Friday, December 30, 2011

CHAMPION (1949)


‘This is the only sport in the world where two guys get paid for doing something they’d be arrested for if they got drunk and did it for nothing.’

The small town youth Midge Kelly and his lame brother Connie came in search of employment to LA. With his masculine built and bully temperament Midge knows only one thing- to fight. An opportunity leads him to boxing and soon from small town hitch hiker prizefighter he becomes the unbeatable champ of boxing ring.  He grows on making his name and fame and carried away by wrong priorities. Under company of beautiful dames and money spinning success he cut off his old loyalty. The title of championship persists with a heavy personal price tag. 

By all means the film is definitely worthy enough to watch for the knock out performance by Kirk Douglas as Kelly. Must say this one of the most terrific and passionate performance of his early career. Along with fine acting talent, the man has amazing natural gift of muscular profile compared to most of Hollywood stars of the era and the film like this brought that to the public notice. The film was spectacularly successful and established him as the man to watch forward in coming time. Apart of him, all rest of the cast performed so well, especially Arthur Kennedy who played his lame brother Connie.   

The film is fine mixture of sports drama and moderate noir. There’s no doubt that the film would surely remain an inspirational one for Scorsese while making ‘Raging Bull’, as he shot the film in B&W with those brilliant slow motion and close up shots of  bloody ring action. Though nominated for best actor and best supporting actor category, the film won sole Oscar for Best editing category.

Ratings-8/10 

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