User reviews

Just about everyone who has posted a reply about the shocking ending was simply left too much in the dark to realize that it tied together a different root demise of Axel Freed than gambling.

Just as a compulsive behavior leads to compulsive gambling, the root evil of Axel Freed was that he had a masochist behavior. When you look a little closer at all the scenes where he acts out this kind of behavior, it makes more sense. The problem lies in that the casual observer is only looking at the problem gambling aspect. There is more to this guy than just that.

The ways he handles his relationships with his mother, girlfriend, grandfather and feelings at the end towards the basketball player ALL indicate there is masochist behavior involved. These are more than just selfish acts. There is some actual self hatred going on as well. Without giving away the final scene, this scene further accentuates the point by sending himself into that situation. The final scene was a conscious act, not something resulting from random chance or risk.

So despite the movie having some gambling theme to it, this really wasn't necessarily about gambling addiction. It was about the nature of Axel Freed. If the movie had no gambling scenes in it at all this point would be more readily identifiable.

The only real oddity in the final scene is the placement of the final scene. If this scene was placed somewhere in the middle of the movie, the underlying theme of his masochist pattern of behavior would have been more easily identified with. Because the movie started with a gambling scene, we all assumed it was just about gambling. Wrong!

Its a tricky concept to catch the first time. Watch this movie again with this concept in mind and the movie will make more sense.

In pop culture, before you had to "know when to walk away, know when to run," THE GAMBLER was synonymous with a Fyodor Dostoevsky novel and transcended into this 1970's film written by James Toback, directed by Karel Reisz and starring James Caan as university professor Axel Freed...

But Axel's real story isn't his job, but his vice, practically a religion: that of gutsy yet brainless gambling...

An addiction making him the user/loser of other people's money, including his own mother (more of a flirtatious step sister). But, while it's great seeing Caan facing the dark side of human nature, there's a lot to be desired when, for instance, he gets in over his head... and then some...

Shady characters come and go and sometimes return, ranging from Burt Young to Paul Sorvino, but their threats aren't all that... threatening. And while each performance is fitfully capable, it's as if the bookies, along with the audience, are passive observers to Axel's reckless and often ridiculous impulses.

Scenes with an extremely patient girlfriend/ingenue Lauren Hutton are overlong and distracting; her part feels tacked-on, mostly. And inside the classroom, as lecturer, Caan doesn't seem completely legit; he pulls off the roguish gambling addict better than a member of such a prestigious academia (plus he's an author), looking more like a tough guy football coach doubling as teacher...

Meanwhile, sporadic and strategic illegal backroom gambling sequences (filled with mafioso-looking inhabitants) lack the kind of severely desperate tension that these grungy locations aesthetically promise...

With so much to lose in each hand or roll of the dice or turn of the wheel, we should be biting our nails, and so should he... although a quick trip to Las Vegas does up the ante, injecting a needed dose of existential suspense into the otherwise languid visual prose.

Overall, Caan's steely reactions to the bottom continuously falling out are a standout... albeit kind of a shame since he often slips out of trouble faster than it takes to maintain an edgy pulse throughout; it's like watching a diver swim with toothless sharks...

And yet, if you're a fan of the infectiously likeable square-jawed actor (a perfectly equal hybrid of cult and mainstream cinema) this is definitely an intriguing two-hour melodrama that actually gets better with each viewing. What initially seems rather mundane becomes a voyeuristic character-study with subtle yet calculating finesse...

And given the ensemble-friendly era, there are a host of recognizable actors like one perturbed bookie, Jimmy, played by Carmine Caridi (who Francis Ford Coppola originally had in mind for what became Caan's game-changing role as Sonny Corleone in THE GODFATHER: then switched to a killer cameo in the sequel): He rules a memorable scene providing a deeper glimpse into Axel's addiction, and what might be the consequences...

Then there are future TV-fixtures Antonio Fargas, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Stuart Margolin and Vic Tayback. M. Emmett Walsh also turns up and as a weenie banker is another James... Woods...

Specifically, when playing on cable, Time Warner Cable's top-of-the-screen index description states very simply: "James Caan in a study in self-destruction." And, well... that's pretty much that...

What sets out to be a proverbial X-ray of the soul winds up merely exposing bones. Then again, THE GAMBLER leaves most of the fleshing-out for an impartial and ambiguous audience. Which isn't so bad either.

