... that he was making such a great noirish mid 20th century time capsule at the time? I was watching Eddie Muller's remarks on its authenticity as far as boxing goes, but he didn't mention this aspect. Especially the street scene around the boxing arena. The camera pans slowly across the shops and stores, and you see such interesting sights as a storefront church/mission sandwiched between a penny arcade and a tattoo parlor. In an alley where an act of violence is occurring, you hear the sounds of a jazz band playing wildly and see the shadows of the instruments. This is great noir stuff.
As for the plot, from a screenplay penned by someone who actually covered boxing for an Oakland, Calif. Newspaper, it is very simple. A washed-up 35 year old boxer, Stoker/Bill Thompson (Robert Ryan), is scheduled to fight an up and coming 23 year old. His wife, Julie (Audrey Totter) is particularly fearful tonight, afraid that Bill will finally get badly hurt in the ring by this much younger fighter. Unknown to Bill, his own manager has agreed to throw the fight at the behest of a local gangster in return for 50 dollars. The manager thinks that Bill will lose this fight anyways - he has lost so many lately. So the manager doesn't bother to tell Bill about "the set-up" so that he can keep all of the money. And life is what happens when you're making plans.
The main part of the film consists of the fight itself, playing out in real time. During the fight the camera focuses in on a few of the spectators as they react to the action. One is a middle aged woman who, outside the arena, said that she always covers her eyes during the fights, repelled by the violence. Inside she is yelling - with a mouth full of gold teeth - "kill him!" "Make them fight!" like she is watching gladiators fight to the death, and she enjoys it. That's what I call realism. What is not so real? Inside the arena all of the men have noticeably sweaty faces - and nothing else. Their clothes are completely dry. And the women's faces are completely lacking in perspiration as though they were in a very different - and much cooler and dryer - climate. I guess even in a gritty noir realism has to bow to fashion and social mores sometimes.
I'd really recommend this one. And watch Eddie Muller's intro and exit for this film on Noir Alley if you can find it. They run a total of about ten minutes and are very instructive.
As for the plot, from a screenplay penned by someone who actually covered boxing for an Oakland, Calif. Newspaper, it is very simple. A washed-up 35 year old boxer, Stoker/Bill Thompson (Robert Ryan), is scheduled to fight an up and coming 23 year old. His wife, Julie (Audrey Totter) is particularly fearful tonight, afraid that Bill will finally get badly hurt in the ring by this much younger fighter. Unknown to Bill, his own manager has agreed to throw the fight at the behest of a local gangster in return for 50 dollars. The manager thinks that Bill will lose this fight anyways - he has lost so many lately. So the manager doesn't bother to tell Bill about "the set-up" so that he can keep all of the money. And life is what happens when you're making plans.
The main part of the film consists of the fight itself, playing out in real time. During the fight the camera focuses in on a few of the spectators as they react to the action. One is a middle aged woman who, outside the arena, said that she always covers her eyes during the fights, repelled by the violence. Inside she is yelling - with a mouth full of gold teeth - "kill him!" "Make them fight!" like she is watching gladiators fight to the death, and she enjoys it. That's what I call realism. What is not so real? Inside the arena all of the men have noticeably sweaty faces - and nothing else. Their clothes are completely dry. And the women's faces are completely lacking in perspiration as though they were in a very different - and much cooler and dryer - climate. I guess even in a gritty noir realism has to bow to fashion and social mores sometimes.
I'd really recommend this one. And watch Eddie Muller's intro and exit for this film on Noir Alley if you can find it. They run a total of about ten minutes and are very instructive.