey rourke