The theme of addiction is a favourite area for film makers and "The Gambler" stands as the best and most intelligent film about the addiction of gambling. The fact that it is a little known or seen film is perhaps to do with its intellectual script which, with references to Dostoyevsky, may be too pretentious for some. However, rather than being a cleched film about a good man's decent into the hell of addiction this is a film about a selfish, egotistical man, from a good background, who happily wades deeper and deeper into his obsession.

The film's title pretty much sums up the story, with the character of Axel Freed, played by James Caan, beginning the film as a compulsive gambler but sinking further and further into his habit as the film goes on. He does this despite his undoubted intelligence - he is a college lecturer - and despite the pleading of his mother, rich grandfather and friends.

Freed is by no means a likeable character. Like most addicts all he cares about is his next fix and will happily ask his mother for tens of thousands of dollars to repay an outstanding debt. No one, including his girlfriend, played by Lauren Hutton, and his college students, remain untouched by his addiction, a decision which comes back to haunt him in the film's climax.

Many people have been left puzzled by the film's ending which is cryptic and unresolved. However this merely stands as a metaphor for addiction generally, that it can never be fully cured or ever totally go away. Axel is, however, obviously disgusted with himself and the effect his gambling has had on those around him and his late night journey into the all-black neighbourhood is his way of seeking retribution for his sins.

"The Gambler" provides James Caan with, alongside Michael Mann's "Thief", the best role of his career. The character of Axel Freed provides him with a range of emotions, especially in the way he treats those he cares about, as his gambling slowly takes precedence over everything else. Anyone who thinks James Caan's career began and ended with "The Godfather" should definitely see "The Gambler", as this proves he is one of the top actors of his generation and that he can play more than just the tough guy roles he is too often saddled with.

The film is brilliantly directed by Karel Reisz as not a single scene rings false despite a 111 minute running time. After directing the classic "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" in Britain, Reisz relocated to America, but, unfortunately, "The Gambler" represents the only time he reached those heights again.

A gritty, realistic film about addiction, it has a bit of haunting atmosphere to it, and although awfully dreary and a touch too harrowing for its own good, the film still packs a punch. Caan has a very interesting character, one who understands his own addiction yet still deceives himself, and he gives off a very solid performance, even though his character does come off rather cold and a bit hard to relate to. What the film shows us and what happens is quite predictable, but that does not prevent it from still having potency, and the ending certainly is not predictable, and is actually rather fascinating. The film's music score fits the project perfectly, and the driving sequences depict the character's feelings very well. Certainly this worth checking out, even if it is no cinema masterpiece.

a shocker in the 70s james toback's take on Dostoevskyan's fate, caan actually seems to act instead of react and gives a far more compelling performance than say, Thief 7 yrs. later. The Gambler is James toback's career making debut and has some of the most intense scenes toback would ever film despite numerous strong films later on. the ending is monumental. watch it build and be amazed. 9 of 10.

James Caan is Axel Freed, a gambling addict hell-bent on self-destruction in the gritty 1974 crime drama "The Gambler".

A college literature professor by day, Axel wages a vicious war with himself off campus during his off hours, shattering the limits of both underground and legit wagers. Axel knows full well that the odds against him are recklessly daunting. Dangerously so. Nevertheless, we come to learn that this is a deeply troubled soul, and a guy who has long since succumbed to a ceaseless struggle to quench an insatiable thirst for "the juice" which betting has insidiously inflicted.

James Caan is the man. "The Gambler" is one among a string of classic movies the iconic actor starred in during the '70's ranging from "Brian's Song" to the first two installments of the "The Godfather" saga. Caan's portrayal of Axel is a searingly wrenching performance. He gives us a confoundingly complicated man, one blessed with abundant intelligence and charm yet powerless to break free from the vise grip his all consuming vice has on his rapidly unraveling life.

The supporting cast is stellar. Paul Sorvino is perfection as an illegal gambling boss who reveals that he has at least a semblance of a heart. Lauren Hutton is underdeveloped as Axel's conflicted girlfriend, though she does have a compelling scene in a Vegas hotel room toward the end of the film that emotionally foreshadows the grim fate destined to befall her beau. Jacqueline Brookes makes her own indelible impression as Axel's heartbroken and exploited mother. And Burt Young impresses during his brief but explosive appearance as a wise guy enforcer only a couple of years shy of his career blasting off with the continuing role of Paulie in the first of the "Rocky" films franchise.

