Body and Soul (1947)

"What ya gonna do, kill me? Everybody dies!"

Body and Soul isn't the great fight movie - the first half of the movie is often too conventional and formulaic for that - but it's certainly a contender even if it loses the title to The Set-Up. It's certainly one of John Garfield's best roles, finally getting into the ring: the play Golden Boy had been written for him only for the producers to cast him in a supporting role instead, so there's an element of unfinished business here, though Abraham Polonsky's script is much better that Odets' rather patronising fairytale. Where Odets dealt in stereotypes, Polonsky and everyone else on the film treat the supporting characters with dignity and respect: at a time when Stepinfetchit was the image of big screen black America, Canada Lee's performance as the former champ is a revelation - he may not have much screen time, but he's one of the most clued-in characters in the piece, with a dignity and intelligence all but unheard of for a black character in the 40s.

Despite the odd line like "If you wanna fight, fight for something, not for money," it's not an overtly political film, though that didn't stop it being used as evidence of communist subversion in the McCarthy era: few films can have had so many of its cast and crew blacklisted. Indeed, the HUAC must have used the credits as a wishlist - Polonsky, Garfield, Ann Revere, Lloyd Gough, Canada Lee, Art Smith, Shimen Ruskin, producer Bob Roberts and even, albeit to a lesser extent, cinematographer James Wong Howe (who had originally wanted to be a prizefighter and famously shot the bouts on rollerskates to get a more fluid sense of motion) all found themselves either blacklisted or greylisted, while director Robert Rossen only avoided that fate by naming names. Some weren't even communists (although most were members of minority groups). It's actually horrifying to consider just how many people involved in the film, from top to bottom, had their careers ruined or even, in the case of Garfield and Lee, were driven to an early death. In retrospect, the famed great almost-last line "What ya gonna do, kill me? Everybody dies." takes on a particularly bitter resonance.

[Aside from several future blacklist victims, it also boasts three future directors among its credits (Robert Aldrich, Robert Parrish and Nathan Juran) as well as montages from a fourth, Gunther Von Fritsch, whose directorial career never recovered from being fired from Curse of the Cat People]. January 18, 2008

sorry, but it just doesnt deliver a knockout punch

john garfield gives a worthy performance in this otherwise dated boxing film from director robert rossen. the movie manages to embrace nearly every cliche of the boxing movie, tho its mercifully shorter than the typical sylvester stallone opus. perhaps its just that this is a genre of film im just not a fan of (my favorite boxing flick is the parody "movie movie"), but i just dont much care what happens to these people. interestingly, there IS a sidelight to this particular movie -- but it has nothing to do with boxing: scads of the cast & crew would be caught up in the next few years in the red scare and the black list" most notably its star (driven to a premature death) and its director (who saved his career, if not his self-respect by naming names). add a star if youre a fan of boxing movies.
April 7, 2007

The Rocky Road of Boxing

Body and Soul, 1947 film

A man in a rural area gets into a car and drives to a city. Charley Davis is a boxer, and he visits his mother. Peggy is not happy to see him. There will be a fight the next day. Charley was told to make the fight last 15 rounds. The bets are all in. Then Charley recalls his past life, when he first met Peg, a model and painter. Charley's parents did not approve of prizefighters. Some gang attacks a neighboring speakeasy, there is collateral damage at his parent's candy store. The story shows the hard times for ordinary people. Charley's Mom wants to get a loan so Charley can get an education, but Charley refuses. Charley will fight to make big money. But Mr. Roberts controls the fight game in New York.

After a year Charley is near the top. He has a lot of money now, and drinks. Mr. Roberts demands that Ben, injured in his last bout, fight Charley. Mr. Roberts also makes a new deal to split the winnings. In the fight Charley knocks out Ben, the champ. At the celebration party some facts come out, and Shorty leaves them. Peg decides she doesn't want that life. Charley continues with his good times. Then a new challenger appears. The deal is for Charley to go 15 rounds for a decision (the fix is in). A big fix like this is a lush opportunity in a lifetime. Charley thinks of ending his career, this will be his last fight.

But there is a complication in his life. Ben the trainer had stayed in the fight game too long. The title fight goes on. Charley isn't doing so well, he is knocked down but saved by the bell. Charley does worse in the next round. There is a KO in the last round, Charley pulled off a victory!

[This happy ending seems to contradict the story. This film tells how bouts are manipulated, like in other show businesses. Does it remind you of things in the real world?
March 3, 2007

Soul-less Transfer and Editing

Don't let the stars fool you, I love this movie and if I were reviewing the movie itself on its merits alone, it would get 6 stars. My love for this classic is the reason I can give this DVD version only two stars. The print is very poor - the lighting in some scenes is too dark to pick up some details. There are skips and jumps in the frame. The sound transfer is also very uneven. In fact my 20 year-old VHS tape is STILL better quality than this DVD. But all those technical faults could be forgiven were it not for the most egregious cut of all - a few lines of dialogue. In a pivotal scene where the grocer delivers to the Davis house, Charley has just told Peg that he needs his money to bet on the fight. The grocer comes in and talks about everyone betting on the fight - Charley says anyone who bets is foolish. The grocer disagrees. The words that were cut out of this print, essentially the heart of why the neighborhood loves their champ, are very simple "In Europe, the Nazis are killing our people, but here Charley is Champeen! No, it's not about the money." I have no idea why these lines are missing, but it was the final straw before I returned the DVD for a refund.

Unfortunately us movie fans lose out again. We can't get a decent transfer or an unedited copy of a great film. Many lesser films released in the last 5 years have several editions available, with added footage, interviews, alternate endings, "director's" cuts and other gimmicks to drive sales. It's a good thing I haven't given away my VHS tape or dumped my VCR, otherwise I'd never again see this movie in a facsimile of its intended presentation. I guess the simple grocer was wrong, it's always about the money. July 6, 2006

By unanimous decision: one of the best boxing movies ever

The quintessential fight movie, starring John Garfield as the boxer who works his way up to becoming the champ, but sells his soul (and body) to sleezy promoters along the way. He does whatever they tell him to do, as long as he gets his money. In his last fight he's supposed to take a dive so a new champ can be crowned (Garfield even bets against himself), but at the last minute he gains his self-respect and wins the bout.

As a boxing movie there is the usual fare offered up: corruption, sleezebag fights, money grubbing - but the cast does a superb job all around and makes the picture top-notch entertainment. The whole movie has an uncommon sense of realism about it. Lili Palmer as Garfield's true love and Anne Revere as his mother are real standouts. The scenes with black actor Canada Lee (who was also a professional fighter) are also on the level for once. The script is excellent, and the photography, especially of the fight scenes, is eye-popping. And, of course, the haunting theme song occurs throughout the movie, to great effect. An excellent movie in every way; definitely worth a watch. November 28, 2005

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