Warren Oates anchors this violent exploitation film, in a rare true leading role with his frequent collaborator Monte Hellman ("Two-Lane Blacktop"). The character he plays is mute, so we get a chance to savor Mr. Oates' wonderful talent of facial expressions and his special empathy without any of the usual filters. The story is fairly routine, I suppose, considering that this is the only cockfighting movie I've heard of -- Oates plays Frank Mansfield, a man so obsessed with winning an award for the cockfighter of the year in America that he takes a vow of silence until he achieves it. Patricia Pearcy is his lady love, who does not understand the addictive appeal of the bloodsport and its place in Frank's heart. Harry Dean Stanton plays Jack, his major rival in the ring of battle, who embarrasses the glib Frank to the point where he takes the vow.
I think that this is going to be a "love it or hate it" movie, because first of all the violent cockfighting is not faked, and it is shown in close detail and slow motion. Also we have a very coarse looking film, full of grime and dirt. The very first scenes of the movie I knew I was going to like it, because here's the great Oates driving a dirty old RV and rolling his own smokes. Oates' character is fascinating, and he's the entire reason for this movie's existence. He lives by the code of a gentleman and is trusted by everyone else in his sport. For him the business of it and the actual conduct in the cockfighting ring are equally bound in honor, and for him the battles are a display of grace and existential victory (presumably this is why we have the battles in slow motion).
It's a little meandering, and I didn't find the very ending of the film to be as satisfying as it could be. But this is an absolute joy for fans of Oates, and I also thought it was a good example of Hellman's sort of detached and pseudo-documentary style. It's a gritty film about a nasty sport that few might want to explore, but I think most will find the journey worth the trouble. As a historical note, this was the last film that Hellman made for Roger Corman, a partnership that went back to 1959's memorable B horror film "Beast from Haunted Cave."
I think that this is going to be a "love it or hate it" movie, because first of all the violent cockfighting is not faked, and it is shown in close detail and slow motion. Also we have a very coarse looking film, full of grime and dirt. The very first scenes of the movie I knew I was going to like it, because here's the great Oates driving a dirty old RV and rolling his own smokes. Oates' character is fascinating, and he's the entire reason for this movie's existence. He lives by the code of a gentleman and is trusted by everyone else in his sport. For him the business of it and the actual conduct in the cockfighting ring are equally bound in honor, and for him the battles are a display of grace and existential victory (presumably this is why we have the battles in slow motion).
It's a little meandering, and I didn't find the very ending of the film to be as satisfying as it could be. But this is an absolute joy for fans of Oates, and I also thought it was a good example of Hellman's sort of detached and pseudo-documentary style. It's a gritty film about a nasty sport that few might want to explore, but I think most will find the journey worth the trouble. As a historical note, this was the last film that Hellman made for Roger Corman, a partnership that went back to 1959's memorable B horror film "Beast from Haunted Cave."