While Caan is exceptional here, I would liked to have seen a more detailed exploration into why his character of Axel behaves the way that he does. Much is intimated, but little is actually disclosed. His conduct and choices, while for the most part abominable, are as fascinating as they are baffling. But what drives the seemingly insane behavior of this fellow who clearly has an exceptional capacity to think, interpret and express at such a high level? Czechoslovakian Director Karel Reisz ("The French Lieutenant's Woman", "Sweet Dreams" but not a lot else, actually) leaves it largely to our own conjecture to determine why in the hell Axel insists on barreling completely out of control down a one-way highway to oblivion. And the resultant aftertaste is not nearly as palatable as it could have been.

The final image of "The Gambler" is a grotesquely grim one to be sure. Yet we get the unsettling feeling that Axel was never going to be genuinely "satisfied" until it got to this horrifically ugly point. And I suppose that after all this is the enduring point that Reisz is making with this sordidly squalid story. It was just such a murky journey he took us on to reach this cacophonous climax.

"The Gambler" didn't hit the jackpot for me, so I'm gonna "roll 6" for this one based off of Caan's enigmatic yet engrossing performance and for the wonderful work of the superb supporting cast.

The Gamble (1974) is a formally interesting, narrative boilerplate. Its convention detracts from what is a boldly directed film by Karel Reisz which features a commanding James Caan in the lead

Caan plays an inherently wealthy teacher of literature who appears to be in complete control of his life. He's impressive, multi-talented, and interested in intellect and culture. This makes his inability to control an obsessive gambling addiction all the more interesting and incongruous. An opening sequence shows him tossing away forty-four grand, and he spends the rest of the film gaining and losing it back.

The linings of of that story have been sewn a hundred times before, but Reisz decides to make a romantic version of a film that is usually gritty and told at a chilling pace. He chooses slow tracking shots and long two shots instead of quick cuts and close-ups. This approach results in melodrama rather than an attempt at gravely realism, which one would expect from a film about a gambling addict.

The style works about half the time; like, for instance, when Caan and his beatific lover (Lauren Hutton) abscond to Vegas for a day, immersing themselves in the rapturous aura of the casino and the intoxicating elation of an ordained winning streak. It doesn't work, however, when the luck runs dry and the script turns harsh. Confrontations between Caan and dodgy characters to whom he owes money, require that they are shot at a closer distance and at a faster pace to achieve a certain tension that is sorely missing.

Perhaps Reisz vision would've worked better had the script not relied so heavily on all of the obvious tropes of the gambler story. Ultimately, Reisz doesn't come out ahead, although he doesn't throw it all away either.

From the first scene to the last I was on the edge of my seat. Bet after bet my stomach turned. Caan's Axel Freed is driven to hit the big one, but it never seems to come or be enough. He loves the thrill of losing and feels safe when he is at the bottom.

Watching Freed bet tens of thousands of dollars on whims is excruciating. This film is one huge car wreck that you can't turn away from. With each scene the damage gets worse and worse.

"If all my bets were safe they just wouldn't have any juice," he tells his bookie.

Axel is never happy--even when he is doing the thing he enjoys most. You can see the underlying dissatisfaction he has with his job, his life, and the universe in general. The only constant in his existence is the bet. Win or lose.

Freed is very adept at evading the lowlifes he owes his shirt to. It is a joyride for him to constantly "dodge the bullet". That is why each bet becomes riskier and riskier. He wants to see what will happen to him when all of his luck runs out.

At one point in the film Axel reads a passage from an essay on George Washington to his class. He and his students conclude that Washington was afraid of failure and that he tried to remove the element of risk from everything he did. It is the very antithesis of Axel's life as a gambler. He creates situations that are totally immersed in risk believing that it is the only way to ensure true success. All or nothing. He is willing to compromise not only himself, but anyone around him who cares about him. By displaying his dark, self-destructive side he gambles with their feelings and challenges them to either love him or leave him.

It was a special treat to see two actors (Cann and Sorvino) who are in two of the best crime movies ever made (The Godfather and Goodfellas) together in the same film.

