Le Bagarreur

A desperate hobo boxes to make some extra money in the Depression. No love story, no cute little kids, no happy ending, no redemption. Just a hard man doing what he has to in order to survive. But on his terms.

To understand why HARD TIMES is a masterpiece, compare it to other films from around this time.

BONNIE AND CLYDE, THE STING, and PAPER MOON were all massive box office hits, set in the Depression. All three movies "strain" for a sense of desperate characters in a dog-eat-dog world, but every one of them cops out with Hollywood glitz and glamor. Here's giggly Warren Beatty pretending he knows what it's like to be poor. And here's Faye Dunaway, the dead-end girl, wearing scrumptious couture while she robs banks. Here's Robert Redford, the ultimate preppy blonde pretty boy, delicately hobnobbing with down-to-earth "Negroes" and glowing with his own virtue. Here's Ryan O'Neil, tough as nails and a real fighter, but hey, it's okay -- he's got a cute little girl along for the ride! One close up of Charles Bronson's face takes you to a place no other Depression picture dares to go. The ugly violence and the hopelessness in this film are so real that they actually build up the character even more than Bronson's natural authority and physical presence. It's the perfect vehicle for the perfect star.

Bronson is enough -- but there's so much more. James Coburn as the manager Speed, so dishonest yet completely likable and in his own way a real hero. Maggie Blye and Jill Ireland, both sexy and authentic as Depression women -- Jill too sickened by failure to ever love again, Maggie too aware of how short life is to ever let a minute go by without a laugh. Either one of them could wipe the floor with "Bonnie" from Bonnie and Clyde. Strother Martin as Poe, the dope addict cut man who adds his own humor, sadness and resignation to a movie utterly packed to the brim with memorable characters.

This is the most powerful and honest movie ever made about hard times.

A depression era drifter (Bronson) gets involved in the world of street fighting for big bucks. Good vehicle for Bronson who, like Eastwood, can say more with a look than with 20 words. He's the epitome of a hard edged, down but not out, tough guy. James Coburn plays his seedy, gambliholic, money hungry, 'manager' to the hilt. If you're looking for an actor who can make it look easy, watch Coburn in this film. Strother Martin plays a mulatto, hop-head Doctor (kicked out of Med school) they hire to treat Bronsons wounds. This is a man's movie. And the grit is captured perfectly by Director Walter Hill who would go on to direct 48 HRS. Throw in love interest (and Bronson wife) Jill Ireland, New Orleans and The Mob and you've got one hellava film. Don't look for any phony special effects which would have to be included for today's audience, just good acting, plot and grit.

Hard Times is one of Charles Bronson and Walter Hill's best films. This movie is rugged and has a great feel. Bronson looks in great shape in the film and the direction from Hill is terrific. In the genre of street-fighting pictures, this one ranks as one of the best.

Great role for Bronson.

Compare Bronson's fighting style with almost any other fight movie like Kirk Douglas in 'Champion' or Stallone in the 'Rocky' series. Bronson slips and ducks his opponent's punches like a real fighter does, putting as much effort into not getting hit as he does hitting the other guy. Any fighter taking the hits that most movie boxers take would be unconscious or dead in a matter of minutes, and even sluggers like Rocky Marciano and George Frazier were constantly moving, never offering a good target.

This depression era movie is similar in flavor to the Lee Marvin Ernest Borgnine vehicle 'Emperor of The North'. Both movies have unsentimental, tough, taciturn heroes who communicate more with glances and gestures.

I first saw this when i was a kid in the late 80s on a vhs. Had heard a lot about this movie from my grandfather and was dying to revisit this film for a long time.

Revisited it few days back.

To see Bronson in such a remarkable physical condition is truly inspiring. He was about 54 that time.

The film has a western n country feel to it, soothing n without the hustle and bustle. The music too is simple.

A man named Chaney (Charles Bronson) arrives somewhere in Louisiana during the Great Depression. We don't kno whether he is a hobo, an ex convict, a deserter or an asylum seeker but he sure is a freighthopper n a very good fighter.

He comes upon a street fighting competition n after observing a bare knuckled fight, he approaches the manager (James Coburn) of the losing fighter n asks the manager to set a fight for him but cautions the manager that he needs only enough money to fill a few in-betweens before moving on.

Before his first fight the opponent finds our hobo a little too old to be participating in such kinda fights to which our hobo responds to him with his knockout punch.

In one of the competition in the bayou side, our hero is cheated n not given his winning amount.

This one is replicated in Christian Bale's Out of Furnace where Woody Harrelson's character doesn't give the winning amount to Casey Affleck's character.

A bad image of the Southern sportsmanship.

Our hobo gets to fight Jim Henry (Robert Tessier) a well built, grinning, head-butting skinhead.

The film has good fights minus the blood.

The elaborate period recreations is top notch.

Inspite of the Great Depression, the debts n the gambling habits, James Coburn's character is seen sitting in his open balcony with his feet upwards.

Now that is something so relaxing n carefree attitude.