Film criticism is no exact science, and favoured texts change by the day, but one name that would be quickly down on the team-sheet for all-time classics would be Robert Rossen’s poetic, thoughtful and electrifying romantic-drama The Hustler. Released the same year as Hitchcock’s ground-breaking Psycho, another game-changer that paved the way for modern cinema, The Hustler’s credentials remain immaculate; Rossen was already a sports movie whizz via his boxing drama Body and Soul, while the deep-focus black and white photography of Eugen Schüfftan means every frame is a picture, with a style that we’d now recognise from Scorsese and his many imitators. Is that enough?
Not even started, bud. Let’s pile on the virtues. Love Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit? This comes from the same writer, Walter Tevis, adapting his own 1959 novel, and with a similar theme in mind before writing a rather different ‘ingénue against the capitalist world’ trope The Man Who Fell to Earth. Fans of The Breakfast Club should get a kick out of seeing how editor Dede Allen sculpts in time here, capturing the ebb and flow of city life around the tables, described in a burst of downbeat lyricism as ‘the slabs they lay out their stiffs on’. There’s classic support from George C Scott in shades as a demonic money-lender, and Jackie Gleeson as aging pool-shark Minnesota Fats. There’s also a stunning, Oscar-nominated and prescient performance from Piper Laurie as Sarah Packard, an alcoholic writer who proclaims herself emancipated, but can’t inure herself to the pains of the world via alcohol and sex, although she makes a pretty good fist of it. And at the top of the pile, there’s Paul Newman as Fast Eddie Felson, pool-hustler, athlete, rebel and establishment toppler, young, angry and with the killer moves to usurp the reigning king if he ever gets the right cue.
‘What can you cook?’ Eddie asks Sarah ‘Eggs. How’s do like ‘em?’ she replies. ‘Raw,’ comes his answer; if you can’t dig that kind of subversive attitude, don’t bother applying here. The Hustler starts with a marathon 40 minute pool match that takes 25 hours in the fictional world the characters inhabit, a sequence edited brilliantly by Allen, and then settles down to look at the people involved in depth. Eddie is an idealist who lacks character; getting his thumbs broken teaches him something, but what? Sarah tries to write her way out of depression with a typewriter on the floor and alcohol in her bloodstream; she knows what she wants and she just can’t have it. ‘If you ever say you love me, then I’ll make sure you never take it back’ she tells Eddie, but he can’t find the words. She ends up writing ‘perverted, twisted, crippled’ on a bathroom mirror before, spoilers, taking her own life. Felson returns to the table, defeats Fats, but walks out on his debts and the game as a result of her tragic actions; it’s a transcendent yet worldly ending unlike any other sports movie, and reeks of bitter experience.
The Hustler belongs up there with fist-punchers Slap Shot or Rocky as an ultimate sports movie, but it’s also a deadly serious drama that Miller or Williams would have killed for in terms of naturism and sharp, loaded meaning. It’s one of the great black and white mood pieces, and yet the story rattles along; the billiards scene with Murray Hamilton from Jaws is a cracker too. It’s a truly great star vehicle, back when stars meant a damn, enshrining Newman as a box-office draw for decades to come. But most of all, it’s a story of character, standards, and corruption, and the suggestion that money works against the potential for greatness is refreshing, particularly in the cinema business where money came to dominate and eventually nullify creative decisions. The Hustler is a sordid, beautiful, wordy, visually austere experience that views all human life with compassion and derision in equal measure, giving aspiring hustlers nothing but cold hard truth before the final pocket drop.
I really enjoyed that review. The Hustler is so crisp and moody, such a satisfying film.I could never really warm to The Color of Money, it pales in the shadow of its predecessor. While The Hustler is like a lit match just about to burn your fingers.
I rewatched Color of Money last night on blu-ray, found it something of a bore at the time, but better on a rewatch. But even with the same writer and star, it’s simply not the same thing. Glad to hear I’m not the only fan of The Hustler, I feel somewhat neglected now. Thanks!
You feel neglected?
As neglected at The Hustler. Yes. Totally neglected. Alex making horrible insinuations about me.
Where? He’s just on about a snapshot as far as I can tell.
He’s been yellow carded for persistent innuendo on the Idi Amin.
Ah just reading that now.
Disgrace to himself.
He did say earlier that he ‘was on something’. Narrowed it down to pain au chocolats, but maybe it was something stronger.
Absinthe, judging by the state of his writing.
🤣🤣🤣
A class movie, and a class review.
Ay thank yow!
Top class effort in a world that was never put on screen before.
And rarely so convincingly….
I like Paul Newman brand frozen pizzas. Does that count for something?
Because I watched the color of money sometime in the early ’00’s and never wanted to watch another pool movie again.
No.
I re-watched exactly that film last night and found it better than my teenage self remembered it.
