"Hey John, you think this boy's a hustler?"

Rating: 9/10 (6 May 2007)

It's always fascinating when a movie transcends the concept suggested by it's title. In this case, one has to wonder who was the greater of the two hustlers, Fast Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) or slick Bert Gordon (George C. Scott). Set in the seedy, not yet professional venue of high stakes pool, the film becomes a taut psychological drama played out between it's principals, ending in an unanticipated 'contract of depravity' suggested by Eddie's pick up girl friend Sarah (Piper Laurie). With that in mind, the character of Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) becomes almost a secondary player, which of course couldn't be further from the truth. The film balances itself with almost equal weight on each of the four central characters, with an ebb and flow that makes you forget how truly depressing the story actually is. For that reason, it's a classic piece of movie making that deserves to be mentioned in conversations of the top films of all time.
Somehow I found myself comparing Newman's Fast Eddie to Marlon Brando's Terry Molloy in "On The Waterfront", an underdog determined to prove himself in a world that finds it easy to honor winners and discredit losers. The distinction often lies in the self confidence and mental toughness of the person competing for honor and recognition. By the time Eddie takes on Fats in the finale, one can sense the shift in attitude of the three high stakes rollers, done with nothing more than facial nuance and body language; in this case the game is over when the fat man sings.
Outstanding performances and excellent black and white cinematography capture what might almost be considered film noir but without a subversive criminal element. Yet the story does have it's victims, most eminently Lauirie's character at a point in the story when she's reduced to complete vulnerability. In fact, each of the principals is a victim in one way or another, in a film that allows it's protagonist to attain the goal he sets out with, but without anyone actually feeling very good about it.