The Set-Up
by Robert Wise
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Alan Baxter, Audrey Totter, George Tobias, Robert Ryan, Wallace FordDirector: Robert Wise
Brand: Warner Brothers
Cinematographer: Milton R. Krasner
Editor: Roland Gross
Producer: Dore Schary
Producer: Richard Goldstone
Writer: Art Cohn
Writer: Joseph Moncure March
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 73 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-07-06
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Turner Home Ent
Movie Reviews of The Set-Up
Movie Review: "Don't you see Bill? You'll always be just one punch away."
Summary: 5 Stars
Robert Ryan (Flying Leathernecks, House of Bamboo, The Professionals, The Wild Bunch), star of the feature The Set-Up (1949), has always seemed to me one of those Hollywood actors who's never really gotten the recognition he deserved (Richard Widmark being another), despite appearing in quite a number of films, generally cast as the `heavy'. Why? I don't know for sure, but I'd guess there was a lot more competition back in the day in terms of there being so many truly wonderful actors worthy of the public's attention...based on a poem by Joseph Moncure March, and directed by Robert Wise (The Body Snatcher, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Sound of Music), the film stars, along with Ryan, Audrey Totter (The Postman Always Rings Twice, Lady in the Lake). Also appearing is Alan Baxter (Shadow of the Thin Man), Percy Helton (Kiss Me Deadly), Wallace Ford (Black Angel), Hal Baylor (Sands of Iwo Jima), and George Tobias (They Drive by Night, Sergeant York), probably best known as the character Abner Kravitz, the neighbor with the eternally nosey wife, from the 1960s television series "Bewitched".
Ryan plays Bill `Stoker' Thompson, thirty-five year old rank pugilist who's been in the game for some twenty years, hanging on to the belief his big opportunity is just `one punch away' (boxers seem an overly optimistic bunch). Anyway, prior to a scheduled match, Julie (Totter), Bill's wife, expresses her desire to see Bill get out of the game while he still has the ability to eat solid food, something which Bill seems willing to do, but not before earning a purse or two, at least enough to set him and Julie up in another business venture. What Bill doesn't know is that his slimy manager Tiny (Tobias) has made a deal with a local hood named Little Boy (Baxter), sponsor of a promising young heavyweight named `Tiger' Nelson (Baylor), Bill's upcoming opponent, one that involves Bill taking a fall. Now here's the catch...Tiny, believing Bill is washed up and won't be able to go the distance with an opponent ten years his junior, decides to cut Bill out all together by not telling him anything, his exact words being "There's no percentage in smartening up a chump." So, as fight time approaches and the fix is in (sort of), Bill, truly believing he's got a chance, prepares himself, unaware that should he manage to pull off a victory, it could cost him more than he ever imagined as Little Boy, who can deal with a loss, really despises those who welsh (a hoodlum with principles...go figure).
Many hold The Set-Up to be director Robert Wise's best film, and maybe it is, but since I haven't seen all of his work I can't really say for certain, but what I can say is this is truly an excellent feature with some outstanding performances. Apparently the film was shot in real time, meaning, at least to me, that Wise had everything laid out on a soundstage, camera set ups and all, and the actors performed their parts in the actual sequence in which the story took place. I would guess then all the footage that was shot was then taken and edited together to create this film, the result being a fairly seamless feature with a really tight story, one that feels not so much a film but a seventy two minute window into the life of a washed up boxer desperately clinging to his improbable dreams. I'm not saying Ryan's character suffered delusions of grandeur (all though some did, particularly in terms of the character named Gunboat Johnson), as he seemed to realize his career was on a terminal skid, but he did believe he had one, last great performance within himself (he did have skills), and if given a shot, he could make the most of it, his wife Julie, played by Totter struggling to come to terms with his decision (does she honor her vows and stick around, watching the man she loves getting his brains beat in night after night, or does she hop a train, bus, whatever and try to start a new life on her own?). The film isn't a glamorous look at the world of boxing, especially in terms of the fans, who seemed to display much more bloodlust than present within the squared ring. I thought it particularly interesting how quickly they turned (at least those who didn't have wagers down) depending on which fighter seemed to be winning. As far as the fight sequences, I thought they were really amazing. Generally with Hollywood films featuring boxing you'll see any number of punches connect with an amazing degree of accuracy, but that's not the case here. There's a strong sense of realism present, most likely helped along by the fact that both Robert Ryan and Hal Baylor (credited in the film as Hal Fieberling), both had experience within the ring (Ryan was a collegiate boxer while Baylor was, at one point, a California Heavyweight Boxing Champion prior to becoming an actor). While the sheer volume of punches thrown here may not be indicative of an actual boxing match, there was a gritty, unpolished, stripped down feel to the action (and the film in general). While I'm a fan of the Rocky movies, I got to believe that if even a fraction of the monstrous punches thrown in those films were to hit and land within the context of a real boxing match, the fight would be over very quickly with at least one opponent dead of massive internal hemorrhaging, but I digress...all in all this is a remarkable film with some interesting characters and engaging direction, worth watching if you're a fan of noir or just good movies in general.
The picture, presented in fullscreen (1.33:1), comes across well with few, if any, noticeable flaws, and the Dolby Digital mono comes through cleanly. As far as extras, there's an audio commentary track featuring director Robert Wise and Martin Scorsese, along with subtitles in English, French, and Spanish. If you're interested in picking up this DVD, I'd recommend purchasing the Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 1 DVD set as it includes not only this film, but The Asphalt Jungle (1950), Gun Crazy (1949), Murder My Sweet (1944), and Out of the Past (1947), all for a price considerably less than purchasing the movies individually.
Cookieman108
Summary of The Set-Up
Over-the-hill boxer Stoker Thompson thinks he can still win a bout despite doubts from his wife and his manager. He goes into his next fight determined to beat his opponent not realizing his manager has taken money from a tough gambler for having Stoker take a dive. Played out in real time.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 053939674828Similar DVD Movies
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