Butch Cassidy meets Carrie's mom in a story of ambition run amok

Rating: 10/10 (4 February 2017)

One of Paul Newman's all-time great roles was that of pool shark Fast Eddie Felson in "The Hustler". It's a seedy world of pool halls and high-stakes gambling. Eddie's aim to be the best leads to some self-destructive actions, but he perseveres. Fine support comes from Piper Laurie - later known as the fanatical mom in "Carrie" - as a woman who gets Eddie to realize his full potential amid his damaged lifestyle, as well as George C. Scott, Murray Hamilton (Mr. Robinson in "The Graduate" and the mayor in "Jaws") and Michael Constantine (the patriarch in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"). I guess that we in the 21st century will be less inclined to admire Jackie Gleason's performance, given what we now know about him,* but it's still an intense role.
The movie is not just about pool and the specific effects that it has on Eddie. There's the issue of what it means to be human: a tragedy forces Eddie to attain self-awareness. Another thing is that director Robert Rossen used the movie as a sort of confession. Much like how he named names to HUAC, Eddie figuratively sells his soul for prestige. It was one of the first movies to take this sort of an unvarnished look at ego-affirmation. One of the many movies that represented the new direction that cinema was taking in the 1960s.
All in all, a true masterpiece. Maybe not Newman's greatest ever, but one that any movie buff owes it to himself/herself to watch.
*In the book "Riders on the Storm", John Densmore recalls a time when Jim Morrison got charged with indecency. Jackie Gleason testified against him, as did Anita Bryant.