Requiem for a Heavyweight

Ralph Nelson's Requiem for a Heavyweight opens with a tracking shot fo bar patrons watching a boxing match on an unseen TV with immense interest. It then cuts to the mayhem of the fight as seen from the perspective of Luis "Mountain" Rivera (Anthony Quinn). It's this fight (up against Cassius Clay, no less!) that Rivera needs to call it quits if wants to stay alive.

With the help of his trainer Army (Mickey Rooney), Rivera tries to find some steady work outside the ring. His manager Maish Rennick (Jackie Gleason), however, has a number of debts to some bookies so he wants to Rivera to keep fighting. But what does the fighter's future hold?

There's a weariness to Requiem for a Heavyweight that shows an empathy to Rivera's situation. With a script penned by Rod Serling, that tiredness and cynicism make all the more sense. (Just watch The Twilight Zone or Seven Days in May.) The film's not in the mood for bullshit.

Now this version of Requiem for a Heavyweight has some noted changes from its original teleplay. (The lead character's named Harlan McClintock, for starters.) And the conclusion for the film is decidedly more depressing on many fronts. (But again, with Serling at the typewriter, that's not a surprise.)

Requiem for a Heavyweight is definitely not the kind of uplifting picture most boxing films were the previous decade. With Serling's shrewd views on full display, the film shines a sad light on those in Rivera's small circle. And as some episodes of The Twilight Zone showed, not everyone gets the happy ending they seek.

My Rating: ****

Lilies of the Field

Ralph Nelson's Lilies of the Field from a distance looks like a film about race and religion, two very touchy subjects of the early 1960's. Once one watches it, they learn it's more about one's personal morals.

Sidney Poitier stars as Homer Nelson, a man who is an independent thinker. Poitier has a certain charm that's an advantage in creating Homer's personality. Homer is a friendly person when he's with the right people. With the wrong people, he tends to shut himself out from them.

A few of the elements in Lilies in the Field feel dated by many of today's standards, but they were definitely effective back in 1963. The topic of race is used lightly, religion just a little more. It's more so on the understanding between vastly different people, a common theme in the post-McCarthy era, and one that has been exhausted far too often.

That doesn't mean Lilies of the Field is bad. It's actually a very good film. Nelson makes sure that his film stays afloat throughout, and he succeeds for the most part. It's towards the final third that the film gets weak.

As stated, Lilies of the Field is good but not great. Poitier is very good though I would have given the Oscar that year to Paul Newman for Hud. Still, it's worth a look.

My Rating: ****1/2