Requiem for a Heavyweight

Buy This Item Requiem for a Heavyweight by Sony Pictures  Available from Amazon  $21.99  on 11-25-2008     This feature version of Rod Serling's memorable teleplay, theatrically released in 1962, was previously produced in 1956 for live television. The grim tale stars Anthony Quinn as a brain-damaged fighter suffering from too many years in the ring yet pushed into another and yet another punishing round by his corrupt manager (Jackie Gleason). Yearning for a life of his own, Quinn's burned-out hitter falls for a shy social worker (Julie Harris), while Gleason's small-timer tries fending off the pressures of truly bad guys who want the money he owes them. Directed by Ralph Nelson (who also made the TV version), this <I>Requiem</I> opens up into a powerful piece of social realism with the undercurrent of a cautionary fable. The characters are almost archetypal, the story never stops moving, the acting is superb (Mickey Rooney is very good as Quinn's reluctant trainer), and the ending is nightmarishly apt. <I>--Tom Keogh</I> Reader Reviews The film begins in the ring with the aging heavyweight boxer Mountain Rivera (Quinn) getting pounded by the then real life Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali). Once ranked as high as 5th in the world, he has been reduced to a sure win for those on the way up and a payday for his manager. It's all he's ever done and he's not prepared to do anything else in life. The doc tells him this is it. Another blow to the head and his eyesight may not survive that one. His manager (Gleason) and trainer (Rooney) have other ideas. Mountain is their paycheck and besides, Gleason just bet (and lost) that Mountain wouldn't last 4 rounds against Clay. He needs to keep the franchise going because he isn't prepared for anything else, either. Mountain tries the unemployment office where the case worker (Harris) takes a personal, as well as professional, interest in helping this 'mountain' of a man who is lost outside the ring. The scene when he takes her to the bar where he always hangs out and tries to treat her like a 'lady' is a classic. Gleason, meanwhile, is being pursued by the mob to make good on his bet. Rivera is caught in the middle of this tragedy as friendship and loyalty are put to the test. This is NOT an uplifting, all ends well story. I can't imagine a better cast for this story written by Rod Serling (Twilight Zone) for TV six years earlier. WWW.LUSREVIEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM

Requiem for a Heavyweight Available from Amazon Price: $21.99 Updated on 11-25-2008.

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