“The Color of Money” Paul Newman vs. Tom Cruise, Scorsese’s “ultimate star movie”

A bold adaptation that differs from the original work

The movie is based on Walter Tevis's original work " The Color of Money " (published in 1984), and the main character is Eddie, who is now in his fifties. In the original story, Eddie is the manager of a pool bar, and also depicts his reunion with his fated enemy, Minnesota Fats.

When Scorsese got involved, a script that was faithful to the original story had already been completed, but Scorsese felt that the image of Eddie was lacking. "He is threatened at the end of the original, but he's not some guy who gets scared and doesn't do anything after that. He's a gutsy The Hustler." ( Scorsese on Scorsese, Film Art Publishing, David Thompson) & Ian Christie, translated by Takaharu Miyamoto)

With this in mind, the director changed Eddie into a despicable character reminiscent of the despicable promoter Bart from the previous film. Richard Price, the novelist who wrote `` The Wanderers '' (1979), was in charge of the adaptation. He said he spent nearly a year getting to know Newman. Scorsese looks back. "I decided to pull myself together and finish the script in nine months, and in the process shape the film to suit Paul, keeping in mind that it was a star-driven film." This is how we have made movies”, published by Bungeishunju, written by Mary Pat Kelly, translated by Atsuko Saito)

“The Color of Money” (c)Photofest / Getty Images

This is how the production of ``The Color of Money'' begins. In the movie, a young The Hustler named Vincent (Tom Cruise), who is not in the original story, appears, and Eddie becomes his promoter and teaches him the rules of The Game. “He takes the young man under his protection and indoctrinates him with everything he has to know as he travels, and in the process he has to come to terms with himself. Will he remain dead as a man? , or can we breathe again?'' (``This is How Scorsese Made Movies'')

Eddie discovers a new self through his journey with Vincent. Newman himself had this to say about the film: "' The Color of Money' is a movie about the rebirth of one's greatest talents. He discovers the same talents in others. [So] Eddie re-educates himself and revives his talents." (“This is how Scorsese made movies”)

A middle-aged Eddie, who knows the ins and outs of The Hustler world, and a young Vincent, who has guts but can't control his own powers. The distance between the two grows through the journey, but eventually they break up and become rivals. Eddie, now alone, regains his desire to The Game again, even though he is conscious of his age, and faces off against Vincent in the Atlantic City tournament that appears in the second half.

Newman, who played the role of Eddie in `` The Hustler ,'' was known for his guts, but in this sequel he has added coolness and elegance, demonstrating his (what we would now call a cool uncle) style. On the other hand, Vincent, played by Cruise, initially retains some naivety, but after discovering his talent, he reveals a (chilling) devilish side. Cruise's razor-sharp performance contrasts well with Newman's austere character.

And now that I look back on it, the picture of Newman vs. Cruz seems even more interesting. Cruise was somewhat unknown when he was selected for this role, as `` Top Gun '' (1986) had not even been released, but after `` Top Gun '' was released in the same year as `` The Color of Money '', he became a big star. Grows to. From Newman, who has carried Hollywood since the 1960s, to Cruise since the 1980s. It's also interesting to see a showdown between new and old stars (although the two reportedly had a good relationship during production).

This was Newman's seventh Oscar nomination, and he finally won the Best Actor award. This work is a testament to Scorsese's craftsmanship in directing the ``ultimate star movie,'' and thanks to its success, the production of `` The Last Temptation '' (1988), which had stalled, was also realized. In Japan, the popularity of this movie led to a sudden increase in the number of pool bars, and a billiards boom that also attracted women.

Portraits of women depicted in the two “The Hustler” films