Body and Soul (1947)

Charlie's Last Fight

Every October, the American Film Institute and the Film Noir Foundation sponsor "Noir City DC", a festival of film noir at a large restored art deco theater. This year's festival opened with "Body and Soul", a classic 1947 boxing film, preceded by an introduction by the noir scholar Foster Hirsch.

"Body and Soul" stars the character actor John Garfield (1913 -- 1952) as the ambitious young Jewish boxer, Charlie Davis. Garfield received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in this movie. The movie received two Academy Awards for the best original screenplay (Abraham Polonsky) and for film editing (James Wong Howe). Many of the principals in the movie, including Garfield and Polonsky, became victims of Hollywood blacklisting. When it was released, the movie presented a strong political message about the corruption and greed which, the script suggests, pervades American capitalism. The movie works on many levels separate from any political overtones.

Most of the story is told as a lengthy flashback as Charlie wrestles with his past and his conscience the evening before a highly-anticipated 15 round title fight with a flashy young boxer, Dave Davis (Art Smith). Set in New York City's Lower East Side during the Depression, the film through Charlie's eyes describes his rise from the amateur ranks of the slums to the world championship. Charlie's parents run a candy shop, and his mother wants Charlie to learn a profession and give up boxing. But Charlie is both committed to boxing and, not surprisingly, has his eyes on the money. Charlie wants to marry and provide financial stability for his sweetheart, a young European-educated artist named Peg Born (Lilli Palmer).

Charlie quickly becomes emeshed in the crooked world of professional boxing dominated by a criminal promoter, Roberts (Lloyd Gough). As the movie progresses, Charlie advances through the ranks of boxing, earns and squanders a great deal of money, alienates his friends, and is on the verge of losing entirely his self-respect.

The climactic scene of the movie, both in terms of plot and filming, comes after Charlie's long meditation about his past in the brutal portrayal of the 15 round championship fight between Charlie and Davis. The movie captures the fight and the spectators in all their rawness, crudeness, and violence. It may still constitute one of the best boxing scenes ever filmed.

The movie features strong acting performances, particularly by Garfield, and gritty portrayals of New York City's underside. It captures the streets and impoverished people of the old Lower East Side and the hard, cruel world of professional boxing. This was a gripping movie. I was grateful for the opportunity of getting to know the film at last on a large screen as part of the 2013 Film Noir Festival.

Robin Friedman