“Bad Lieutenant” (バッド・ルーテナント), Original Japanese Movie Poster 1992, Abel Ferrara / Harvey Keitel, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) Q279

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster for Bad Lieutenant (バッド・ルーテナント), Abel Ferrara’s uncompromising 1992 neo-noir crime drama starring Harvey Keitel.

A defining work of early-1990s American independent cinema, Bad Lieutenant is celebrated for its raw intensity, spiritual extremity, and one of Keitel’s most fearless screen performances.

Film background
Directed by Abel Ferrara, Bad Lieutenant follows a corrupt, unnamed New York police lieutenant spiralling through addiction, gambling, violence, and moral collapse. His downward trajectory is disturbed when he investigates the assault of a young nun, whose decision to forgive her attackers forces him into a confrontation with guilt, faith, and possible redemption.

The film remains one of Ferrara’s most powerful and controversial works — a bleak urban morality tale where crime cinema, Catholic imagery, addiction, and psychological torment collide.

Poster design
This Japanese B2 uses a striking typographic concept. The enormous English title BAD LIEUTENANT dominates the sheet, with the letters themselves acting as image windows. Inside the word BAD, a bare-chested, tormented image of Harvey Keitel captures the lieutenant’s physical and spiritual collapse.

The lower word LIEUTENANT contains further film imagery, including scenes of religious symbolism, police drama, and moral crisis. This makes the typography feel less like a title and more like a fragmented cinematic confession.

At the top, the bold orange Japanese copy reads:

「怒るか。泣くか。」
“Will you get angry? Or will you cry?”

Below the title, the Japanese subtitle reads:

「刑事とドラッグとキリスト」
“The Detective, Drugs, and Christ.”

This unusually direct subtitle captures the film’s three central forces with stark clarity.

Condition
Very Good / Excellent vintage condition. Please review the photo carefully, as it shows the exact poster for sale.

The poster presents very strongly, with bold typography, strong colour, and excellent overall display impact. Minor signs of age, fold lines, and handling may be visible, consistent with an original Japanese theatrical poster of this period.

This is an original Japanese theatrical B2 poster.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

It is over 30 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.