It's more than just a cellular to communicate for gloveless fighter Charles Bronson in this depression era drama that has him taking over in scenes by barely saying a word with James Coburn and "Cool Hand Luke's" Strother Martin. Coburn is his more bombastic representative and Martin, delightfully slimy, is dress like a mobster and talks like a bootlegger as he tends to Bronson's wounds. This slice of life drama is more atmosphere than story, but a well-written script and good performances makes it very memorable.
A great New Orleans setting really adds to the atmosphere, and in some of the photography, there are some terrific angles that show Bronson and Coburn sitting and talking as a New Orleans Street dominates the visual. 1975 was not a big year for blockbuster films and Martin certainly could have been considered for supporting actor for his performance here. Bronson is excellent but it's difficult to pick out a scene to represent as terrific acting when they are not really talking all that much.
Jill Ireland and Margaret Blye are the women in Bronson and Coburn's life respectively, and there's a few nice subtle moments between the real life married Bronson and Ireland. Naomi Stevens has an amusing small role as a flashy madame. The fight scenes get to be pretty brutal and it's clear that Martin's character has some ties with the local criminal element, led by Bruce Glover.
You don't really get to know about Bronson outside of his flying fists, but his character is so quiet that you wouldn't expect him to reveal much anyway. In spite of a shell of a plot other than Bronson's desperation to survive in a tough world, this ends up being quite memorable because even though there's not a strong story, the atmosphere draws the audience in and makes them feel like they've gone back to the Great Depression where survival was key.
A great New Orleans setting really adds to the atmosphere, and in some of the photography, there are some terrific angles that show Bronson and Coburn sitting and talking as a New Orleans Street dominates the visual. 1975 was not a big year for blockbuster films and Martin certainly could have been considered for supporting actor for his performance here. Bronson is excellent but it's difficult to pick out a scene to represent as terrific acting when they are not really talking all that much.
Jill Ireland and Margaret Blye are the women in Bronson and Coburn's life respectively, and there's a few nice subtle moments between the real life married Bronson and Ireland. Naomi Stevens has an amusing small role as a flashy madame. The fight scenes get to be pretty brutal and it's clear that Martin's character has some ties with the local criminal element, led by Bruce Glover.
You don't really get to know about Bronson outside of his flying fists, but his character is so quiet that you wouldn't expect him to reveal much anyway. In spite of a shell of a plot other than Bronson's desperation to survive in a tough world, this ends up being quite memorable because even though there's not a strong story, the atmosphere draws the audience in and makes them feel like they've gone back to the Great Depression where survival was key.