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The Hustler
1961
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 .. Read more
| Starring | Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, George C. Scott |
|---|---|
| Director | Robert Rossen |
| Genres | Drama |
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The Hustler
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| Starring | Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, George C. Scott |
|---|---|
| Director | Robert Rossen |
| Studio | 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 9 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Dubbed | French, Italian |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | DVD: Dutch, French, Italian |
| Released | DVD: 19 Aug 2002 Production year: 1961 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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This classic drama is showing its age nowadays: the mock-poetic, soul-searching dialogue and the alcoholic heroine are firmly rooted in 1950s social realism. It does for pool players what dozens of other downbeat movies did for boxers: it psychoanalyses them, determined to make them into complex dramatic characters. However, as a showcase for one of Paul Newman's best screen performances, it's still a masterpiece, with Newman, Jackie Gleason (as Minnesota Fats) and George C Scott striking sparks in the perfectly captured seedy pool-hall atmosphere. The picture is streets ahead of Martin Scorsese's flashy sequel, The Color of Money, for which Newman finally won his deserved Oscar.
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Newman is Fast Eddie, doing his best to convince the world that he can take on Minnesota Fats (Gleason) at pool and... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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11 out of 11 people found this review helpful
Don't let the pool put you off!
I'd always known this was supposed to be a classic, but never got around to seeing it until now. Well, who want's to watch a film all about pool? Don't be decieved, the pool is secondary. This is a character study and love story, as Fast Eddie (Newman) goes from being emotionally empty, his brashness and arrogance hiding his insecurities, to an emotional awakening and maturity.
The actors take centre stage, each perfect for their roles, each fleshing out their character in mastery of their craft. Long, slow takes let the charaters fill the screen, every line, every look, every gesture telling of their inner motivations, their outer stories. Scott is brilliant, Newman burns the screen with an understated intensity, whilst Gleason performance is an essay in why, in big screen acting, less is really more - not a wasted movement, not a wasted gesture.
Shot in bleak black and white, and with a sparse downbeat soundtrack, the film perfectly presents the barren landscape of pool dives, bars and cheap lodgings, that is Eddie's life.
Forget if being a 'sports picture'. Although pool scenes are indeed crucial to the film, you don't need to know anything about the game to appretiate their staging and their dramatic power and tension.
This is simply one of the all time great movies. -
Most recent members' review
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[Highly rated reviewer]
One of the best sports films
Great performances from Paul Newman, Piper Laurie and Jackie Gleason combined with excellent cinematography, a scorching jazz soundtrack and a tip top script. Better than the sequel (The Color of Money) but watching both as a double bill is a fantastic experience.
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- grantf from Edinburgh
- Posted 07 Jan 2009 21:46
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News and features
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Lohan gets Hustler's spoof porn treatment
- 19 Jul 2009
Lindsay Lohan's wildchild reputation has earned her the ultimate bad girl honour - she is the subject of a spoof porn movie. Lohan lookalike Scarlett Fay is seen romping with legendary adult film star Ron Jeremy while a doppelganger of girlfriend Samantha Ronson looks on. The parody, produced by Hustler magazine and titled Untrue Hollywood Stories: Lindsay Lohan, also sees 'Lohan' dressed up as a naughty schoolgirl, guzzling champagne and enjoying a sizzling smooch with 'Ronson'. And the on/off Read more
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