Heavy Traffic
Directed by Ralph BakshiAn underground cartoonist contends with life in the inner city, where various unsavory characters serve as inspiration for his art.
Where to Watch Heavy Traffic
- RichardOctober 12, 2025This one’s raw, loud and unapologetically personal. Ralph Bakshi turns New York’s grime into animated chaos, following Michael, a young cartoonist drifting through a city of freaks, hustlers and heartbreak. It’s part autobiography, part fever dream and all attitude. The animation is crude but expressive, like graffiti that moves. Live-action blends with sketchy visuals, creating a surreal rhythm that feels like a pinball machine stuck between fantasy and despair. It’s offensive, sure, but also strangely tender. Bakshi doesn’t sanitize anything, he celebrates the mess. If you first saw this on VHS, it probably felt like forbidden art. It’s not polished, but it’s honest. A love letter to the city’s underbelly, scrawled in ink and sweat.
Heavy Traffic Trivia
Heavy Traffic was released on November 17, 1973.
Heavy Traffic was directed by Ralph Bakshi.
Heavy Traffic has a runtime of 77m.
Heavy Traffic was produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff, Steve Krantz.
An underground cartoonist contends with life in the inner city, where various unsavory characters serve as inspiration for his art.
The key characters in Heavy Traffic are Michael Corleone (Joseph Kaufmann), Carole (Beverly Hope Atkinson), Angelo "Angie" Corleone (voice) (Frank De Kova).
Heavy Traffic is rated NC-17.
Heavy Traffic is an Animation, Comedy, Drama film.
Heavy Traffic has an audience rating of 7.4 out of 10.
Heavy Traffic had a budget of $950K.
Heavy Traffic has made $1.5M at the box office.