Film Review: The Color of Money

 "The Color of Money"  *** (out of ****)

[Warning: This review will contain spoilers without proper notice.]

Martin Scorsese's "The Color of Money" (1986) is as much about pool as Ingmar Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" (1957) is about chess.

Yes, on the surface this somewhat sequel to "The Hustler" (1961) is about pool, pool players and hustling but it's a pretext for deeper existential issues - mortality, masculinity, and time (young vs old). Pool is just a plot gimmick, it's not where the action is. If anything pool serves to establish competition between the old man and the young kid but the real game isn't being played with cue balls and sticks. It's being played between the characters' minds, their fears, and desires.

The old man is "Fast" Eddie Felson (Paul Newman), the pool shark we followed 25 years earlier, who cemented his reputation by beating the legendary Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason). The kid is Vincent Lauria (Tom Cruise), a young, good-looking, cocky, wet behind the ears, talented pool player. Or, as Eddie describes him, a flake. But a flake the now retired Eddie could potentially make money with, acting as Vincent's stakehorse. The question is, can Eddie teach Vincent what he knows or will Vincent's cockiness get in the way? 

Like Scorsese's other films - "Mean Streets" (1973), "GoodFellas" (1990), "Raging Bull" (1980), or "Casino" (1995), "The Color of Money" feels like it is giving us insider information into a seedy, underground, sub-culture we know nothing about. The characters speak in a manner we assume is authentic. Sometimes I didn't understand all of the slang expressions, but, no matter. The other characters seemed to. At times the characters sound like they are speaking in short hand, creating a certain rhythm, making the dialogue sound (almost) poetic. Much credit should be given to the script written by Richard Price, based on a novel by Walter Tevis (who also wrote the novels "The Hustler" and "The Man Who Fell To Earth").  

For me there are four key scenes that encapsulate "The Color of Money". My first choice is Eddie meeting Vincent. Vincent has been humiliating Eddie's protege, Julian (John Turturro) game after game at a local bar. Intrigued by who can be beating Julian so handedly Eddie takes a look at Vincent's game. Pay close attention to Eddie's face and body language as the scene captures the vigor of youth Eddie feels in the moment. It's not just a spark for the game of pool that's ignited within Eddie, it's a spark of life. Yes, Eddie makes a good living now as a liquor peddler but what can beat the thrill of the hustle? In the words of Eddie, "money won is twice as sweet as money earned". In this scene it becomes crystal clear the potential Eddie sees in Vincent and soon a mental game of chess is played as Eddie tries to persuade Vincent to take him up on an offer to hit the road with him in preparation for a 9 ball tournament in Atlantic City. Eddie even goes as far as pitting Vincent and his girlfriend, Carmen (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) against each other. 

The next scene depicts the themes of masculinity and how it is tied to one's self-worth as the ever calm, cool, and collected Eddie finds himself a victim of his own game and is hustled by a young pool shark (Forest Whitaker). Eddie is shown in his most vulnerable state, shaken at his very core. How could he, the great "Fast" Eddie, be taken in by a hustler? What does it say about Eddie as a man, a pool player, and a teacher to Vincent (who looks on with Carmen at Eddie's defeat)? Could it have been Eddie also exhibits the same cockiness he sees in Vincent? Was it Eddie's arrogance that allowed him to be hustled?

Contrast this moment of defeat with the moment Vincent reveals he dumped his match with Eddie. By playing the odds Vincent is able to give Eddie an envelope with $8,000 in it. Vincent thought he was doing what Eddie would have wanted him to do - follow the money. Eddie is shaken but doesn't break down as he did when hustled by the pool shark, it is much more subtle. Eddie tries to hide his emotions as the air of his victory has been deflated. Eddie took great pride in beating Vincent, his youth and vigor had been rejuvenated. The old man still had a few tricks up his sleeve. But it wasn't so. Twice now youth has outsmarted the old veteran. Is Eddie's time up? Has it come and gone?

And that takes us to the somewhat divisive final scene between Eddie and Vincent. Eddie wants Vincent's best game. Eddie needs to prove not only to Vincent but to himself who is the best. But Eddie takes it a step further. He tells Vincent it doesn't matter who wins this game tonight because there is another tournament a month away, and if he loses now, he'll beat Vincent than. And if he loses than he'll beat him a month after that. You see, this final sequence isn't really about this particular pool game between the two. The game is really the long road ahead of them. A lot of people felt by ending the movie the way it does, it cheated audiences. Eddie's dialogue however gives us the answer. Too much male ego is on the line for one game to settle the matter. Eddie will not go gently into that good night.

