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Amazon.co.uk Review
One of the defining roles of the late, great Paul Newman, The Hustler sees him co-star with Jackie Gleason in an acclaimed, award-winning piece of cinema. Newman is ‘Fast’ Eddie Felson, who hustles the pool rooms in search of riches, only to hit the buffers when he encounters Minnesota Fats, played by Gleason. But as Felson hits rock bottom, he soon starts to get his confidence back, and The Hustler is on the way to establishing itself as a cinematic classic.
There’s so much to admire. The performances from Newman, Gleason, George C. Scott and Piper Laurie are uniformly outstanding, while director Robert Rossen understandably never managed to top the film. But it’s so dripping with detail, so chock-full of quotable lines, and so brilliantly written that it’s hard to see how he could.
The high definition transfer makes the most of the exquisitely framed visuals, offering a real clarity to the film’s look. As such, it’s worth considering the Blu-ray upgrade.
But first and foremost, the best reason to buy the film is to enjoy a bone fide cinema classic over and over again, looking as good as it ever has. It’s outstanding cinema, and a chance to enjoy one of Hollywood’s finest ever actors at the very top of his game. --Jon Foster
Special Features
2.35 Wide Screen
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 9
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo English\Mono French Italian
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Mono
Cast And Crew Commentary
Featurette The Hustler The Inside Story
How To Make The Shot
5 Seamlessly Branched Sequences Of Trick Shot Analysis
Behind The Scene Stills Gallery
Theatrical Trailer
Spanish Theatrical Trailer
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Dutch\French\Italian
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 9
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo English\Mono French Italian
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Mono
Cast And Crew Commentary
Featurette The Hustler The Inside Story
How To Make The Shot
5 Seamlessly Branched Sequences Of Trick Shot Analysis
Behind The Scene Stills Gallery
Theatrical Trailer
Spanish Theatrical Trailer
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Dutch\French\Italian
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Hustler (1961),
By A Customer
This review is from: The Hustler [VHS] (VHS Tape)
If it was perceived by the critical fraternity that Paul Newman was more impressive in The Colour of Money, The Hustler's sequel, then a great travesty has been done. Coupled of course with the loss of this film, in the best picture stakes, to West-Side Story.
The Hustler was Robert Rossen's cinematic masterpiece, and for all the stylistics and photography employed, it is the contest of pool talent over self-assurance that makes the lasting impression. Newman sneers, barks and grins his way through a consistently impressive script with deadbeat conviction, all the while teetering on the brink of Rossen's stark landscapes, and infinitely cynical world. Newman is at times breathtaking as 'Fast' Eddy Felson, a young and talented pool hustler in search of the holy-grail, the legendary Minnesota Fats. He plays a hustler with aplomb, he roars anger and he whimpers in defeat. A strong supporting performance from Piper Laurie, adds a romantic interest, and ultimately highlights the importance of love over the all-mighty dollar. George C. Scott impresses as a sociopath gambling-addict, and yet somehow Newman is the only one you see. Piper Laurie's melodramatic character traits threaten to upstage, but it's Newman all the way. Jammed full of quotable lines, this film sometimes risks losing itself in the moment, but it is the very excellent script, and Newman's performance as one of the greatest anti-heroes to date, that sets this aside as one of the greatest post-noir achievements of our times. Whatever you think of West-Side Story there is no denying the more enduring of the two, or indeed the more affecting. Whatever you think of West Side Story, this is glorious.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Then and now,
By
This review is from: The Hustler [1961] [DVD] (DVD)
American films now are routinely full of violence and swearing (though curiously never all that much sex) but are at heart almost invariably juvenile, soft-headed and sentimental. I was shocked by this film - which contains one "Bastard!" and some off-screen violence portrayed by means of a scream - because of the brutal adult honesty of the dialogue and the tough bleak view of human existence. Paul Newman is mesmerising, a great actor and a true star; the histrionics of Damon, Di Caprio, Pitt etc laughable by comparison. George C Scott is maybe even a shade better. The film lets the viewer inhabit a world he wouldn't otherwise know: the seedy smoke-filled pool rooms, gambling tables, bars of a nameless American city. It's not the glossy - and now so often CGI-d - fantasy world that American film has shown ever since I've been old enough to go to the cinema. And the pool itself is truly exciting: the exquisite editing never lets you forget the battle of wills behind every shot. For me it's the first masterpiece of that great age of American cinema that reached its height in the `70s and as iconic a representation of American life at mid-century as `Death of a Salesman'.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Paul Newman at his best ( as ever!! ),
By
This review is from: The Hustler [1961] [DVD] (DVD)
I loved this film. Paul Newman is one of my favourite actors, after seeing 'Cool Hand Luke' I was hooked. His presence on screen is bedazzling and although he did eventually win an Oscar I still feel he is somewhat underrated. Another film which I would recommend with Paul Newman in is "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". During my earlier years I was somewhat of a pool fanatic and frequently visited the nearest pool table to me. The film came on late night television and I was late getting up the next day but it was oh so worth it! This is what lead me to searching out a copy of my very own. The acting is superb, almost enigmatic of Paul Newman, the story brilliant and moving, the pool is awe inspiring and the DVD is not bad at all either. With a few extras including a demonstration of all the trick shots used in the film, performed by the world trick shot champion, this is not one to be missed. The semi true story of Fast Eddie Felson is essential viewing for any fan of the green baize and a great film besides. Well worth the money and I'm sure a worthy addition to anyone's DVD collection.
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