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Rating:  -
I love this movie, but this transfer is horrible. The brutally abrupt pan and scan cuts literally made my head spin at points. The film is great, and worth watching, but I hope they put out a widescreen version one day. Maybe they'll do a Walter Hill boxed set with deluxe versions of all his classics. Rent this one until they do, but don't spend money on it.
Rating:  -
dear viewers
not to slander, but in order to fully appreciate this fine film is to see it on the widescreen format. the fight sequences are out of frame otherwise. have your sellers clarify this if you want the authentic version. no offence, but the full frame version "just don't got it"
Rating: -
It's a man's man movie. No sissy crying in this film. Just Charles Bronson kicking butt during the depression. Good cinematography and the acting is okay for the genre.
Rating: -
This is my favorite movie of all time. Great depiction of bare knuckle fighting during the depression. Stunning character development and fight scenes.
Rating: -
"Hard Times" a film directed by Walter Hill, takes place in New Orleans during the Great Depression.
We never really learn any of the vital statistics of Chaney (portrayed by Charles Bronson). Like a lot of able- bodied men at this time, he is a drifter out of work. We don't know where he is from or where he going. His profession, relatives and family are a mystery. He says little and only what he means to say.
Chaney idly wanders into an illicit prize fight. This isn't a boxing arena with its Marquis of Queensbury rules. This is bare knuckle street fighting where there are no referees and few rules. Head butts, biting and kicking along with kidney punches are perfectly legal. Each fighter works with a gambler. Odds are given and bets are taken. Then the mayhem begins.
Observing this, Chaney gets an idea. He approaches a gambler a man named Spencer "Speed' Weed (James Coburn in one of his greatest roles) and pitches a partnership. Speed sets up the fights, takes up the bets, Chaney wins the fights.
Speed has his doubts about Chaney's capabilities. Chaney is too old. But he does have a calmly confident manner about him. He reluctantly fronts for Chaney when Chaney puts every penny he has on the line.
One thing we learn immediately about Chaney. This middle-aged man can obliterate opponents. He is hard but not sadistic. He just doesn't believe wasting time or anything else. Chaney is the kind of man all men wished they could be. He is cool and collected regardless of the situation. While we immediately know he can take care of himself, the only question is will he take care of anyone else?
Speed is impressed. With Chaney, his luck has changed for the better. As brilliantly portrayed by James Coburn, Speed can be a pain in the behind. He's loud, he can be irritatingly smooth. He the kind of guy driving an expensive car, wearing a Rolex, diamonds and a silk suit with a smile that shows everyone of his 88 teeth.
But he won't have a dime in his pocket.....
The supporting cast is brilliant including Strother (..."failure to communicate.") Martin of "Cool Hand Luke" fame. He plays Poe a failed junky ex-medical student hired to be Chaney's cut man distinguished intellectual gentle manner. Jill Ireland plays Chaney's `romantic' interest, Lucy Simpson. (This film was made not too long after Charles Bronson stole her from David McCallum while they were making "The Great Escape". But I digress.)
The ensemble cast is rounded out by Michael McGuire who plays Chick Gandil. Chick is the arch rival of Speed. He is wealthy but his passion is not the family business but gambling.
"Hard Times" is about the effects of adversity not street fighting during the Depression. The Great Depression provides the adversity. Under adversity we all find out our substance. We learn who we are who our enemies are and who are friends are. In adversity, we are stripped to the core of our being. There is no veneer left, no false fronts. Everything is out there on the table.
The fights are just a metaphor. Just like the men in the fights, if all you had were only two hands and some guts would you triumph? What rules would you play by? What kind of character would you show in victory? What kind of character would you show in defeat?
As the movie progresses we see each of the principle characters bare-chested with their dukes up. How they handle adversity and rise to the occasion is the essence of this remarkable film and its joy.
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