Great film, and was any Hollywood actor in the 1940's more magnetic than John Garfield? It is the boxing movie on which all other boxing movies have drawn elements from ever since- the poor kid made good by his talent for boxing yet who is exploited by corrupt fight managers and his own material greed, the faithful girlfriend/wife out of the ring, the scenes showing the lure of riches and the moral decay it brings.
The film opens with Garfield waking from a troubled dream, calling out for "Ben!". In the middle of the night he rushes to his mother's (Ann Revere) apartment where his faithful girlfriend Lilli Palmer burst into tears upon seeing him. Revere tells Garfield to go. We soon find out, through flashback, just what has happened to Garfield and his body has been used at the expense of his soul.
While the film may seem formulaic now...let's remember it started the boxing formula! Great performances all round. Garfield is intense and charismatic, Palmer is sympathetic and warm yet also keenly intelligent and aware and Canada Lee gets a striking role as Ben, the role being a major move forward for the portrayal of African-Americans on-screen. The film is well-written (Polonsky would make the excellent Force Of Evil with Garfield in the following year) and contains many memorable scenes, and the editing in that final fight scene is top-notch. Compulsive and compulsory viewing.
The film opens with Garfield waking from a troubled dream, calling out for "Ben!". In the middle of the night he rushes to his mother's (Ann Revere) apartment where his faithful girlfriend Lilli Palmer burst into tears upon seeing him. Revere tells Garfield to go. We soon find out, through flashback, just what has happened to Garfield and his body has been used at the expense of his soul.
While the film may seem formulaic now...let's remember it started the boxing formula! Great performances all round. Garfield is intense and charismatic, Palmer is sympathetic and warm yet also keenly intelligent and aware and Canada Lee gets a striking role as Ben, the role being a major move forward for the portrayal of African-Americans on-screen. The film is well-written (Polonsky would make the excellent Force Of Evil with Garfield in the following year) and contains many memorable scenes, and the editing in that final fight scene is top-notch. Compulsive and compulsory viewing.