Fails the Bechdel test

Carlito's Way

Name: Carlito's Way
Released: 1993

1993. Directed by Brian De Palma, written by Edwin Torres and David Koepp.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

1 / 3

Fails

Yes 1. At least two women
13 women characters. 2 of them speak.
No 2. Who talk to each other
Our parser found no scene where two women talk to each other.
No 3. About something besides a man
Not reached: the film fails an earlier rule.

Second opinion

Not rated bechdeltest.com readers haven't rated this film.

The film

A Puerto Rican ex-con pledges to stay away from his former drug dealing ways but finds himself being dragged back by his past connections and the naive machinations of his lawyer and best friend. Hoping to raise enough money to get away from New York, Carlito Brigante takes on the job of running a nightclub, renews an affair with a dancer but old associates and old instincts suck him back into a world of violence and mistrust.

Released: 12 Nov 1993
Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Rated: R
IMDb: 7.9 / 10
Metascore: 66 / 100
Awards: 2 wins & 9 nominations total
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

Women
Men
Not in the cast list
Bigger name, more lines

Carlito 330 lines, man
Kleinfeld 137 lines, man
Gail 83 lines, woman
Pachanga 32 lines, man
Saso 28 lines, man
Lalin 22 lines, man
Tagliaferro 20 lines, man
Guajiro 16 lines, man
Amadeo 13 lines, man
Norwalk 11 lines, man

Full cast, 99 people

Al Pacino as Carlito Brigante
Sean Penn as David Kleinfeld
Penelope Ann Miller as Gail
John Leguizamo as Benny Blanco
Ingrid Rogers as Steffie
Luis Guzmán as Pachanga
James Rebhorn as Norwalk
Joseph Siravo as Vincent Taglialucci
Viggo Mortensen as Lalin
Richard Foronjy as Pete Amadesso
Jorge Porcel as Saso
Frank Minucci as Tony Taglialucci
Adrian Pasdar as Frankie Taglialucci
John Ortiz as Guajiro
Ángel Salazar as Walberto
Al Israel as Rolando
Rick Aviles as Quisqueya
Jaime Sánchez as Rudy
Edmonte Salvato as Battaglia (Big Guy)
Paul Mazursky as Judge Feinstein
Tera Tabrizi as Club Date
Víctor Sierra as Kid
Caesar Cordova as Barber
Jon Seda as Dominican
Ruben Rivera as Dominican
Sherie Mambru as Girlfriend
Brenda Hernandez as Girlfriend
Elliot Santiago as Knifeman
Frank Ferrara Sr. as Manzanero
John Glenn Hoyt as Club Bouncer (as John Hoyt)
Chuck Zito as Club Bouncer
Stephen Puente as Club Bouncer
Tony Cucci as Club Bouncer
Alfred Sauchelli, Jr. as Bodyguard
Anthony Catanese as Bodyguard
Sam Weber as Bodyguard
Sonny Zito as Bodyguard
Walter T. Meade as Jackson Corrections Officer
Michael Hadge as Diamond Room Man
Richard Council as Diamond Room Man
Lindsay Lombardi as Diamond Room Dancer
James Bulleit as Louie
Crystal Haney as Estate Party Woman
Gregory Mitchell as Italian at Copa
Mel Gorham as Pachanga's Date
Rocco Sisto as Panama Hatman
John Finn as Duncan
Brian Tarantina as Speller
Jamie Tirelli as Valentin
Owen Hollander as Cab Driver
John Michael Bolger as Cop
Ralph Destino, Jr. as Cop
Vincent Jerman-Jerosa as Cop
Luke Toma as Cop
Frank Pietrangolare as Cop
Mike Sheehan as Cop
Dean Rader Duval as Med Tech
Gene Canfield as Train Conductor
Sharmagne Leland-St. John as Woman at Grand Central
Rene Rivera as Bartender
Orlando Urdaneta as Bartender
Troy A. Hawes as Solicitor at Go-Go Club
Kim Rideout as Gail's Friend at Dance Studio
Drita Barak as Club Patron
Christopher Bregman as Club Patron
Natalia Rey as Club Patron
Joe Conzo as Club Patron
Gaetano Lisi as Club Patron
Debra Niewald as Club Patron
Christina Murphy as Waitress
Julieta Ortega as Waitress
Mary C. Hammett as Waitress
Debbie Benitez as Dancer
Roberta Mathes as Dancer
Freddy Rios as Dancer
Mike Ramos as Dancer
Yelba Osorio as Blanco's Girlfriend
Nelson Vasquez as Blanco Associate
Jason Daryn as Party Waiter
Dan Brennan as Party Guest
Michael P. Moran as Party Guest
Vincent Pastore as Copa Wiseguy
Garry Pastore as Copa Wiseguy
Cynthia Lamontagne as Woman at Elevator
Bo Dietl as Casino Man
Kato as Casino Man
James V. Miller as Black Jack Dealer
Marc Anthony as Latin Band at Disco
Pete Macnamara as Brazilian Band Member (uncredited)
Daniel Margotta as Monchin (uncredited)
Coati Mundi as Subway Patron (uncredited)
Cice Rivera as Waitress (uncredited)
Saundra Santiago as Club Patron Dancing with Carlito (uncredited)
Bill Weeden as Party Animal (uncredited)
Garlan Green as On-Air Personality (uncredited)
Denise Vasquez as Salsa Dancer / Cocktail Waitress (uncredited)
Kyle Wyatt as Club Dancer / Street Patron (uncredited)
Ryohei Kanokogi as Japanese Club Patron
Angel Ramirez Jr. as Club Dancer (uncredited)

