Known for his intimidatingly good looks, charm and charisma, Paul Newman was a force in Hollywood films from the time he started to the time he was laid to rest. Many of today’s stars in fact credit Newman as a huge reason for even attempting a run at the entertainment industry. Over the years and in film after film, Newman only seemed to get better at his craft. Excluding TV movies and the occasional voice over, Newman would pass the torch to Tom Hanks in Road to Perdition in a send-off performance for the ages. Long before that though, he gave the world The Hustler.
Those aware of Newman’s existence are likely familiar with this classic. Unfortunately, the ignorance of today’s youth makes this column topic an appropriate one. Newman’s leading man performance in The Hustler showed an early capability of an actor who would go onto to have an unusually long career as a result. Newman is ‘Fast Eddie’ Felson, a young pool prodigy who makes a living by hustling other players with the help of his partner Charlie. His life is business as usual until he hears of Minnesota Fats, a man who people in the billiards community believe to be the best there is. Fast Eddie thus makes it his mission to meet Fats, play him, and beat him continuously until Fats either quits or deems him the superior player.
The Hustler ,the story of man who struggles with understanding his real purpose in life and how the game of pool even fits into that.
This of course sounds basic for a movie plot, but it is certainly much deeper than just two men competing for bragging rights. The source material is derived from the original novel by Walter Tevis, telling the story of man who struggles with understanding his real purpose in life and how the game of pool even fits into that. Robert Rossen directs The Hustler in a dated yet effective fashion; as though filmmakers were limited in how to shoot back then, much of what he chose to implement sees The Hustler still holding up today as a solid product. It’s more an actor’s movie than it is a director’s piece, lacking in action but almost over delivering on its characters and their humanity. Paul Newman’s brilliance goes without saying, as prior addressed, he hits this out of the park. Then of course there is strong supporting work by Piper Laurie and on the part of George C. Scott. Jackie Gleason even oozes presence, surprising enough as he was only in the film for about twenty minutes.
The Hustler is just good old fashioned acting at its finest. Given the time period, it’s obvious that actors go about navigating a performance in a much more evolved way nowadays. That said Newman and his co-stars still perform at an elite level and even nearly unmatched in comparison to some of Hollywood’s more recent performances. The Hustler is a film with intention and its purpose far surpasses the desire to entertain, but also for viewers to feel. Give this a watch, as a film like this just never gets old.
