Professor Moriarty
Posts: 8596
Joined: 6/10/2005
From: the waters of Casablanca
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quote:
ORIGINAL: elab49
quote:
ORIGINAL: Professor Moriarty
but the best performance in the film is definitely George C. Scott's Bert Gordon. Can't believe elab talks about performance of the round and he doesn't get a nod.
I'd have him just outside the top 3, but only just - I'd put Gleason ahead though. 
We'll agree to disagree. IMO Gleeson has one great scene in this movie. The first time he plays Fast Eddie he's played through the night and then as an experienced pool player he knows the time for the kill. He goes to the bathroom and he freshens up. But I never feel he does a lot more in this film to place the Fast Eddie character.
Whereas Scott's Bert Gordon is menacing. In that same game he just sits in the corner not playing but in control. Winding Fast Eddie up so much that he asks him who he is. And that is Bert Gordon; everything is about control. He tells Fats that Eddie has no character, to keep playing him cos he's a loser. I do appreciate that its a very restrained performance by Scott, but this is the perfect buffer for Newman to play Eddie as having wearing his heart on his sleeve for most of the film (I guess that's why its a supporting performance). And I'd argue that though it has good dialogue, this is a film where things that are unsaid play as bigger part of the story. I've read critiques that Gordon is corporate America, which I admit I don't really get, but I can see that idea that he's not got any talent himself, but he has money and with that you don't need talent, you can control it.
In short watch The Hustler and vote Scott (though I'd also happily admit that I can see a lot of Lancaster's JJ Hunsecker in the way Scott plays Gordon).
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Printable Version
RE: Hall of Fame 16: Round 01 - 
Although you did pick a good film this time, Dev'.
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