How sad is this?

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The Hustler (1961) is a black and white Drama/Sports film about a rookie pool player who competes in a single-high stake match against a professional player with a long time winning streak. This movie is enjoyable regardless of whether or not you are a pool player. The acting is great and the mysterious music puts you on edge and makes you excited.I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys classic dramas. The cinematography, dialogue, and plot are all excellent and executed properly. In the scene where they first play pool together, the music starts off slowly at a low tempo and increases in tempo and volume as the game gets closer and closer to finishing.This film has it all- romance, a unique plot, gorgeous costumes, great music and amazing acting. Eddie Felson has the talent. He is an excellent pool player which is proved by how many games he wins. But, talent isn't all that it takes to make it big at pool. Does Eddie Felson have what it takes to be successful?

'The Hustler' treats pool not just as a game, but as a self- destructive addiction of the protagonist Eddie Felson. The film is about character or more specifically about the development of character. It's about a character coming to realise what's really important in life. Robert Rossen commits to making Eddie a very complicated character who has both positive as well as negative traits. This is why, the character arc that he undergoes seems very effective. Phil Newman is charismatic as well as extremely emotive in his portrayal. What I also like about the film is the treatment of the character of Sarah. On one hand, she isn't the damsel in distress who is supposed to be saved by Eddie. But on the other hand, neither is she the pixie dream girl who is perfect and the fantasy girlfriend from a male perspective. Just like Eddie, Sarah is a complex character who is given requisite amount of importance and attention by Rossen. Piper Laurie's performance is really really great. There is a particular scene in the film where Eddie and Sarah attend a party. There is a particular tracking shot in that scene(which is marked by extremely loud music) where the camera is on Sarah as she walks towards the camera with Eddie visible at the background talking to another woman. The facial expressions and general demeanour of Laurie in this scene is absolutely heartbreaking. My only little gripe with the film is the treatment of character of Bert Gordon. Performance wise, George C. Scott delivers a good performance which exudes authority and charisma. But unfortunately, the Mephistopheles-esque aura that the character is supposed to personify(this symbolism gets explicitly verbalised in the film) doesn't get enough build up and I didn't really feel his influence on Eddie to be as strong as the film wants us to feel. Overall, 'The Hustler' is a really impressive film that revolves around a sport, but is mainly about character ala 'Raging Bull'.

THE HUSTLER is a sport drama about a bitter life and an unscrupulous competition. Film is based on Walter Tevis novel of the same name.A small-time pool hustler travels cross-country with his partner and earns, on fraud, some money. His attitude and his big mouth forcing him to challenge the legendary player "Minnesota Fats". A challenger and legend finally meet each other. Straight pool duel can begin. Their game attracts the attention of a professional gambler. The young challenger has, despite a noticeable talent, lost the match. He leaves his partner and he meets, at the local bus terminal, a girl, who is an alcoholic supported by her father, attends college part-time, and walks with a limp. They start a strange relationship. However, the pool hustler wants again to challenge a famous rival. His talent does not seem sufficient, he needs a strong character...A restless, irritable and evil protagonists are perfectly integrated into a dark atmosphere. Their greed for a fame and money has ruled out any form of love and nobility in this film. The plot is brisk and exciting. Every word or move is full of passion and has its price.Paul Newman as Eddie Felson is a passionate and violent pool hustler. The protagonist, who is, at one point, on the top of his life goal, and then drops down until he touches the bottom. He was intoxicated with his ambition. The loss of a loved person and a bitter life knowledge are his brutal sobering. Mr. Newman has offered a quite good performance. Piper Laurie as Sarah Packard is his girlfriend, who has lost in her unclear past. However, when Eddie comes into her life, she revives her pathetic reality. She is a dominant character in one part of the film, in which she emphasizes their tragic fate. George C. Scott as Bert Gordon is an antagonist on duty. He is an evil which trades with feelings and souls. His performance is very convincing. Jackie Gleason (Minnesota Fats) is a cool as a legendary player. However, he has become a prisoner of his talent and money.Maybe this movie is a strong projection of the real world, which is complemented with a cynical reviews and a tragic-ironic end. The protagonists have condemned themselves to a bitter taste of life.

This film is a proof that Hollywood produced more in the 1950-60s than just colorful musicals. Paul Newman as Fast Eddie Felsen, one of the character that made him famous and for which he could win an Oscar. Piper Laurie as Oscar nominated plays the doomed love interest. Standout performances come from Jackie Gleason, breaking his Ralph Cramden persona to play a hustler, and most notably George C. Scott, as Newman's oily manager.Robert Rossen directs in the same gritty style which works well for the milieu. The movie is very good, it's shot in black and white and has some decent cinematography and acting, despite the hokey script, but it's such a downer that it leaves a bad taste in the mouth when it's over.