Review of F.I.S.T. (1978) by Tyson P — 16 Apr 2013

Directed by Norman Jewison (In the Heat of the Night (1967) The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) and Fiddler on the Roof (1971)), this was partially based on the life of Jimmy Hoffa, adapted here by Joe Eszterhas (alarm bells ringing) and Sylvester Stallone, the latter on a roll after Rocky (1976)).

Unfortunately, Hoffa's family refused the filmmakers to use his name, so they had to create an alias, but it's obvious that it's about Hoffa. It begins in Cleveland in 1937, where union leader Johnny Kovac (Stallone) stands up against loading dock supervisor Mr.

Gant (John Lehne) about overtime and pay ethics. Kovac's actions get the attention of fellow union man Mike Monahan (Richard Herd), and gives Kovac's the chance to work in the Federation of Interstate Truckers (F.

I.S.T.), which within time gains a lot of power along the way, with Kovac's at the centre of any strikes. 20 years later, F.I.S.T. is a huge union across America, but when Kovac becomes president of F.

I.S.T., his business dealings catch the attention of Senator Madison (Rod Steiger), who believes that Kovac has dealings with the mafia, but Kovac vehemently denies this, until one of F.I.S.T.'s west coast bosses Abe Belkin (David Huffman) discovers the truth.

It's a good, powerful drama, which got the opportunity to show the world there was more to Stallone there was more to him than action and boxing, and he turns in a weighty performance, and it captures the eras well, oh and look out for a young Anthony Kiedis as Stallone's son.