Body and Soul [Import]

United Artists presents "BODY AND SOUL" (9 November 1947) (104 min/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- The fight film to which all others are compared. John Garfield portrays Charlie Davis, a Jewish prizefighter whose parents want him to hang up the gloves and get an education --- When his father is killed in a bomb explosion, however, the proud Charlie prevents his mother (Anne Revere) from accepting government relief, turns pro, and by hook and crook, rises quickly to the top, winning the championship from Ben (onetime welterweight Canada Lee), who is left with a life-threatening blood clot in his brain --- As the champ, Charlie slides into a dissipated lifestyle and throws over his artist girlfriend, Peg Born (Lilli Palmer), for a floozy (Hazel Brooks), falling deeper into the clutches of the gangster who owns him (Lloyd Goff) in the process.

The results are not unexpected but highly satisfying --- When Davis leaves the ring he's threatened again by his mob handler.

"Get yourself a new boy. I retire."
"What makes you think you can get away with this?"
"What are you gonna do? Kill me? Everybody dies."

Garfield's riveting, Oscar-nominated performance lifts this film to the masterpiece level, as do Robert Rossen's superb direction, the marvelous photography of James Wong Howe and the Oscar-winning editing --- The fight sequences, in particular, brought a kind of realism to the genre that had never before existed (Howe wore skates and rolled around the ring shooting the fight scenes with a hand-held camera) --- A knockout on all levels.

Academy Award for Best Film Editing. Academy Award Nominations for Best Actor & Original Screenplay.

Under the production staff of:
Robert Rossen [Director]
Abraham Polonsky [Original Screenplay]
Bob Roberts [Producer]
Hugo Friedhofer [Original Film Score]
James Wong Howe [Cinematographer]
Robert Parrish [Film Editor]
Nathan Juran [Art Direction]

BIOS:
1. Robert Rossen [Director]
Date of Birth: 16 March 1908 - New York City, New York
Date of Death: 18 February 1966 - Hollywood, California

2. John Garfield [aka: Jacob Julius Garfinkle]
Date of Birth: 4 March 1913 - New York City, New York
Date of Death: 21 May 1952 - New York City, New York

3. Abraham Polonsky [Original Screenplay]
Date of Birth: 5 December 1910 - New York City, New York
Date of Death: 26 October 1999 - Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California

the cast includes:
John Garfield - Charley Davis
Lilli Palmer - Peg Born
Hazel Brooks - Alice
Anne Revere - Anna Davis
William Conrad - Quinn
Joseph Pevney - Shorty Polaski
Lloyd Gough - Roberts (as Lloyd Goff)
Canada Lee - Ben Chaplin
Art Smith - David Davis
James Burke - Arnold
Virginia Gregg - Irma

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 5 Stars
Performance: 5 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 104 min on DVD ~ United Artists ~ (08/14/2001)

Le produit m'a été livré dans le délai prévu. La qualité mentionnée était exacte. Je suis très satisfait et je recommande fortement ce vendeur. Excellent sur toute la ligne !

I bought this videotape because I like boxing and heard this movie was one of the best boxing movies ever made along with "Raging Bull". The movie was pretty good but lacks the artistic depth of "Raging Bull". In fact, the movie really isn't even about boxing but is a straight morality play. The boxing is incidential. In the movie, the characters are either good or bad, with little grey, except for the Garfield character. Of course, good triumphs and the hero gets the girl. This makes the film a little boring on both an intellectual and emotional level. Anyone more interested in boxing, and being challenged intellectually and emotionally, is better off with "Raging Bull".