The Hustler

I've watched the film twice since I bought the bluray, because firstly its a great film anyway, and secondly on bluray it looks stunning. The black and white photography looks like it was filmed yesterday rather than 52 years ago. The cast are superb with Paul Newman and the leading actress (whose name escapes me) giving great performances, ably supported by George C Scott who plays the agent/promotor/manager. As somebody else in another review said the film isn't really about Pool. In fact large chunks of it are in the realm of kitchen sink drama, and thats no bad thing as it contrasts starkly with the Pool room scenes. The film is in 2.35:1 ratio and the extras, which I watched some months ago are pretty good. But the main reason to get this is the bluray transfer, which, for a film of this age is one of the best I've seen.

I play a lot of pool and I love this movie. It was Newman's premier performance and he just nails the character of Fast Eddie". What a way to start a career. Jackie Gleason and George C. Scott play awesome parts and make it all real. Excellent story and superior acting from everyone.

For me Paul Newman was not as convincing in this picture as he was in the earlier "Cat on a hot tin roof", but the supporting cast including Jackie Gleason and George C Scott were excellent. As you would expect from an American film there is some violence, too much muzak, and the lovers keep their clothes on in bed.

Just as I expected, excellent film 😄🎥

This is one of the great films; it was 50 years ago and it is even more so now. The content, the actors, and the production are all first rate. And, there is not on CGI shot in the piece. Just good drama.

Good film with a great cast good story one of the many good films the late Paul Newman made.

That's definitely one of these fine, clever desert island films one has to see before dying !Maybe even better than Cool Hand Luke, in quite a different genre of story of course.

Good

Un clásico entre los clásicos. El buscavidas, película que décadas más tarde tendría su secuela de manos de Martin Scorsese, es la historia de un golfo que se gana la vida jugando y apostando en los billares. Paul Newman en estado de gracia en ese perfil de papel que tanto representó durante su juventud. Una gran película que ahora, con esta oferta que me ha permitido conseguirla por menos de 7€ en Blu Ray, era imposible negarse a comprar.

Over the years I've watched eighty eight movies on the original list of the AFI Top 100 Movies of all-time and of those eighty eight movies there are about four or five films I would drop. Of the list of the AFI Tenth Year Anniversary Top 100 I've seen eighty three movies and though I was pleased to see "The Shawshank Redemption" was added to the group I was disappointed to find the AFI dropped both "Fargo" and "Rebel Without a Cause". Of that list I would drop about seven or eight of the newly listed films as well. As the original four to five films I'd drop still remained on the new list this makes a total of eleven to thirteen spots that, in my opinion could be filled by better American films. If I'm being honest most of the more intelligent movies these days do not come out of America. A lot of them come out of Europe. Take for instance recent gems "The Lives of Others", "Head On" and "Revanche" to name a few which are far superior to such embarrassing Oscar winners as "Juno", "Little Miss Sunshine" and the insipid and idiotic "Her". But back in 1961 at the start of a great boom in American cinema that would run up through the end of 1976, a timeless film came into being that any country and any generation could be proud of. It was based on Walter Tevis' first novel of the same name and it was called "The Hustler". The best description of the film I've ever come across is "A Greek Tragedy played out in pool halls". And that is precisely what it is. Shot in stark and glorious black and white the story tells a tale about the quest to be a winner and the price one must pay to achieve such a goal. The argument of the story or the premise if you will is "In order to win one must have character". The definition of both what it is to win and what denotes character is argued throughout the script. Eddie, the lead character, thinks winning equates with money and beating the best pool player around; Minnesota Fats whom he loses to in the first act and hungers to beat passionately from that point on. The villain Bert Gordon, who becomes Eddie's new manager, claims everyone has talent but not necessarily character and also believes winning equates with wealth but also that with wealth comes power. But the voice of reason in the story encompassed by Eddie's intelligent polio stricken alcoholic writer girlfriend Sarah Packard argues differently saying because Eddie possesses both a wealth of talent and an uncommon passionate love for the game he is a winner already. And with this the battle lines are drawn. The names of the characters in the story are paramount. Sarah brings this to light in an early scene where she is sitting in a bar with Eddie whom she has just met. She asks him if he wants to know what the name Sarah means and there is reason for this. The name "Sarah" means "Princess". Her last name "Packard" means "one who packs" which she finds herself having to do in order to keep Eddie. The name Burt means "Illustrious" with his last name Gordon meaning "Large Fortification". The name Eddie means "Wealthy Guard" and his surname Felson may allude to the translation "fallen son". Each name says something about the characters that may on the surface seem less than what they are as they dwell in the seedy and smoky world they inhabit. But do not be fooled. As Sarah points out Eddie is wealthy already. He's a talented winner who has already won her heart and doesn't need to beat Minnesota Fats to prove himself. But Burt, who has money but does not possess talent, passion or princess, is the devil on Eddie's shoulder urging him on to play Minnesota Fats again...and hustle some wealthy billiards players on the way as a means to use Eddie to line his pockets and feed his ego in his own twisted quest to be a winner. Eddie's drive to beat Minnesota Fats in a rematch makes him desperate and blind to Bert's manipulations. Bert's jealousy of Eddie's talent and the egotistical thrill of using him to make money are threatened by Sarah's intelligence and ability to see through his schemes and he fights to get rid of her. Sarah's insecurities about her deformity and her love for Eddie make her vulnerable despite her insightful ability to see through the haze and distinguish the truth about each of the men. This volatile combination needs amongst the three characters builds a tension that grows mesmerizingly until it reaches its explosive and unforgettable conclusion. This is an extraordinary film with standout performances all around. Jackie Gleason is perfectly cast as the cool headed pool champion Minnesota Fats. George C. Scott is excellent as a sleazy business man who as Sarah's character marvelously points out is a Roman who has to have it all. Piper Laurie plays Sarah with a convincing pitch perfect balance of brains, strength and fragility. And in one of his best if not his very best performance Paul Newman plays Fast Eddie brilliantly showing us all the power and fissures in this engaging and tragically flawed man. The directing is spot on bringing us straight into a seedy underground of early 1960's pool halls filled with desperation and the struggle for triumph. And the writing is top notch with its complex layers drawing us into its characters and its themes which keep us riveted from beginning to end. It still shocks me even now that "The Hustler" did not make the AFI Top One Hundred. The movie is a brilliant timeless testament to America's obsession with winning. Possibly the best ever. All one needs to do is turn on a television set where from sports to reality shows to awards shows we can how relevant it's premise remains to this day. Of all the great American films ever made, "The Hustler" may just be the most overlooked masterpiece of them all.

One of my all-time favorite movies. I was relieved see that this Blu-ray disc is an excellent reproduction, both visually (nice and sharp) and in terms of sound quality.

Yeah it's a great movie thanks

WIE GEIL!!! Ich war nicht bereit, 30 oder gar 60 Euro für die "deutsche" Bluray zu bezahlen und habe den UK-Import mit deutschen Untertiteln bestellt. Weil auf der Hülle nur englische Untertitel angegeben waren, wollte ich die Disk schon ungeöffnet zurückschicken. Ich hab's dann doch probiert und siehe da: Alle Untertitel plus Ton in deutsch, französisch, spanisch, portugiesisch! Der Hammer!!! (Sorry, ich bin sonst auch sparsamer mit Ausrufezeichen.)