Miller's Crossing

Year: 1990

Runtime: 115 min

Language: English

Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

DramaThrillerCrime

During Prohibition, an Irish-American gangster named Leo O'Bannon struggles to maintain order amidst a volatile power struggle with the Italian Mafia. The situation becomes even more complicated when his trusted advisor, Tom Reagan, begins a dangerous affair with Verna Bernbaum. This exposed relationship disrupts the fragile peace, igniting a violent gang war over control of the liquor trade that jeopardizes everyone involved. Loyalties are tested, and betrayal lurks around every corner as Leo fights to protect his family and his business.

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Miller's Crossing (1990) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Miller's Crossing (1990), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

During the tumultuous era of Prohibition, Tom Reagan, a devoted right-hand man to the formidable Irish mob boss Leo O’Bannon (Albert Finney), finds himself ensnared in a dangerous power struggle against the Italian gangster Johnny Caspar. Caspar is determined to eliminate the crafty bookie Bernie Bernbaum, whose gambling operations are cutting into his profits. However, Leo refuses to sacrifice Bernie, as he is romantically linked to Bernie’s sister, Verna (Marcia Gay Harden), adding layers of complication to an already fraught situation.

As the tension escalates, it becomes increasingly clear that Tom is stuck in the middle, juggling his allegiance to Leo and his growing affections for Verna. The stakes heighten when Tom discovers that he owes a significant sum to a bookie named Lazarre, a fact that Caspar hopes to exploit. After a night filled with drunken misadventures and further debts, Tom finds himself once again tangled in the chaos surrounding Leo, Caspar, and the tumultuous relationships with both Verna and Bernie.

When Leo’s suspicions about Verna’s fidelity lead him to hire a private detective named Rug, the stakes soar even higher. Rug’s tragic fate—which involves him being murdered—is a harbinger of the impending mob war, igniting a fierce rivalry between Leo and Caspar. With pressure mounting from all sides, Tom decides to align himself with Caspar while secretly plotting to protect Bernie.

In a twisted turn of fate, Tom is coerced into taking Bernie to Miller’s Crossing under the pretense of executing him. However, when the moment arrives, Tom chooses mercy and allows Bernie to escape, only to become embroiled in an elaborate scheme of manipulation involving Caspar, Dane, and a series of deadly encounters.

As Tom plays a dangerous game with the lives of others, alliances shift, and betrayals stack up. In a tense showdown, Bernie must eliminate Caspar, leading Tom to make a brutal decision that seals Bernie’s fate. In the end, as Leo offers Tom another chance to return to his side, Tom rejects the proposition, walking away with a glimmer of defiance as he navigates this treacherous underworld of crime, loyalty, and deceit.

Amid the chaos, Tom reflects on the price of loyalty and the weight of mortal choices. The narrative encapsulates a grim tale of survival amidst the unscrupulous and the inevitable fallout from a life steeped in betrayal.

Last Updated: November 07, 2024 at 22:32

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The narrative journey involves a character making difficult, morally compromising choices to overcome a central conflict. While they may technically 'win' or survive, the resolution emphasizes what was sacrificed along the way—loyalties, love, or personal integrity—leaving them in a state of ambiguous, often lonely, peace.

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