The Hustler

• Produced and Directed by Robert Rossen
• September 25, 1961
• Based on the 1959 novel The Hustler by Walter Tevis

A small-time pool hustler challenges a legendary pool player in an effort to be the greatest.

Great films have something more than what you get from the surface. The Hustler tackles themes of winning and losing and the character that gets displayed in both instances. It is about what it means to be a human being and uses the game of pool to communicate that. Rossen was a communist and also used this film to take aim at capitalism by having greed and money often be the source of many issues. I think it falls a little short there.

I cannot help but feel this is a movie where everything is a character. Every environment and every object is as important to the story as any actor on the screen. These are not fresh and clean places but it all takes place in a lived in world that has seen some things and few of them were pleasant.

Paul Newman stars as Fast Eddie Falson and Jackie Gleason portrays Minnesota Fats whom Eddie feels if he can just beat he can usurp the mantle of being the greatest. I had not seen this film before and was left under the impression Gleason was in vastly more of this film than he actually is. Essentially his character bookends the story to be present for where Eddie begins and where he ends the story.

By doing so the character maintains his near mythic stature among the assorted characters. If Fats had been there too much, he would’ve been humanized giving the viewer something concrete to know of and think about.

With an easy smile and natural charm Newman makes Eddie a likeable character. He seeks glory and worth from the outside and thinks victory equals greatness. He does not see that glory can be found in how you handle failure or just living a good life-whatever that may entail. He seeks the brass ring of victory over Minnesota Fats.

The late Piper Laurie is Sarah whom Eddie meets in a bar. Beyond being a raging alcoholic, it is implied at the minimum Sarah is a prostitute though she may also string men along for money until the next one comes along. As much is communicated between the two but not outright said. They don’t feed things necessarily to the audience. It has as much to do with film codes as it does with the society of the time. Even so it does pull you into the story by forcing you to focus.

The character of Sarah may be a woman who uses men for a night or for a couple of weeks in order to get money but there’s something about Eddie that makes her want him to stay around. And he’s no fool and through carefully crafted dialogue he makes it clear he knows what she is and she understands what he is but neither of them really cares.

Sarah may not be a saint, but she does have character. She’s just a wounded and damaged soul as are so many others in this movie. Everyone has baggage of one sort or another but it’s all in how they handle it. Some are falling to their inner demons while others are trying to rise above them or even have risen above them.

George C. Scott plays Bert whom Eddie connects with after abandoning his partner Charlie (Myron McCormick). He is a much more malevolent character than Charlie was. He’s a taker and a sadist who is ultimately only looking out for himself in contrast to Charlie who looked out for Eddie.

George C Scott is among my favorite actors. The man could be sinister and dangerous with just a look or a change in the tone of his voice. He could convey a lot with mannerisms and words. He had talent to spare but not so much that you would see him in a movie as the chipper guy in a sweater. That he didn’t have in him, but he had so much else.

The talent of the time (or just known faces) here is rather impressive. We have Murray “I Was In Jaws” Hamilton as Findley, Michael “I’ve Done A Ton” Constantine as Big John, Jake “Raging Bull Was About Me” LaMotta as a bartender, and Vincent “I’ve Done A Ton As Well” Gardenia as another bartender. Great talents or just cool cameos that help to build the world of The Hustler.

And this does a great deal to make pool look sexy and cool. It is credited with a resurgence in the game of pool, and I can certainly see why. It’s a game of skill and wits as shown here. Add in certain elements in the story it takes place and it becomes a very high stakes game right up there with poker. It becomes cool and dangerous as played by dangerous and skilled men. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that and be good at it?

Each character learns a little something by the end. Bert learns he cannot control everyone. Eddie achieves his greatness though not quite exactly how he thought. His greatness comes by getting real character and earning the respect of Minnesota Fats. But the story itself is slow and steady. It rarely gets beyond a brisk walk and that could certainly lose a few viewers today. Being older and having seen more movies like this I could even see it be a bit of a slog here and there for younger viewers.

The Hustler deserves most of the praise it has ever received. From the actors to the script to the directing, it is a very good film. I’m not sure if it will be everyone’s cup of tea but it is a cup of tea everybody should sip from at least once.