The Hustler (1961)
Genre: Drama / Romance
Duration: 134 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Robert Rossen
Stars: Paul Newman, Piper Laurie and George C. Scott
IMDb score:
7,9 (90.239)
Releasedate: 25 September 1961
The Hustler plot
"They called him Fast Eddie. He was a winner. He was a loser. He was a hustler."
Fast Eddie Felson is a great talent in the arctic world, but he has a major weakness and that is his arrogance. Not only does he always want to win, he also always wants to convince his opponents of his superiority. The film follows Eddie as he tries to beat champion Minnesota Fats, falls in love with Sarah and falls under the influence of Bert Gordon.
Actors and actresses
Eddie Felson
Minnesota Fats
Sarah Packard
Bert Gordon
Charlie Burns
Findley
Big John
Preacher
Turk
Bartender
Reviews & comments
IH88
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- 9810 messages
- 3201 votes
“Fat man, you shoot a great game of pool.”
“So do you, Fast Eddie.”
Paul Newman is one of the most charismatic actors to ever exist. He's great again in The Hustler, and the movie itself is strong too. A little too long and not everything is captivating, but the film is remarkably dark and dramatic. Something I didn't really expect. In the end it really becomes a deep story about personal loss and an identity crisis, and Newman (and the ever-great George C. Scott) put it on a par.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Film Pegasus (moderator films)
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- 31397 messages
- 5577 votes
Hollywood has managed to turn a sport like boxing into something exciting in several movies. Something that otherwise never interests me. However, it does not work with pool. The focus is on the gambling and not on the pool and that makes those scenes uninteresting. The Hustler has some nice characters and Paul Newman is a good actor, but it never gets interesting and the whole thing looks rather boring and long-winded. The film has not quite stood the test of time. I expected more from this.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Dievegge
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- 3211 messages
- 8295 votes
Paul Newman had never touched a cue before he landed this part. Still, he takes some nice shots himself. He was taught by top player Willie Mosconi, who has a cameo. When only Eddie's hands come into view on a difficult shot, it's Mosconi's. Three cushion is also featured, with a strong carom via five cushions.
The protagonist - inspired by "Fast Eddie" Parker - has talent but also a propensity for self-destruction. His tough way of speaking and moving masks his inner insecurity. He has a casual style, no tie, with a sapphire in his mouth. His rival Minnesota Fats is an imposing figure with a voluminous belly, a carnation in his buttonhole, brillantine in his hair and powdered hands. In pool, intimidation and psychological warfare are as important as playing technique. George C. Scott plays the wolf who makes money out of someone else's talent. African Americans can only be seen as cleaners or maids; it was the time of segregation.
After the first half hour, attention shifts to Eddie's private life when he meets Sarah (Piper Laurie). Then you get a relationship between two dipsomaniacs that alternately pull each other up and down. She demands a lot of time and attention from him, but finds that she cannot compete with his true love, the pool table.
There must be an unhealthy smell of alcohol and cigarettes in those gaming rooms. Smoke, shadows and mirror writing evoke a noir atmosphere. The jazzy music of Kenyin Hopkins confirms this grubby mood.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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