Movie Reviews for The Pawnbroker

The Pawnbroker

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Movie Reviews of The Pawnbroker

Movie Review: Life as punishment
Summary: 5 Stars

An amazing and hearbreaking story about German Jewsih immigrant Sol Nazerman, who lives in NYC and owns a pawnshop. Sol is a lonely man, unable to relate to other people's neediness for personal connection. He is so detached from the world that only random comments from his store customers or friends and family can stir angry replies from him. Sol believes that world is governed by greed, which he resents in spite of the fact that he has lots of money himself. It is also sad to see him in his shop, closed behind bars and locks. It is almost as if he is self-imposing the imprisonment on himself. A few friends and family and even his long time lover, are financially dependent on him. While he needs them to remind him of his past, he also resents them. Flashbacks from Sol's past are terribly hard to watch. We see WWII rob him of his children, parents and beautiful wife. The way they perish is of constant anguish to him and 25 years later, his emotional pain os so hard that he wants to die more than anything else. Sol rejects everything and everyone around him because he is either dead inside already, or he is afraid that if he gets close to people and sincerely starts caring about them, he will get hurt again. The fact that Sol keeps on living is punishment he can barely stand any more. For him, death is difficult to attain, but it is his utmost desire.

Movie Review: Highly Introspective
Summary: 5 Stars

This film is an excellent social commentary, Rod Steiger is an excellent actor, and his performance coupled with the social commentary creates very a penetrating experience. This is not a sit down and eat popcorn film, it basically burdens your soul and leaves you shaken afterward. The film relates to the memories and conscience of a Holocaust survivor, and how he manages to deal or not deal with both. The reflections of the survivor are terribly true to life, and therefore impact the viewer; the film basically leaves one with deeply ingrained impressions.

Movie Review: Ever a c lassic
Summary: 5 Stars

Some time framed memories seem to last, in this case, a Rod Steiger classic performance. Idylic days in the countryside transform into 3rd Reich madness and then a lifetime of nightmarish memories interwoven with daily survival. A movie that operates on different levels remains effective in running the gamult of emotions tinged with sadness and longing. A squandered Oscar opportunity for Steiger by the Acadamy which sought redemption by bestowing the award years later for an overated performance in a weak script. The pieces of this cinematic pie fit together well and the film remains a pleasure and privilege to view.

Movie Review: Stark 60's urban drama
Summary: 5 Stars

Might be Rod Steiger's most morose and bleakiest role. As an Auschwitz survivor whose family were raped and tortured there, he feels a veritable menagerie of despair because of the guilt he feels for his inability to extricate them from the camp and for the guilt he feels because he somehow managed to make it out. His job as the titled pawnbroker does nothing but fuel more fire to his dire situation in life as he is cast amongst the severest cases of poverty in his store's Harlem neighborhood. Added to that, he has to front his store for a despicable vice lord (Brock Peters) so that he can at least make a modicum of income.

Sounds and is grim but is, to me, the quintessential groundbreaker of the ultra-realistic urban life dramas that were to unfold in the latter 60's and early 70's. Rod plays his part to perfection as a lifeless, embittered old man who has seen too much in one lifetime. The aforementioned Brock Peters along with Ray St. Jacques, Jaime Sanchez (his apprentice) and others flavor this dramatic pot even more so with their poignant portrayals of their respective characters, each of whom has fallen victim to the scourges of his ghetto habitat.

I shall not offer up where and how the redemptive transformation occurs in our principal, except to say watch the entire movie and see for yourself how it all unfolds. Truly, a time-tested masterpiece!