The Set-Up (1949)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Art Cohn (screenplay)
Joseph Moncure March (poem)

Release Date:

14 October 1949 (France)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Sport

Tagline:

I Want a Man... Not a Human Punching Bag!

Plot:

Against all odds, a worn down fading boxer, painstakingly clashes against his driven opponent, firmly refusing to accept the hearsay of a washed up career.

Plot Keywords:

Boxer | Underdog | Boxing | Gambling | Based On Poem

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins

Cast

Robert Ryan	...	Stoker
Audrey Totter	...	Julie
George Tobias	...	Tiny
Alan Baxter	...	Little Boy
Wallace Ford	...	Gus
Percy Helton	...	Red
Hal Baylor	...	Tiger Nelson (as Hal Fieberling)
Darryl Hickman	...	Shanley
Kenny O'Morrison	...	Moore
James Edwards	...	Luther Hawkins
David Clarke	...	Gunboat Johnson
Phillip Pine	...	Souza
Edwin Max	...	Danny

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:18A | USA:Approved (certificate #13478) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Robert Ryan was a boxing champion while a student at Dartmouth college.

Quotes:

Red: I tell you, Tiny, you gotta let him in on it.
Tiny: How many times I gotta say it? There's no percentage in smartenin' up a chump.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fighters (1991) (TV)

Forgotten gem

Robert Wise was one of Hollywood's most versatile and talented directors, but amidst all the classic films he made, this one was purportedly his personal favourite. It's easy to see why. Seedy, gritty, and stark, it's about as subtle as a hard right to the jaw. Ryan - one of the most underrated actors in American cinema - delivers a superb performance as Stoker, an aging boxer looking to salvage his dignity if not his career. It's a moral choice that could cost him his friends, his marriage and his future. Among the many interesting facets of the film is the use of other boxers on the night's ticket to reflect and reveal aspects of Stoker's own character - the loss of his youthful dreams, the fear of pain and permanent damage. Wise reserves such subtle devices for Stoker alone - every other character is rather one-dimensional, though this came across to me as a conscious choice to better fit the story into the 'real time' format, and to keep us focused solely on Stoker's story. The camera work and visuals are as stark and as potent as the story, carefully chosen to reflect the emotional beats of the story. Overall, an archetypal example of film noir not to be missed. Don't consider yourself a true film buff until you've seen this movie!