Also Antonio Vargas is appropriately slimy as the Pimp (sort of an R-rated Huggy Bear).

There are some pivotal moments in the film like when Axel is told that he must get one of his basketball-playing students to fix a game; or when he confronts his millionaire grandfather after learning that he refused to cover his debt.

I won't give away the ending, but the payoff is not what you would expect in American cinema.

Hmmm. This is a difficult film to analyze. Reason being, it succeeds in many ways- and fails in others. This film is the story of Axel Freed, played by James Caan. He is an addict. And this is the nucleus of the film, addiction. After reading most of the reviews here, I fear some people missed this. If anyone has ever been an addict, or knows someone, friend or family, that is, will connect. Others may just go through the motions. He is a hard-core gambler, who takes insane risks, namely sports, no matter what the cost. In this respect, the film succeeds in its depiction of this side of human trials. Other than this, we sit through too much "fill in". Caan being a college professor is hard to imagine (yes, anyone can be an addict, but we don't want to see him teaching a college course!).His relationship with his Grandfather seems to only tease us, as it comes and goes. The film also shows its age, as it is quite dated. This brings us to the films major flaw, its ending. The Gambler may have the honor to own the most inexplicable endings in film history. The writers failed so miserably here, you wonder what their thinking was. It tried way, way, way too hard to intrigue the viewer, that it left us only puzzled, nothing more. Ultimately The Gambler succeeds. Why, It depicts successfully what it's about, addiction. On this level, it's an enjoyable sit-through, as James Caan is a pleasure to watch in this role, as is each character. Burt Young, is another terrific character that the film needed to show more of. His 10 minutes of screen time wasn't enough. An ultimate slime ball that only came and went too darn soon. Most of the dialoge is top-notch, as Freeds "connections", as well as Freed are downright terrific to listen to, even funny, as we go through his gambling "adventures". Despite its flaws ( some people inexcusably shot their?!*@! and rated this film 9/10 or 10/10, I guess Casablanca or The Godfather is in the same league to them) I enjoyed this film, as you will too. 7/10. Thanks.

I saw this movie back in 1974/75 when it was released. I was already a Caan man. My comments are just random tidbits. Burt Young would go on to join Caan in 1975's The Killer Elite". Monkey (London Lee) was a stand-up comic who appeared numerous times on the Ed Sullivan show in the 60's. Lauren Hutton would trade Caan for Burt Reynolds in Gator. Caan earlier had beat out Burt for the role of Sonny Corleone. The line I remember most from this film is when Axel's mother is trying to get a bank loan to fund his gambling debt. There are some bureaucratic snafus and the bank officer isn't sure he has the proof to approve the loan to mom. Caan says "I came out of her womb and I know she's my mom. Now give her the god... money!".

A grim and intelligent drama that offers a seemingly accurate portrayal of the gambling obsession and an engrossing character study of a man that suffers from it. Very well-acted and well-told as a story, it remains highly interesting from start to finish. Marred only by its weird, inconclusive and somewhat inexplicable ending. (***)

Looking to this film for entertainment is like looking in your fridge to satisfy your hunger and finding half of a pizza covered with black mold. The acting, editing, and cinematography are great but the story is crappy and pathetic. The only redeeming character in the film is the gambler's mother who is anguishing over her son's bankrupt character. The movie leaves you feeling very morose. Watch Fat City instead.

Sometimes he wins; but mostly he loses. Gambling is an addiction for Axel Freed (James Caan), a professor of English literature and lover of classical music. The film is set in New York City.

The object of the obsession can be almost anything on which a bet is placed: dice, cards, a basketball game, a college football match. It really doesn't matter. Axel just can't keep from making bets. He's like two different people. In a classroom setting, he is logical and intelligent. But when betting, he throws away the logic in favor of risk taking. In these situations he seems to lack the normal psychological "brakes" that could be applied to his destructive over-betting. In his own words: "I like the threat of losing". And always in the background are the thugs and the con men that lord over Axel, when he borrows to gamble, but can't pay his debt.

Some of Axel's classroom lectures have real thematic value. The ideas relate both to him, and incidentally to some modern-day politicians. For example, a person "... claims an idea is true because he wants it to be true, because he says it's true. And the issue isn't whether he's right, but whether he has the will to believe he's right, no matter how many proofs there are that say he's wrong". Axel continues: "D.H. Lawrence says Americans fear new experience more than they fear anything. They are the world's greatest dodgers, because they dodge their own very selves". Heavy stuff.

