Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)

Simply Perfect

Simply A Masterpiece

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Aged boxer Luis 'Mountain' Rivera (Anthony Quinn) is knock-outed by Cassius Clay. He is in bad shape and the doctor says he can't fight anymore. The bookie is after his manager Maish Rennick (Jackie Gleason) when Mountain lasted 7 rounds instead of 4. In addition to a $1500 bet, the bookie lost a bundle which he wants paid back. His trainer Army (Mickey Rooney) takes Mountain around trying to get a job. Social worker Grace Miller (Julie Harris) takes pity on the poor sap. Mountain has to swallow his pride and wrestle to save Maish's life. Anthony Quinn is amazing and so is Jackie Gleason. It is an unrelenting sad dark movie. It can also drag at times but the performances are so compelling.

With a title like "Requiem for a Heavyweight" you certainly aren't expecting an upbeat movie! But, here, there ends up being little point to watching the film. The film starts with the heavyweight of the title, Anthony Quinn, badly losing a fight. The fight doctor declares him unable to fight anymore, since he could lose sight in his left eye if he goes back in the ring.What follows is the expected downward spiral, instigated by the thoroughly unscrupulous manager played by Jackie Gleason. He's deep in debt to bookies and has no issue in using Quinn's fighter in any way he can to make a buck. He certainly plays a reprehensible character very well.I love black-and-white cinematography, and it is beautifully done here, on location in New York. Unfortunately, we get to see little of the city during the course of the movie, since the drama takes place almost entirely in interiors.The script is by Rod Serling, who always showed skill with various genres. The movie is staged well by Ralph Nelson, a veteran TV director, who helmed the original TV version of the story in 1956.The performances are excellent all around. It is amazing to see how beaten up Mickey Rooney looks at 42! His appearance definitely sells him as the worn-down "cut man" of the team. The make up is by Dick Smith, to me the greatest make up artist ever in film. He is most famous for creating Brando's "The Godfather," as well as doing make up effects, like in "The Exorcist." Here, he's billed as Richard Smith.Overall, an interesting movie for what it is. But, you can see all the beats coming before they happen.****** (6 Out of 10 Stars)

This film begins at the very end of a boxer's career. After losing his fight, Man Mountain (Anthony Quinn) is told the fight doctor has de-certified him to box--saying he is physically unable to fight again. How this sweet man is able to assimilate to a normal life as well as the efforts of a nice woman (Julie Christie) to help him and his manager (Jackie Gleason) to exploit what's left of him.Like a lot of movies in the 1950s and 60s, this one was originally a live teleplay. This original version had a completely different cast--with Jack Palance playing lead and supported by Ed and Keenan Wynn as well as Kim Hunter. But this is not the only big difference--this version has a completely different ending that may leave you feeling VERY different from the first version. It's much, much more downbeat in this remake....much more so. Now you might like this, as it makes the boxing industry look even uglier. But as for me, I liked the hopeful ending in the TV version. Plus, while the acting in the movie was good, I don't think it was any better than the originals did. Too bad the original actors didn't get a chance to reprise their roles. Jack Palance, in particular, was superb and received an Emmy for his acting. Still, the film is interesting and makes you think about this soul-less 'sport'. I give it an 8...and the original a solid 10.

Like so many others have already said, this is a great film, and one that I've watched many, many times since the late-1960's. Somewhere along the line, though, it was unceremoniously edited by someone who should've left it alone. The cut to which I refer involves an exchange between Maish Reynolds and Ma Greeney at the end of the film. Reynold's has narrowly escaped death at the hands of Greeney's goons, and in that moment, Reynold's vindictively intones to Greeney, "I wish you were a man." Greeney laughs out loud and replies, "Maishey darling, that's the nicest thing anyone ever said to me!" Maybe some of you remember it, but it has been many years since any version I've seen still has it.