Body and Soul (1947 film)

Infobox Film | name = Body and Soul

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caption = Body and Soul movie poster
director = Robert Rossen
producer = Bob Roberts
writer = Abraham Polonsky
starring =John Garfield
Lilli Palmer
Hazel Brooks
Anne Revere
William Conrad
music =Hugo Friedhofer
cinematography = James Wong Howe
editing =
distributor = United Artists
released = August 22, 1947 (U.S. release)
runtime = 104 min
language = English
budget =
imdb_id = 0039204

"Body and Soul" is a 1947 film noir which tells the story of a boxer who becomes involved with crooked promoters. It stars John Garfield, Lilli Palmer, Hazel Brooks, Anne Revere and William Conrad.

The movie, written by Abraham Polonsky and directed by Robert Rossen, is considered the first great boxing picture; it's also cautionary tale about the lure of money—and how it can derail even a strong common man in his pursuit of success.

Plot

Charley Davis, against the wishes of his mother, becomes a boxer. As he becomes more successful the fighter becomes surrounded by shady characters, including an unethical promoter named Roberts, who tempt the man with a number of vices. Charley finds himself faced with increasingly difficult choices.

Reaction

The film received positive reviews when first released. Some modern film reviews find the film's message heavy handed today but most reviewers continue to praise Garfield's performance. [http://www.sover.net/~ozus/bodyandsoul.htm]

TV Guide's review notes "The fight sequences, in particular, brought a kind of realism to the genre that had never before existed (James Wong Howe wore skates and rolled around the ring shooting the fight scenes with a hand-held camera). A knockout on all levels." [http://online.tvguide.com/movies/database/ShowMovie.asp?MI=20044]

It's known for its fight scenes which influenced the Scorsese classic Raging Bull.

Cast

Awards

It won the Academy Award for Film Editing and was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (John Garfield) and Best Writing, Original Screenplay.

External links

*imdb title|0039204