Despite a disappointing ending, "The Gambler" is an interesting character study of a personality type that is all too prevalent in modern society. The film's color cinematography is generally dark, in keeping with the film's theme. Overall acting is fine. Paul Sorvino gives an especially convincing performance, as does James Caan. The plot proceeds rather slowly.

Mostly, the film has terrific thematic value. It encourages the viewer to pause and reflect, to ponder, to question one's own motivations. That is a trait lacking in many current movies.

Everything about this was good. The acting the story seeing NYC in the 70's...and then that colossally confusing ending. Would have rated better.

A Raw Character Study about a Degenerate. A Fully Fledged Gambling Addict that has Lost virtually all Connection with the Flesh and Blood Reality that is His Privileged Life as the Son of a Doctor and Grandson of a Multi-Millionaire Businessman.

This New York City English Professor also has a Loving Girl Friend, He is in Contact with these Family and Friends, it seems, only as Polite Obligation or when He Needs Help Scraping Money for His Losses.

The Way He Gambles makes No Sense (not surprising) and is Typical of the Psychological Breakdown that Occurs when the Game Has Won Out Over the Player and Controls His Behavior by way of His Addiction. The Gambling Decisions He makes and the Bets He Places are Destined for Inevitable Losses.

James Caan as "The Gambler" uses Literary Quotes and some Rationalizations of His Own to Justify Why He "Does what He does", but none of it makes any Sense beyond the Selfish and Hedonistic.

The Film has that 1970's Grit and the Focus of the Camera and Dialog is on Caan 90% of the time and the Actor has the Chops to Dominate the Frame and the Story.

The Story itself has Few New Insights about Gambling, Addiction, or the Self-Destruction that Ensues. The Ending is Controversial and Symbolic.

Overall, it's a Well Made Movie that is Overrated, but James Caan's Performance makes it Worth a Watch. As for the rest of the Film, it's only Slightly Above Average.

I found this film very, very good and being a gambler myself could relate to the central character. James Caan is brilliant as always. The film keeps simmering on until a quite dramatic ending where Axel goes to seek thrills that even gambling cannot provide him with.

A fine, realist film for all, but gamblers, quite bad gamblers at that, will find to be particularly interesting.

James Caan carries this gripping and suspenseful drama as a college professor who digs the thrill of gambling, but finds himself in trouble and out of control.

It's quite engaging and effective for the first 100 minutes, but stop the movie after they leave the basketball game. One of the most disappointing, unsatisfying endings to an otherwise noteworthy '70s film.

James Caan carries this gripping and compelling drama about a college professor of literature who is driven by the thrill of gambling.

The movie is very good for the first 100 minutes or so, but the ending is very unsatisfying and disappointing. I'd recommend turning the movie off after they leave the final basketball game.

Hi, I'm 50 years late but gotta say...I was hooked. The writing, the characters, the family, the story, the structure, the conflict, the accuracy of the roller coaster one goes through while gambling, felt the lows and the highs and was all in.

And Caans character was killer - love the writing and not making him a cliched degenerate who is some drab sad sap lonely clam the bartender cuts off - nope, he's got a prestigious job, recognition, a loving family, a beautiful girlfriend who would kill for him, and let's not forget style. In fact, he's so fly he buys button up shirts, doesn't even need to button them...tho that may just be a Caan thing. Everyone's rooting for this guy, even the bookies hurt to see him lose.

I'm all in.

Up until the last five minutes. WTF was that? Did the writer hand over the script and say yall finish it, it's basically done and someone completely fubar'd it?? WHO WROTE THAT GARBAGE ENDING? Cus you almost, ALMOST, ruined it. Good thing the other 95% was killer, cus that at the end...complete nonsense. You don't have to give us a fairytale ending, but that?? Nope, it stunk -- you hear me? S-T-U-N-K.

A seventies film about a gambling addict and the trouble it causes him.

The bad guys come after him but don't do too much to worry him.

Too many holes in the script and a bunch of characters that don't endear themselves to the audience.

A lackluster ending which is more like something you would see at the end of an episode of a bad soap opera.

Not recommended.