It is often said that snooker became a popular sport in 1970s Britain due to colour television, which made it look attractive on the small screen. A decade earlier, another cue sport – pool – increased its popularity in the USA due to a feature film made in black-and-white. That film was The Hustler, a 1961 drama directed by Robert Rossen.
The film is based on the eponymous novel by Walter S. Tevis. The protagonist, played by Paul Newman, is Edward “Fast Eddie” Folsom, a talented young pool player who travels around the country and earns his living by taking small amounts of cash from unsuspecting opponents. He, however, dreams of turning his career into something more, namely taking on established and famous players in high-stakes games. The opportunity for that comes when he faces the grand champion Minnesota Fats (played by Jackie Gleason). During the gruelling all-night match, Eddie at first has the upper hand, but his arrogance, refusal to quit, too much alcohol and fatigue lead to a reversal and humiliating defeat. Left all but penniless, Eddie contemplates his next move when he meets Sarah Packard (played by Piper Laurie), an attractive woman who is revealed to be a part-time college student and full-time alcoholic. Eddie starts a romantic relationship with her and moves into her apartment while he tries to find a way to stage a rematch against Minnesota Fats. In the meantime, he becomes the object of interest of Bert Gordon (played by George C. Scott), a well-off professional gambler who offers to become his manager. After initial hesitation, Eddie agrees and goes to Louisville to play another high-stakes match, not knowing that his actions will have tragic consequences.
The Hustler had a successful run at the box office, won over critics and was nominated for a number of Oscars, winning those for art direction and cinematography (the latter by the famous German cinematographer Eugen Schüfftan). While its success might look surprising from the perspective of today’s viewers, who would probably be put off by the dark and depressive plot and black-and-white cinematography, in its time it could rely on the immense talent and star power of Paul Newman, an actor who was at his prime and on the way to becoming one of the greatest Hollywood icons in the next few decades. Newman plays a very complex but believable character that, in many ways, can be viewed as an antihero. At the beginning, he is revealed to be a glorified confidence artist, and not in the vein of a professional charmer like the character Newman would later play in The Sting. Newman’s intensity is such that, when he starts making stupid mistakes, the audience is likely to root for him to fail and learn his lesson. Only later, when he hits rock bottom, does Newman win back the audience with his attempts to do the right thing and build what he calls “character”.
Newman’s excellent work is enhanced by interaction with a formidable cast. George C. Scott, another acting giant of Hollywood, appears as a menacing but intelligent manipulator, playing that character with significantly less intensity than the roles in the latter part of his career. Jackie Gleason, a character actor best known for comedies, actually has little screen time in the film, but his regal presence, cold professionalism and ability to be humble when it counts serve as a powerful reminder of what Eddie wants to be. Piper Laurie, on the other hand, tries very hard in her role, but at times her character, although quite complex, seems like part of an obligatory romantic subplot and burdened by clichés. Her subplot is also burdened by the strict censorship requirements of the Hays Code era Hollywood, so the audience would need some time to figure out what goes on in scenes that implicitly feature sexual themes and content. For Laurie, this was the last role before a long pause in her career caused by her decision to dedicate herself to family (which lasted until her impressive return in Carrie). The film also benefits from an atmospheric jazz score by Kenyon Hopkins, which gives the film a slightly “noirish” vibe and fits perfectly into the setting of seedy pool halls.
The Hustler is a good film, but it was deprived of true greatness by excessive length and some problems with narrative structure. The most interesting scene – the long, gruelling match between Eddie and Fats – happens at the very beginning, and nothing in later segments comes close to its intensity. Pool enthusiasts, on the other hand, are likely to be happy with this film. The creators took pains to make that sport look authentic on the screen – the famous champion Willie Mosconi served as technical advisor; Newman, who had never played pool before, subjected himself to intense training in order to look believable; Jackie Gleason was already an accomplished pool player. The popularity of the film later inspired the famous pool player Rudolf Wanderone to adopt “Minnesota Fats” as his new name, under which he would play for the rest of his career. A quarter of a century later, Martin Scorsese directed a sequel under the title The Color of Money.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/990-the-hustler Critic: AA
