Review of The Hustler (1961) by Ryan M — 27 May 2010

Simply FIERCE. Rossen and Newman are both so in control here that it's just heaven to watch. I felt slightly out to sea in the first act when Rossen denied the audience any quick explanation for Newman's ambiguously out-of-control hubris, but when I realized that virtually THE REST OF THE FILM would be a geniously-studied exploration of that very same character trait I was rooted and ready to participate.

Though I haven't seen any of Rossen's pre-'Hustler' films, I sensed immediately that the man approached this material with confidence gained through extensive filmmaking experience -- there's just no other way to account for this movie's complexity of tone and outright assault on sentimentality.

Maybe the only (very minor) disappointment here is Piper Laurie's character. I watched 'Lilith' immediately after this, and I feel like I detect a certain hesitancy on Rossen's part when it comes to handling female characters -- Laurie for all her screentime here gets a less thoroughly "shaded" treatment than Newman, and her scene-chewing might require a special sensibility to appreciate.

Nevertheless, this film is so, so compelling.