The Harder They Fall (1956)

People are voting emotionally.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

The Harder They Fall (1956)Sure, it's Bogart's last film. And he's great Bogart, once more. But it's also a tough, gritty film on other levels. It is meant to be an indictment of the fixed racket known as professional boxing, and as such it has a lot of clichés and simplifications. Bad guys are really crooked, fighters are really willing pawns in the fixing machine, and boxing is a sham that people seem to ignore. Does it work? Not quite. The writing is the culprit most of all. It's a bit predictable and canned, even considering it came before some other great boxing movies like "Raging Bull" and "Requiem for a Heavyweight." It's also a painfully white movie in an era when boxing had seen a string of boxing great who were black. What elevates it all is the relentless pace as a fighter rises up thanks to Bogart, the press agent Eddie Willis. And the filming of boxing and of night time New York and L.A. is vivid. And the crooked fighting promoter played by Rod Steiger gives is all an edge that he's so good at.The boxers are of some interest—not the leading guy named Toro, a huge lunk from the Andes who can't act worth beans, but a couple of short appearances by actual fighters from the time, and a bunch of bit actors who have honest resilience. Mostly, though, it's Bogart trying to make the movie hold together and give it more than superficial narrative movement. He partly succeeds. What drew me the most was just the series of scenes from the time, the crowds, the hotels and boxing rings, the city streets. It seems to be mostly or entirely location work, and the legitimate filming in these places is great. There are little incidents, too, almost written for Bogart, like a line that resonates with his last role: "A man passes forty, he shouldn't have to run anymore." I wish.

Humphrey Bogart is truly brilliant in this, his last film. "The Harder They Fall" (1956) is a stunning indictment of the boxing profession. The film also marks Humphrey Bogart's final performance as a former sports writer turned publicist — and he's in good company. Bogie's scenes with Rod Steiger, Jan Sterling and Mike Lane (as the giant Argentinian boxer) are truly memorable. In addition to Bogart's fantastic performance, Rod Steiger chews the scenery nicely as a corrupt manager. Their scenes together are really well done, and very well written. I particularly enjoyed the scene after the big fight where Bogart presses to find out how much their fighter will ultimately wind up for getting so badly beaten in the ring.There are probably a good dozen very, very good fight films, and this belongs to their number. The tension in the film derives from the ultimate conflict between Bogart's inherent decency and Steiger's unmitigated exploitativeness. The two had great on screen chemistry in their scenes together. They employed very different acting styles, Steiger being one of the first Method actors to enjoy success in the movies. Bogart was strictly old school, but he not only held his own, he dominated their scenes together.Humphrey Bogart's last movie was a triumph! His acting was terrific! Excellent movie!

I only saw "The Harder They Fall" recently, because it was one of the few Humphrey Bogart films I had not seen, and a story about professional boxers and their managers isn't usually my cup of tea. So, I had avoided it for a long time. I had seen most of his early gangster films and his later detective films and then there's other miscellaneous films that stand out, like "Sabrina," "The Caine Mutiny" and "The African Queen." So Bogie has been in a lot of different genres of film and in all walks of life. But, as I started the film and watched more and more, I felt over and over again that this was the best performance of Bogart's that I had ever seen. This was a great last film, as Bogart would die sometime after making this film. I was thoroughly engrossed with (and frankly repulsed by) the film and just everything about it. These managers don't really look after "their property," but only their own pockets. Rod Steiger is one such person. Bogie, a former newspaperman and sportswriter known for his honorable reputation, is hired by Steiger as the publicity man and pitchman for Rod's latest "hot property," a very tall, broad guy, who incidentally is mashed potatoes in the ring. Rod has been trying to hire Bogie for years, but now when Bogie needs the job and more importantly the dough, Bogie agrees. This was raw and ugly in its depiction of this dog-eat-dog world, the boxers themselves being used and not even thought of as human. The managers pay off the boxers who will take the money to "fix" the fight. Any boxer with pride or personal integrity, who won't "fall," doesn't live long. Don't turn your back on these people! It made me glad I don't know anybody like them, and I don't want to. Jan Sterling as Bogie's wife gave a very subdued performance. Harold J. Stone, Nehemiah Persoff and Edward Andrews all excelled in their roles and added to the film's ruthlessness. I may never see Edward Andrews the same way again. He's usually in comedies. And, character actor Jack Albertson had a small role, along with Carlos Montalban having a supporting but memorable role. After having such a strong reaction to the film, I would have to say that I would see this again. It was very well made and hard hitting. If you don't feel affected by this film experience, check your pulse, or better yet go to the doctor and ask him to look for your heart!

A relentless and rigorous dive into the world of Professional Boxing (circa 1956) and its effect on the Athletes and their exploitation and disregard. It is no surprise that this was a flop at the box-office at the time. It has since found its place in the Film-Noir world with its no holds barred expose of corruption.Notable for the last screen role for Humphrey Bogart it has much more to offer. Crisp hands-on Direction with the Cinematography and Lighting and Sets looking as bleak as the Story. It is an uncompromising and unsettling unfolding of a no-talent, but gargantuan, Boxer that believes he is unbeatable. But the fix is in and he is the last one to know. The result is heart-wrenching and real here, with the salty script and hard-boiled performances by all lending credulity with its cynicism and gutsy shout-out in an era of rigid conformity and a faith-based belief in the integrity of larger than life, celebrity based, and powerful institutions from Government to Show Business.This is a dreary and dreadful Fiction based on Fact. Character studies laced with as much pomp and spectacle as need be. There are unforgettable scenes with Bogart and Steiger as well as some just as memorable from the cheap seats.