Ironically the most interesting characters I believe are Eddie and Carmen. These two are the real hustlers in the movie. Vincent is the innocent bystander, the prey each of them is prepared to exploit and pounce on. Yeah, there's a game being played between Eddie and Vincent of student and teacher but Eddie and Carmen are playing for control of Vincent. Each sees an untapped resource. Pay attention to the eyes. When the three characters are together, look at Carmen. Look at the way she looks at Eddie when he speaks. She's studying Eddie, learning his way. She's picking up on the hustle faster than Vincent is. Mastrantonio was nominated for an Academy Award in the best supporting actress category for her performance. It was well deserved.

Paul Newman won an Academy Award for his performance though some (perhaps correctly) saw it as a "pity win", rectifying an obvious error on the part of the Academy for never presenting Newman with an Oscar. He had been nominated 7 times prior with no win. Newman is giving an acting lesson with his performance here. There is no wasted gesture. Again, pay attention to the eyes. They show a man always thinking. Always observing, always trying to figure out the odds and reading the room.

Not taking anything away from Tom Cruise, he plays his part well and does what the role requires of him. His character goes through an arc and is a much different man from the beginning of the movie until the end. He nails the young, cocky, naïve punk. His "maturity" in the later scenes is a bit lacking and feels like he is still playing a variation of the cocky kid. It isn't quite as transformational as it could have been.  

Over the years I've read reviews praising Scorsese's use of popular music. Sometimes I've agree but the majority of the time it never stood out to me. Watching "The Color of Money" however, I see it. The song selections really hit on the emotions being played in the scene and serves as a commentary on what we are seeing. I won't go through the entire soundtrack but lets focus on two scenes in particular.

Going back to the first time Eddie meets Vincent, as Eddie watches Vincent play, Scorsese uses Phil Collins on the soundtrack singing "One More Night" as Eddie sits with a grin on face, lost in his own thoughts. Some of the lyrics go "Please give me one more night/ Give me one more night/ One more night/ Cause I can't wait forever". Clearly the song is a reflection of Eddie. What does "one more night" mean? One more night of youth? Of pool playing? Hustling? All of the above? Is it not a comment on mortality? What about "Cause I can't wait forever"? Time is fading for Eddie. What exactly can't he wait for? Money? The big score? A second chance? This sequence is perfect unto itself with the acting, the framing, the music. An entire story is being played out before your eyes.

Listen to the music now in the scene when Vincent agrees to hit the road with Eddie. By now Eddie has already started his head games. He has placed a seed in Vincent's head that Carmen is becoming restless with their relationship. Eddie, who claims to be a master of human moves, knows that's his ace in the hole. He can control Vincent through Carmen. Vincent and Carmen go back to the same bar they met Eddie at to give him their answer. As Vincent plays a game of pool, Eddie walks up to Carmen and whispers something in her ear. When he is done, Carmen leaves the bar. While this is going on Don Henley's "Who Owns This Place" plays. At the very moment Eddie whispers to Carmen, the lyrics "snakes in a garden" is heard. A reference to Adam and Eve of course and what does a snake represent in their story? We know who the two snakes are - Eddie and Carmen. Each tempting and manipulating Vincent to take a bite of the apple and act accordingly to their will.

Scorsese was one of the great voices of the "new Hollywood" in the 1970s but it is no secret the 1980s were shaky ground for him, just as it was for other great American filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola and Robert Altman. The freedom they had in the independent 70s was crushed by the corporatization and commercialization of the 1980s. Scorsese had fallen into a depression and became a drug addict. He thought his film career was over. Movies like "The King of Comedy" (1983) and "After Hours" (1985) didn't do much for his career and were box-office disappointments. "The Color of Money" was seen as Scorsese's first mainstream, commercial project. It is also said Newman had his pick of who would direct the picture. Could Scorsese have been attracted to this movie because he saw a tale of redemption and second chances in this story?

Even though it ever so gently grazes one of Scorsese's favorite themes - loyalty, "The Color of Money" isn't great Scorsese. Even with Paul Newman's performance this still isn't one of Scorsese's best movies. It is mid-tier Scorsese but it's effective and definitely worth taking a look at.