A man as tough as steel

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Movie
German title A man as tough as steel
Original title Hard Times
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1975
length 93 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Walter Hill
script Walter Hill,
Bryan Gindorff ,
Bruce Henstell
production Lawrence Gordon
music Barry De Vorzon
camera Richard H. Kline
cut Roger Spottiswoode
occupation

A Hard Times (Original title: Hard Times ) is a US action - drama of the director Walter Hill from 1975. The leading roles are with Charles Bronson and James Coburn and Jill Ireland occupied.

action

Chaney, a mysterious, unemployed loafer comes during the global economic crisis using a freight train in a town in Louisiana on. There he attends an exhibition match organized by players. After the fight is over, Chaney Speed, one of the organizers, calls on one of the organizers to order another fight. Chaney puts his few dollars on himself and wins with a single blow.

Speed ​​then offered himself to Chaney as manager. Together they travel to New Orleans , where Speed ​​wants to use Chaney against local fighters with little chance of winning. Chaney takes a cheap bedroom. At a dinner he meets Lucy Simpson, a lonely woman whose husband is in prison. Chaney and Lucy start a relationship.

Chaney warns Speed ​​that he just wants to make some money and then move on. Speed ​​recruits a cutman , opium addicted Poe, who is relieved when Chaney accepts him. Speed ​​continues to plan to pit Chaney against Jim Henry, the city's undefeated street fighter. Henry is a terrifying brawler sponsored by wealthy businessman Chick Gandil. Gandil suspects a plot, so he insists that Speed ​​should use $ 3,000 upfront. Speed ​​is therefore forced to take out a loan from local gangsters. Chaney takes on Jim Henry and proves up to the task, he knocks him out.

Chaney, Speed ​​and Poe celebrate with their friends in a juke joint . Speed ​​loses its share of the profit by playing a game of dice. The gangsters then threaten Speed ​​with the money he owes them. Gandil offers Chaney money to fight for him. Speed ​​agrees that it will allow him to pay off his debt, but Chaney refuses. He and Speed ​​therefore get into a bitter argument. Additionally, Lucy leaves Chaney because of his emotional distance and lack of engagement in the relationship.

Gandil decides to hire Street, a top street fighter from Chicago. Failing to get Chaney into an all-or-nothing fight, he settles Speed's debts and then takes him hostage. If there is no fight, Speed ​​will be killed because of his debts.

Poe visits Chaney in his apartment and informs him about the difficulties Speed ​​is in. Chaney goes to Gandil's warehouse where the fight is supposed to take place. Not only does he have to fight for Speed's life, but he is also forced to risk all of his own profits. Street proves to be Chaney's toughest opponent, but Chaney eventually gains the upper hand and defeats Street in a grueling battle. Speed's life is spared. True to his word, Chaney decides it's time to go. He gives Speed ​​and Poe a generous amount of the money won and goes on his way. When he disappears into the darkness, Speed ​​says that Chaney is "really unique".

background

  • The film is the directorial debut of Walter Hill, who also co-wrote the script here.
  • After The Magnificent Seven and Broken Chains , this is the third and final film in which Charles Bronson and James Coburn played together.
  • Bronson performed most of the stunts in this film himself.
  • The shooting of the final fight took over a week to complete.
  • In the United Kingdom , the film was released under the title The Streetfighter to avoid confusion with the story of the same name by Charles Dickens .

Reviews

On the Rotten Tomatoes website , 92% of 13 reviews counted were positive in their judgment. Metacritic gave a score of 69 based on 7 reviews.

Roger Ebert described the film in his contemporary review in the Chicago Sun-Times of October 14, 1975 as "a powerful, brutal film with a determined portrayal of Charles Bronson." The character of Chaney is "strangely interesting" because little is known about him and little is learned about him, but much is implied by Bronson's mere presence.

“The exciting action film was the directorial debut of Walter Hill, who was based on the biography of world boxing champion Jack Dempsey. This role seemed perfectly fitting to Hill for Charles Bronson. [...] With his appearance as prize boxer Chaney he delivered an outstanding character study. In addition to all the action, this is also a critical time picture of poverty and violence in the thirties. To see another role: Bronson's wife Jill Ireland. "

"With the help of action cinema conventions, director Hill delivers episodic snapshots from the lives of petty crooks, tramps and marginalized existences, which - with all commercial concessions - together produce a critical view of the time."

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b c d e Trivia
  2. A Hard Times at Rotten Tomatoes (English)
  3. A man as tough as steel at Metacritic (English)Template: Metacritic / Maintenance / Lack of knowledge in Wikidata
  4. ^ Review by Roger Ebert
  5. A man as tough as steel. In: prisma.de. prisma-Verlag , accessed on September 20, 2017 .
  6. A man as tough as steel. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used