Who talks, scene by scene

Lines of dialogue in every 2 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 1% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.

Women

Men

Scene 1 Scene 79

Hover, tap or tab to a bar to see those scenes: where they happen and who's talking.

Show the numbers

Scenes	Women's lines	Men's lines
1 to 2	0	4
3 to 4	0	26
5 to 6	2	18
7 to 8	2	69
9 to 10	0	41
11 to 12	0	20
13 to 14	4	42
15 to 16	0	6
17 to 18	6	9
19 to 20	3	17
21 to 22	0	2
23 to 24	0	23
25 to 26	0	6
27 to 28	0	0
29 to 30	3	3
31 to 32	13	12
33 to 34	0	7
35 to 36	0	35
37 to 38	0	8
39 to 40	11	10
41 to 42	0	1
43 to 44	2	40
45 to 46	0	7
47 to 48	14	31
49 to 50	19	40
51 to 52	0	14
53 to 54	0	21
55 to 56	0	16
57 to 58	0	15
59 to 60	0	7
61 to 62	9	41
63 to 64	7	11
65 to 66	0	2
67 to 68	0	25
69 to 70	0	5
71 to 72	0	16
73 to 74	0	2
75 to 76	0	22
77 to 78	3	16
79 to 79	0	4

The evidence

Straight from the script
Counted from the script and the credits

Tap an exhibit to open it.

Exhibit A: every 100 lines

Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 12 are women's.

98 lines from women, 694 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit B: who's in it

13 women and 54 men in the cast. 2 women and 19 men from it get lines.

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 33 of 803. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 166 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 10% of the words (1,405), men 90% (12,199). Women have 12% of the lines, so their lines run shorter than men's.

Exhibit D: the test the other way

Two named men talk to each other about something besides a woman. It passes the reverse test.

Conversations between two named characters

Two women

Two men

Exhibit E: behind the camera

4 of the 14 people in these jobs are women. Across the whole crew, 17% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by: Brian De Palma (man)
Written by: David Koepp (man)
From the novel by: Edwin Torres (man)
Produced by: Judith Stevens (woman), Willi Bär (man), Martin Bregman (man), Michael Bregman (man)
Shot by: Stephen H. Burum (man)
Edited by: Kristina Boden (woman), Bill Pankow (man)
Music by: Patrick Doyle (man)
Production design by: Richard Sylbert (man)
Costumes by: Aude Bronson-Howard (woman)
Cast by: Bonnie Timmermann (woman)