| Director | Daniel Petrie |
|---|---|
| Budget | $10 million |
| Box office | $65.2 million |
Police officers face many challenges in the impoverished, high-crime South Bronx region of New York City. Among these officers are NYPD officers Murphy and Corelli, who work from the 41st Precinct, nicknamed "Fort Apache" because, to those who work there, it feels like an army outpost in foreign territory. The streets are full of dangerous criminals, such as violent gangs and drug dealers. Unemployment is at an all-time high, and the neighborhood is full of garbage and wrecked buildings. Murphy's life improves when he meets a young nurse, Isabella, as they start a romantic relationship.
The precinct is one of the most dilapidated in the department, approaching demolition and staffed mostly by officers who are unwanted by other precincts. Additionally, the precinct's officers do not represent the large Puerto Rican community, as only 4% of the officers are Hispanic in the largest non-English-speaking section of the Bronx. Corelli and Murphy attempt to maintain law and order by catching pimps and robbers, but they have conflicts with a newly appointed police captain, Connolly, and corrupt fellow officers. There is rioting due to alleged police brutality, as well as issues related to the deaths of two rookie cops who were shot by drug-addicted Charlotte. During the riot, Murphy and Corelli witness two officers beating up a teenager who was watching the events from a roof with his girlfriend, and they watch in horror as one of the cops angrily picks up the kid and throws him to his death on the street below.
Murphy becomes more intimate with Isabella, and they begin a sexual relationship. While she is sleeping, Murphy notices "track marks" on her skin. She admits that she uses heroin as a way to relax from working in such a stressful environment. Murphy and Corelli are emotionally tormented with the knowledge that they cannot turn in the murderous cops they witnessed; Murphy laments that he does not have the guts to smash through the "blue wall" and turn in the cops.
Charlotte, the killer of the two rookie cops, is never found. She is killed by a dealer whom she tried to kill, and her body is dumped with roadside trash. In turn, Charlotte's killers are killed in a shootout with Murphy when they take hostages in the hospital where Isabella works. Murphy is heartbroken when Isabella dies from a drug overdose, and he wrestles with the moral question of whether he should maintain the "blue wall" and not inform authorities about the officer who threw the teen off the roof. Murphy ultimately decides to resign and report the killing. He seems to be on the verge of quitting the force when he sees the purse-snatcher fleeing from a house that he burglarized. Murphy and Corelli chase the robber, and the image freezes as Murphy leaps to tackle him.