The Island Cinephile

The Hustler: Stellar characters with a side of pool

“Fat man, you shoot a great game of pool.”

fast eddie

The Hustler opens with an establishing scene that encapsulates the character of one who is adept in illicit dealing. Enter our protagonists Eddie and Charlie making their way through pool halls and pretending to be drunken amateurs. The crowd falls for it, and Eddie shows his hand as he wins a round. Evidently a strong player, Eddie’s faults are manifested in his weak character. Greedy and selfish, he finds this hustle prevalent in his relationships outside of the game. Along the way, Eddie attempts to win against Minnesota Fats – a legendary pool player. He finds himself in the lead but, but his greed causes him to forfeit his win. Subsequently, a downward spiral is triggered. Leaving Charlie in the watches of the night, Eddie heads off to a train station where he runs into an enigmatic patron. Hesitant acquaintance befalls them, and they meet again, forming a destructive alliance. Sarah tends to Eddie, and he just takes. He swindles her in every way; whether it be financially, mentally, bodily, and yet still she remains. Entirely vulnerable, she is entrapped by Eddie in what she calls “a contract of depravity.” She is seemingly more deeply involved in Eddie than he is to her as he treats her just how he would a pool game – he plays hard, and he plays fast. If I could define the premise of this film in one phrase, it would be, “the undertaking of an extended hustle.”  

The magnificence of this film is its theme of loss bolstered by rich dialogue, strong characters, and their relationships between each other. There were memorable moments within the dialogue that seemed so pertinent. An example being posed by someone positing the question, “Want some free advice?” and Charlie retorting, “How much does it cost?” Paul Newman portrays Eddie Felson as a blue-eyed con man full of ego, motivated by self-preservation and lacking in good nature. Yet, he was extremely talented at playing pool. Myron McCormick’s rendition of Charlie is presented as a “Father-like” figure that managed and, in a way, shielded him from advances but at the cost of Eddie’s avarice – he is evidently chased away. Minnesota Fats, propped up as the one to spur Felson’s growth, is played by Jackie Gleason with controlled chaos. His love for the game and his moral code made him much more successful than any other player.  Bert Gordon played by George Scott appears like a beacon of light for Eddie, but a counterfeit always appears when you are desperate and out of options. Eddie was too blinded by his hunger to win that he ignored the glaring red flags that waved in front of him. Sarah, portrayed by Piper Laurie, saw straight through him, and he did with her. Her temperament was hauntingly written and intriguingly executed. 

Unlike a regular pool movie, The Hustler finds itself blossoming into a character driven film with a side occupation of pool. The captivating essence of the dialogue and relationships balances well with competitive scenes as it provides us with visual exposition regarding our characters. Bert Gordon’s synopsis of Eddie as a “natural born loser” was an interesting sentiment to be belied upon an other-worldly pool player. Yet, Gordon understood something about Felson that took him such a tenuous time to see. Interestingly enough, defeat from Minnesota Fats was not the catalyst to spur Eddie’s growth – it was loss. After losing someone of value, Eddie finally learns his lesson and is baptized in the waters of integrity.  

Watch trailer for The Hustler.

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