Mickey Rourke plays a not too bright guy who boxes and has observable nervous system damage, which shows in the way he walks and holds his face. He does a terrific job in this role.
The scenes with Rourke and the beautiful carnival girl are touching.
He comes to her aid when she is being harassed by some punks. Later when they are walking together she asks him why he turns his face away as they walk and he says that is because his face looks funny. "No," she tells him. "I like it."
The recurring scene in the gym where the white and black trainer play checkers and the old black trainer keeps asking in puzzlement, "What color am I?" (checker piece color) is a classic. The white trainer and checker opponent tells him each time with a kindly smile, "You're black."
Christopher Walken evokes a disgusting character in the form of the jerk and criminal the Rourke character looks up to. Walken sees a use for Rourke in his own scumbag plans and "befriends" Rourke.
In the course of their contact Rourke asks two questions based on conversation going on around him in an attempt to learn something beyond beyond his own limited world,
1--"What's Granny Smith?"
2--"What's Jewish?"
The character Rourke evokes is one of the most sympathetic figures in any movie-- one who is not at all swift mentally, physically damaged, yet brave and good hearted.
In his physical condition the Rourke character should never have had the fight he did at the end of the movie.
I didn't realize Rourke also wrote this movie. My hat is off to him here. The scenes between him and the carnival girl are among the most touching I have seen.
The scenes with Rourke and the beautiful carnival girl are touching.
He comes to her aid when she is being harassed by some punks. Later when they are walking together she asks him why he turns his face away as they walk and he says that is because his face looks funny. "No," she tells him. "I like it."
The recurring scene in the gym where the white and black trainer play checkers and the old black trainer keeps asking in puzzlement, "What color am I?" (checker piece color) is a classic. The white trainer and checker opponent tells him each time with a kindly smile, "You're black."
Christopher Walken evokes a disgusting character in the form of the jerk and criminal the Rourke character looks up to. Walken sees a use for Rourke in his own scumbag plans and "befriends" Rourke.
In the course of their contact Rourke asks two questions based on conversation going on around him in an attempt to learn something beyond beyond his own limited world,
1--"What's Granny Smith?"
2--"What's Jewish?"
The character Rourke evokes is one of the most sympathetic figures in any movie-- one who is not at all swift mentally, physically damaged, yet brave and good hearted.
In his physical condition the Rourke character should never have had the fight he did at the end of the movie.
I didn't realize Rourke also wrote this movie. My hat is off to him here. The scenes between him and the carnival girl are among the most touching I have seen.