Well, then I guess I’ll just have to buy a paul newman pizza for dinner tonight, just to show you what’s what.
I like Cruise as an action star and that’s about it.
Post a picture of your pizza. I’m sure we’re all keen to see it.
Not a bad idea. Maybe I can get a gig whoring my blog out to big money sponsors and quit my day job.
Sounds safer than robbing banks.
Most things are.
Except for wrestling grizzly bears in your bedroom. I hear that’s pretty dangerous.
It is, not recommended!
No, I can attest to this personally. If Mrs B hadn’t brought me an elixir of life, ie, a monster energy drink, I probably would have died last night. It was Mano a Natureo and by gum, the best man won! We are now the proud owners of a grizzly bear carpet.
I still haven’t figured out HOW the grizzly managed to get through our 3rd story window though. I guess nature is tenacious, along with being merciful 😉
I want to see a picture of this trophy.
Here’s the picture:
https://bookstooge.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/il_1140xn.2058015903_qz12.jpg
Let me know if that link didn’t go through.
I’m not seeing you or Mrs B. And let me be honest and say that does not look like a particularly fierce grizzly bear. I think this is a fraudulent effort to look tough that fails miserably. That is what I’d call a pajama case.
Hey now, that fake grizzly bear had feelings too you know, before I turned it into a faux-carpet anyway.
You should be more merciful, like Nature….
That pictures shows a merciful creature if ever I saw one. Wouldn’t hurt a fly that thing. Proves my point, nature IS merciful.
Ok, you caught me out in a barbarous lie. I really killed a space monkey.
There’s Mrs B and I and the space monkey. He’s dead now….
https://bookstooge.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/beaa97c737c99cc947af114999e2fd6f.jpg
And for the record, he really needed to brush his teeth and use more deodorant…
What are you guys wearing? Really takes me out of the space monkey thing. Is that how you people dress?
Those are our “hunting space monkey” outfits. When we are kidnapping moon people, then it’s head to toe burkas. Moon dust is bad for the complexion after all.
You guys look ripped, are you working out?
Absolutely! Hunting space monkeys is tough work after all. Then there’s robbing the space banks to finance the expeditions. We have to be tough AND agile.
Someday we’ll give it all up and retire to our ranch on Mars, but today is not that day…
I have to say it’s a rather immodest picture to share online. Could easily attract the wrong kind of follower. Space monkey hunting is no catwalk. Dress with a bit more dignity, please.
Beauty is its own dignity. That’s why bears are nudists….
They wear little hats and waistcoats, surely? Or are bears different in the US?
Only the Clown Bears do that here.
The majestic bears bare it all. Even when separating you from your intestines. Plus, it saves on laundry bills for them….
Why would a majestic bear pay for outside laundry services?
I don’t know. I don’t talk with bears if I can help it. Usually it’s kill or be killed (unless Mrs B has a cold monster waiting in the wings).
Sounds like the bears don’t show you any mercy.
They don’t. They should though. Maybe if they did I’d share my monster with them.
Hey, isn’t it like midnight where you’re at?
Some time after.
I’m impressed. I can’t even stay up TO midnight any more…
The Queen’s Gambit? Tick. The Breakfast Club? Tick. The Hustler? Sounds like my kind of film. And Eddie seems like an absolute legend.
That’s what I mean by immaculate credentials. That’s several generations of great work sprang from this spot…
It’s on the list, alongside the Mamma Mia franchise, of course.
I gather Mamma Mia 3 will end with Lily James looking pensively out to sea while her island friends are murdered, then a close up of Meryl Steep silently screaming….
The perfect way to end a perfect trilogy.
Right. And I note that Mamma Mia’s story is based on 1968 film Buena Sera Mrs Campbell, so it’s easy to imagine Coppola stealing ideas from it as he worked on adapting The Godfather.
It’s all becoming so transparently clear. I say we take this to the top. Are you in contact with Mr Coppola?
Every morning, he comes round and looks though my bins, searching for new ideas…
The scoundrel. The world needs to know! I’m going to send an email to his agency, politely informing them if he doesn’t admit he’s stealing other people’s work, we’re going to get a lawsuit involved. What do you think?
If he can get us all roles in Mamma Mia 3, I’d be prepared to overlook this transgression. I’ll be Cher, if that’s OK with you?
Works for me. I think you’d make a great Cher. I’ll set around to making the first draft, making our demands. Wish me luck!
Great, make sure there’s a decent role for yourself.
Of course, I’ve already pinned myself down for the best role. I’m not going to tell you who it is, in case you get any wise ideas.
Belongs up there with Slap Shot? Well . . .
And Slap Shot is an absolute classic, right?
As a Canadian of a certain age I think I’m required to say yes.
Is the correct answer, I’d say there would be no Slap Shot without The Hustler, so that’s a sobering thought to move forward with, isn’t it?