God gave Paul Newman a face like a marble sculpture and a pair of deep blue eyes like a tropical ocean. It was not until the age of 36 that he unabashedly showed the world on the screen-"Jiang Hu" "The Prodigal Son" is the perfect bloom of his idol temperament; this film is also the pioneering work of his series of anti-hero images, including his later famous "Little Tiger Leopard King" and "Cheat in Deception" are the continuation of this film. Performance style.
In this film, which was nominated for nine Oscars in 1961, Paul Newman played Eddie, a New York street bastard with superb billiard skills, who made a living by coaxing others to play games and betting against him. Young and frivolous, he always wanted to challenge the legendary figure in the billiards world-Fat Minson. , Even half of a thumb is interrupted by life-
Hollywood movies have a routine. When the hero is in trouble, there will always be a beautiful woman who falls from the sky. This film seems clichéd but it is quite meaningful: there is a beautiful woman who makes her debut. But it is not the flawless Snow White, nor the spoiled rich daughter, but the bad girl Sara who was abandoned by her father due to polio since she was a child, and is addicted to alcohol and all kinds of old men all day long. A pair of fateful mandarin ducks in adversity seems to be more able to burst out the sparks of love. What's more, the fallen hero has a perfect face like the sun god Apollo? Finally, with Sara’s encouragement, Eddie regained his confidence. When he was about to make a comeback and fight again, he unexpectedly found that success was getting farther and farther away from him——
Rather than saying that this is a sports film based on a billiard player's sports career, it is rather a philosophical film that deeply demonstrates American success and failure. Eddie was born poor, but young and energetic, always wanting to become famous in the world, but a scheming sports agent publicly mocked him: "You are always a loser." Because he was warned, "Playing billiards requires not only talent, but also "Character", Eddie is talented, but what he lacks is character. This character is calm, calm, steady and open-minded. On the contrary, he is frivolous, arrogant, arrogant and arrogant, so even if he has a small reputation, he ultimately loses nothing. Fortunately, the prodigal son didn’t change his head. When he rose up again in adversity and possessed the character needed by a true billiard master, he still did not become a winner, because he lost his love and his beloved Sara became a way to him. Paving stones for the summit of victory.
The result of the film was unexpected: he defeated the Minsons Fatty, a shame, on the surface he became the winner, but he was not happy at all, because Sarah’s suicide was like a sap that woke Eddie from a deep sleep. The long-awaited soul. He pointed to the vampire-like agent and roared: "You are the loser, because your heart is already dead -" Here, the creator's critical edge is clear: the so-called winners and losers do not only look at the success or failure of the casino. If a winner wins by selling his soul, then he is essentially a loser!
Eddie’s anti-hero image is undoubtedly unforgettable, and his actor Paul Newman’s superb acting skills are even more memorable. In the film, the handsomeness and unruly of a billiard player, and the confusion and pain of a slumber are fully interpreted by him. It is said that when shooting this film, Newman, who has always followed the rules, has never set foot in a billiard hall. Surprisingly, The dazzling billiards in the film are all the result of learning and selling now, not a stand-in! It is said that after the film was released, even the most professional billiard coaches were amazed: Paul Newman's complacent and frivolous demeanor when he played, his cue held in his hand, and the accuracy of his actions when he served the ball were just as accurate as a real master! It seems that while Hollywood has one more legendary superstar, it is regrettable that there is one less talented star.
Paul Newman's unforgettable performance in this film brought him the second Oscar nomination for best actor in his life. Although he did not win the award, he laid a good foreshadowing for his dream of a movie star 25 years later. In 1986, he starred in a movie called "The True Colors of Money". The protagonist was also named Eddie, but this Eddie had already frost-stained his temples and was staggering. When the old man appeared in the film, he said something meaningful. The words: "I haven't played billiards in 25 years!" The audience suddenly realized, isn't this the sequel to "The Prodigal Son"? Twenty-five years ago, he had just hit the world invincible, but he did not stop the Oscar. 25 years later, his white-haired old man talked about madness but unexpectedly gained a little golden man. This is probably the so-called providence?
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