The Nominated Film You May Have Missed: THE HUSTLER

Every year, ten movies are bestowed the honor of becoming nominated by the Academy of Arts and Sciences. Many of these films will have already had various successes throughout the year – good festival attendance, box office success and the receiving of other prestigious awards. Yet, only one of them ends their evening being declared the best of the best.

Each month, I select one of these films that, while honored with a nomination, did not achieve the highest recognition – a film for your reconsideration. Bringing them back into the light and into the minds of viewers gives them a chance to shine once again and reach a new group of people who may never have considered the film previously. This month, I found my selection by chance – a favorite past-time of mine and fiancée’s, inspiring our film choice one Saturday afternoon. The Hustler, directed by Robert Rossen, is about high-stakes pool and the dedication required to become the best – as well as the sacrifices one makes when dedication transforms into obsession.

Nominated for Best Picture during the 1962 Academy Awards, this film is a beautiful example of the harm and the unwillingness to change can create – not only to oneself but to those around you. The Hustler is also an examination of what love really is and how far it can truly extend for each person. With an outstanding script adaptation by Robert Rossen and Sidney Carroll, coupled with brilliant direction, this is a must-see film.

The Play By Play

The Hustler opens with two men arriving at a local small town bar. While speaking with the bartender about an award they are traveling to accept, the men decide to delay their trip for a bit and engage in a friendly game of pool. While time passes and the booze has been flowing freely, Fast Eddie (Paul Newman) begins to lose his skill within the game, his pride the only thing pushing him forward – as well as his wallet. Betting the patrons around him, it is revealed to viewers that Eddie is a hustler, falsifying his alcoholic state to swindle money from onlookers. With this latest hustle, Fast Eddie has finally gathered the remaining amount needed to make him a financially worthy opponent and allow him the chance to challenge his biggest foe – Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason).

To beat the best of the best is what makes an individual great, placing them at the top of their game. Yet, Fast Eddie gets in his own way after challenging Fats, tragically loosing everything he and Charlie (Myron McCormick) had hustled, as well as his pride, in an all consuming drunken session. He loses everything to Minnesota Fats, abandoning his friend and his dream the following morning.

With no one else to turn to and no where to go, Eddie finds refuge in a local bus depot restaurant, crossing paths with a young woman named Sarah (Piper Laurie) who radiates the same loneliness as Eddie. Over the next few days, Eddie hustles his way into her home (and her heart) while he finds his footing once again – and finances – to re-challenge Minnesota Fats. Over time, however, his hustle turns into genuine affection and love for Sarah, causing an inner conflict within Eddie, forcing him to face his obsession and reassess his dreams.

The “Break” Down

The Hustler is a thing of beauty – every element interlacing perfectly to create a stunningly dynamic story with a mesmerizing set. The script is brilliantly laid out, adapted from the novel of the same name by Walter S. Tevis – each story-line and element playing off one another and coming together full circle by the film’s conclusion. There is no unnecessary information or unnecessary character development. Even the most seemingly insignificant characters play a role in the obsession and downfall of Fast Eddie.

The set development and art direction of each pool scene are dynamically constructed and accurately choreographed, giving believability to the scene, but also heightening the intensity of the script and the performances by a stellar cast. The choreographed pool scenes are one of the most mind-blowing aspects of the film. The trick shots and breaks are an amazing feat in themselves – especially when you consider the skill required to make them.

Adapting from the novel to screen was not the only influence within The Hustler. Costume design was reminiscent of Marlon Brando’s outfit in A Street Car Named Desire – Fast Eddie in a sense mirroring the same character who was unable to change in the end and is forced to face the sacrifices of that unwillingness. The scenes within Sarah’s apartment are when you can most clearly see the influence on Paul Newman’s performance and body language, but also his tight-fitting white shirt and loose pants – a combination that seems clearly inspired by Brando’s film from 10 years earlier.

Love is in the Eye of the Beholder

The Hustler takes a long hard look at what love is and the varying ways that it is defined and represented. Within this film, viewers will be shown the love of a sport – the need and desire to be the best at what you love. We see this frequently in modern day life – athletes giving up experiences of their youth and dedicating all their time to a sport that they love.

