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The Hustler (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
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Editorial Reviews:
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Paul Newman heads a superb cast featuring Jackie Gleason, George C. Scott and Piper Laurie in the riveting film that received an Academy Award(r) nomination as Best Picture of 1961 and brought all four of its Oscar(r) nomination. Newman (Best Actor nominee) is electrifying as Fast Eddie Felson, an arrogant, amoral hustler who haunts backstreet pool rooms fleecing anyone who'll pick up a cue. Determined to be acclaimed as the best, Eddie seeks out the legendary Minnesota Fats (Gleason, Supporting Actor nominee), who's backed by Bert Gordon (Scott, Supporting Actor nominee), a predatory gambler. Eddie can beat the champ, but virtually defeats himself with his low self-image. The love of a lonely woman (Laurie, Best Actress nominee) could turn Eddie's life around, but he won't rest until he beats Minnesota Fats, no matter what price he must pay. Voted one of the year's ten best by "The New York Times" and "Time," and distinguished by 2 Academy Awards- Cinematography, Art Direction-Set Decoration (B&W), The Hustler is a dazzling cinematic triumph.
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Paul Newman shines as cocky poolroom hustler "Fast" Eddie Felson in Robert Rossen's atmospheric adaptation of the Walter Tevis novel. Newman's Felson is a swaggering pool shark punk who takes on the king of the poolroom, Minnesota Fats (a cool, assured Jackie Gleason in his most understated performance). After losing big and crashing into a void of self-pity, Eddie meets down-and-out Sarah (Piper Laurie in a delicate performance), an alcoholic blue blood who's dropped into Eddie's world of dingy bars and seedy poolrooms. Eddie regains his confidence and attracts the attention of a shifty, calculating promoter, Bert Gordon (George C. Scott at his most heartless), who offers to bring Eddie into the big money--but at what cost? Rossen brings his film to life with the easy pace of a pool game, giving his actors room to explore their characters and develop into a razor-sharp ensemble. Eugen Schüfftan earned an Academy Award for his shadowing black-and-white cinematography, as did art directors Harry Horner and Gene Callahan for their deceivingly simple set designs. Even in the daylight this film seems to be smothered by night, lit by the dim glow of a bar lamp or the overhead glare of a pool-table light, an appropriate environment for this tale of one man's struggle with his soul and his self-esteem. Newman returned as an older, wiser, cagier Felson 25 years later in Martin Scorsese's Color of Money. --Sean Axmaker
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The Hustler (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
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User Comments About The Hustler (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
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You can feel elements of 50s drama merging with the rough-hewn existentialism of the early 60s, though it's a drama in every sense of the word - nothing twilight zone about this one, except the way characters seem to resemble Rod Serling a little bit in the way they talk. Shot in black and white, it still feels distinctly early 60s, and comes off as a modern tragedy (if not melodrama).
I didn't realize until the end, Paul Newman's financial banker from the underworld is played by a youthful George C Scott, who does a great job. I tend to like movies that I've seen from this time period.
There's something kind of James Deanish in Newman's character - naive, brash, arrogant - old school 50s tough guy. But on the poetic side, it doesn't fall short.
If nothing else, it has a lot of atmosphere, partially due to being in black and white (the version I saw was in black and white). There's a feeling of change in the air, an attempt at poetic realism, though with the 'cool' so thick you can cut it with a knife, it may fall short of realistic for a modern audience (of course this was 45 years ago).
Dramatic, sometimes downright melodramatic. Paul himself (as mentioned) sometimes feels a bit over the top, as does his lady love (an interesting character played by Piper Laurie), but in spite of that, the story remains interesting.
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It's fun to revisit the 50's and early 60's to see the time and values put forth by Hollywood. Seldom do we see redeeming movies anymore. The movie's pacing is different from the standard movie. This is a classic. The Hustler is a movie about redemption in 1961 America. This movie is a trip back to a different time. I guess we have forgotten our classic in now fast-paced world of grab the most stuff.
Outstanding cinematography. It was such an important theme back then. It shows him at his prime. When Newman died I decided to buy this movie. This is a pre-Beatle, pre-boomer movie but one that shaped boomer genaeration.
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The movie represents my favorite Newman performance. A must-have movie for true fans of Paul Newman. I purchased "The Hustler" in tribute to the passing of iconic Paul Newman. The package is wonderful with an extra disc of Extras.
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An outstanding piece of American film; commentary useful to some degree altho one of the woman commentators (a daughter of a director or producer) apparently didnt watch the movie very closely, and totally misses the point of the ending when Eddie tells Burt "go ahead and have your boys break my arms." because otherwise it's as if she never lived."
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