Review of Hustler, The (Special Edition)

Introduction

Although Paul Newman would have to wait 25 years and five nominations before winning an Oscar for Best Actor, his performance as `Fast` Eddie Felson in `The Hustler` is arguably the finest of his career. `Fast` Eddie is a hustler, a man who enters pool halls, embarks on a losing streak while the odds stack up against him before showing what skills he has and cleaning up. He hears of the legendary pool shark `Minnesota Fats` (Jackie Gleason) and challenges his 15 year unbeaten record. Following heartbreaking defeat, he meets Sarah (Piper Laurie), an alcoholic cripple and gains the character and self-respect that enable him to once again take on `Minnesota Fats`.

`The Hustler` has been available on region 2 DVD with some of the extras on this set and as a Special Edition on region 1 for four years. This begs the questions "why has it taken so long to release a Special Edition on region 2?" and "why didn`t they do it at the same time as in North America?". So, after four years of waiting, is this set any good?

Video

Aside from a minute long sequence with a vertical line, this is a beautiful 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer which shows off Eugene Shuftan`s Oscar winning black and white cinematography.

There are English, French, Italian and Dutch subtitles available for the film and there is the option of English subtitles for the commentary.

Audio

The Dolby 2.0 stereo soundtrack is beautifully clear and enables you to hear every word of dialogue, the bustle and atmosphere of the pool halls.

Features

Disc one contains a `trick shot analysis` with 4 time and current `World Artistic Pool Champion` Mike Massey, who takes you through five of the most famous shots in the film. Disappointigly there is not a new commentary for this release, but there is the same commentary as on the original release. This is not so much a commentary in the traditional sense of the word, but a series of interviews with such people as film critic Richard Schickel, Paul Newman, editor Dede Allen, director Robert Rossen`s daughter Carol and assistant director Ulu Grosbard. The commentary is very interesting and revealing but is not linked to the events on screen as it is comprised of pieces of interviews that have been assembled to run for the length of the film.

Disc two puts the `special` into this edition with numerous featurettes:

In `Life in the Fast Lane: Fast Eddie Felson and the Search for Greatness`, Piper Laurie, Dede Allen, Michael Constantine, Paul Newman and Dr. Drew Caspar (Professor of Film and Television at USC) talk about the film from conception to present-day status and, amongst other things, discuss how Paul Newman learned to play pool having never previously picked up a cue.

The twenty-seven minute `Milestones in Cinema History: The Making of The Hustler` is a comprehensive `making of` in which Piper Laurie, Dede Allen, Michael Constantine, Paul Newman and Drew Caspar discuss such things as filming locations, subtexts and metaphors, Piper Laurie`s acting style, working with George C. Scott, editing and critical and public reaction to the film.

In the nine-minute `Swimming With Sharks: The Art of the Hustle` R. A. Dyer, the author of `Hustler Days` and professional pool player Max Eberle discuss the development of the sport, the impact of `The Hustler` on the sport and what a hustler is.

`The Hustler: The Inside Story` is a twenty-three minute `making of` which complements the other features very well as a thorough examination of the film, the sport and its legacy.

Paul Newman: Hollywood`s Cool Hand is a program from the Biography Channel and is a revealing portrait of Newman which lasts nearly 45 minutes. It is occasionally fawning and another program may not be quite so flattering but Newman comes across as a thoroughly nice man and a damn good actor.

The `How to Make the Shot` feature with Mike Massey is practically identical to, though longer than, the `trick shot analysis` on the first disc, so there is little point in watching them both.

There are two theatrical trailers, both for `The Hustler`, one English and the other Spanish.

The `Still Gallery` features nine photos from the film set and posters, which you have to scroll through manually.

Conclusion

Of Newman`s nine Oscar nominations, this is the performance that most deserved a win, with the main cast also providing some of their best work: Jackie Gleason is a world away from his role in `The Honeymooners`; Piper Laurie may only have bettered this performance in `Carrie` and George C. Scott is practically Satan in a sharp suit as the amoral gambler Burt Gordon. The `pool table` scenes are so good that one could almost watch them separately and, together with great cinematography, tight editing and superb direction, `The Hustler` is a fantastic film, with an almost timeless and endlessly watchable quality.

Although the other releases of `The Hustler` have had anamorphic transfers and the same audio commentary as this version, this appears to have the most comprehensive set of extras so far made available, running for nearly two hours. As such, this version is a worthy upgrade for anyone who loves the film and owns a previous release and is almost a `must buy` for anyone who doesn`t already own the film.