Love of a friend is also examined. Charlie, having been searching for days, finally tracks Fast Eddie down at Sarah’s apartment. He is not there because Eddie lost part of his wages or because they need to get back on the bandwagon. Instead, he is there to bring Eddie home with him, to help leave behind the obsession that has consumed both their lives. In a way, his love as a friend is also the love of a father figure – a man wanting the best for his younger counterpart.

Eddie’s hustle of Sarah leads him to find something else other than the game of pool and his obsession with Fats. He finds love in a significant other, a person he can come home to – a person that will listen. He finds himself wanting to love and make Sarah feel loved – bringing her along on a new pool tour to make sure she knows he has no plans of leaving her.

The most thoroughly examined display of love within this film is the love of a dream –  a love that can translate into an obsession. Eddie would love to be the best, he wants to be the person to say – “I beat Minnesota Fats.” It’s not about the money, but about the achievement of his dream of beating and becoming number one. Yet, this love for his dream transitions into a blinding obsession that no longer resembles love – and may cost him every other form of love in his life. In this way, viewers are forced to consider the thin line that separates love and obsession – and how easy it is to cross it.

“Obsession is a Young Man’s Game”

This quote spoken by Michael Caine in Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige is the most fitting way to describe The Hustler. This film at its core is about obsession – blind obsession to be more accurate. Obsession finds its home in the heart of Fast Eddie, who has been hustling towards the opportunity of taking on Minnesota Fats – the equivalent kingpin of pool. He is the best in the game, and Eddie wants to be the best.

His obsession is apparent early on in the film with his liquor induced failure during his initial challenge against Fats. He proves that he is the best, that he is better than Fats, yet he cannot walk away. He wants, no needs, Minnesota Fats to be the first to quit. Only then can he truly be top dog. Yet, his obsession with making this happen ends up costing him not only the game – but his money and his friend as well.

This obsession continues to ring true throughout the film. While staying with Sarah, he talks about hustling enough money to once again challenge Fats. He is warned by gambling coordinator Bert Gordon (George C. Scott) that hustling in the wrong places will eventually lead to harm, yet Eddie needs to beat Fats. He blindly walks into bars, hustling and showing off his skills at just the right moments – only to find that not everyone hands a hustler words and money.

Everything Requires Sacrifice

Everyone sacrifices something to achieve their ultimate goal or desire. Parents sacrifice time and money to support and encourage their children to achieve their dreams; athletes sacrifice parties and coming of age experiences to be the ultimate champions. Sacrifices in many cases are necessary for success – without them we would never know what we truly want or value. In The Hustler, sacrifice is a heavy theme throughout this film – and almost every character makes at least one.

Eddie makes the most of all, finding a way to sacrifice every element in his life – love, friendship, money and reputation. Arriving in to challenge Minnesota Fats, Fast Eddie finds that in his unrelenting attempt to defeat Fats, he loses everything. As he begins the steep climb back to the top, he finds that becoming a worthy opponent once again to challenge Fats will require the most dire of sacrifices. Sarah was Fast Eddie’s ultimate sacrifice to achieve his obsession of victory, money, and glory. While she may have been one of his hustles to shelter him as he built up enough capital to reach Fats, he inevitably fell for Sarah. Yet, just when he was about to shelve his desire of beating the best, his blinding obsession consumes him, discovering that he can not have both.

Sarah, in turn, makes her own sacrifices. She gives up her life of comfort and convince, and gives everything she has to Eddie. Most of all, she gives him her trust and love, sacrificing her emotions to the man who will never have the strength to leave his dreams. There is a moment of brief clarity when Sarah compares herself to Eddie’s former friend Charlie, asking Eddie “How will they end? Will he throw her away as easily as he did with Charlie?” She sacrifices her clarity, and a part of her sanity, to stay with the man she can truly never have, temporarily solving her loneliness.

Conclusion

From the moment The Hustler begins to play, you will know that this was a film nominated for Best Picture by the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences. The character development, script, set and cast are all on point, delivering an exceptional performance. With the culmination of all these talents, the obsession and sacrifice of Fast Eddie, a pool table hustler, is accurately portrayed – his story captivating to all. If this is a film you have not had a chance to see yet, or have even heard of before, The Hustler is a movie that will not let you down.

What do you think of The Hustler?