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This feature version of Rod Serling's memorable teleplay, theatrically released in 1962, was previously produced in 1956 for live television. The grim tale stars Anthony Quinn as a brain-damaged fighter suffering from too many years in the ring yet pushed into another and yet another punishing round by his corrupt manager (Jackie Gleason). Yearning for a life of his own, Quinn's burned-out hitter falls for a shy social worker (Julie Harris), while Gleason's small-timer tries fending off the pressures of truly bad guys who want the money he owes them. Directed by Ralph Nelson (who also made the TV version), this
Requiem opens up into a powerful piece of social realism with the undercurrent of a cautionary fable. The characters are almost archetypal, the story never stops moving, the acting is superb (Mickey Rooney is very good as Quinn's reluctant trainer), and the ending is nightmarishly apt.
--Tom Keogh
Review
Six years after helming the Emmy-winning television play Requiem for a Heavyweight, experienced stage director Ralph Nelson successfully remade Rod Serling's heart-rending boxing tale for the big screen. As the fighter at the end of his career, Anthony Quinn is superb in the role originally played by Jack Palance. Quinn was at the height of his talents and popularity in the wake of The Guns of Navarone (1961) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962), and his stoic work in
Requiem dovetails well with his other performances. As the disreputable manager, Jackie Gleason turns in a performance every bit as good as his work in 1961's The Hustler; Julie Harris, best known as Abra in East of Eden (1955), is also very good as the kindly social worker.
Requiem rests comfortably near the top of the boxing-drama genre, beside such stellar examples as Body and Soul (1947), Champion (1949), and Raging Bull (1980). ~ Brendon Hanley, All Movie Guide
