"The Hustler" A work of tenacity released by a master craftsman who was blacklisted in Hollywood's Red Scare.

“The Hustler” synopsis

Eddie, a young gambling billiards professional, was a billiards player with a legendary record of being undefeated for 15 years. Until I took on a guy called Minnesota Fats. The match, which was going well, turned upside down when Eddie let his guard down and started drinking. Eddie loses all his assets in that battle, and his life gradually becomes difficult. However, when the woman he loves commits suicide, he challenges Fats again...

Index

• A quirky black and white movie from the beginning of the 60's
• The breakthrough work of the rare actor Paul Newman
• Master craftsman Rossen had a bad time due to the Red Scare.
• What emerges from the overlap between the protagonist and the director

A quirky black and white movie from the beginning of the 60's

This is, without a doubt, a masterpiece that shines brightly in the history of film. However, it seems that when many people think of The Hustler, the first thing that comes to mind is `` The Color of Money '' (1986), directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Tom Cruise. Considering how gorgeous it looks and the cast, it's no wonder. This film, on the other hand, is a stubborn and eccentric work that maintains a black-and-white aesthetic despite the fact that color films were already well established. It makes me feel as if I'm living a surreal dream that I'll never wake up from.

However, once you start watching it, it doesn't seem to be a difficult work to get into. Knowledge of billiards is good, but not essential.

The main character is "Swift Eddie," a billiards expert. Even today, he wanders into a bar far from his hometown, pretends to be a drunk noob, and makes a living by showing off his skill with the ducks he catches there.

“The Hustler” preview

One day, Eddie, who lives the life of a ``The Hustler,'' is exposed to his mental weakness in a confrontation with a legendary ball-chasing master, and is completely beaten to death. The taste of failure was extremely bitter. After spending his days wandering around like a rootless weed, Eddie eventually develops a new sense of values ​​through an encounter with a woman. However, he accepts the invitation of a man with seductive snake-like eyes and begins his career as The Hustler again.

In other words, billiards is just the entrance. Rather, this is a drama depicting the growth of a young man. What are the glories and failures of life? What kind of values ​​is this society built on? It is no exaggeration to say that the true value of this work lies in the way it brings these themes to light through the competitions and characters.

Above all, the two people who breathed soul into this character were lead actor Paul Newman and director Robert Rossen.