tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post4164558351740575116..comments2024-03-15T04:08:16.172-04:00Comments on Only the Cinema: Films I Love #42: The Set-Up (Robert Wise, 1949)Ed Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-1637888651679167632010-01-14T03:47:13.372-05:002010-01-14T03:47:13.372-05:00It is very niceIt is very niceAion kinahhttp://www.aion-news.de/aion-kinah/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-54702886082535910872009-09-04T00:10:09.498-04:002009-09-04T00:10:09.498-04:00Thanks, Sam, I agree with you about the High Noon ...Thanks, Sam, I agree with you about the <i>High Noon</i> comparison, since both are formalist, austere and direct in their themes, working with slowly building suspense and tension. I think <i>The Set-Up</i> is the more emotionally satisfying and complex work, by far, however. <br /><br />Judy, I haven't seen <i>Somebody Up There Likes Me</i>, but I'm sure it's worth seeing. I'm Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-79989443340931685562009-09-03T18:26:41.875-04:002009-09-03T18:26:41.875-04:00Love seeing this review, as possibly the only thin...Love seeing this review, as possibly the only thing I'm more passionate about than movies is boxing... so how can I not love a well-done combination of the two? :)<br /><br />The thing that has always stuck with me, though, more than the story is the brilliant black and white cinematography. This looks actually exactly like I would imagine such a situation.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-65846520246362048452009-09-03T17:02:07.281-04:002009-09-03T17:02:07.281-04:00I haven't seen this movie as yet, but have jus...I haven't seen this movie as yet, but have just been re-watching a slightly later Wise boxing movie, 'Somebody Up There Likes Me', which does include comments by Scorsese in the commentary about how important a movie it was to him - so it seems quite likely he would have studied this one too. I seem to find more movies that I want to see every time I go online, but, after reading the Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-6267462080244062982009-09-03T16:26:36.374-04:002009-09-03T16:26:36.374-04:00Needless to say that this is a terrific capsule, a...Needless to say that this is a terrific capsule, as direct, uncompromising and economical as the film it assesses. The caps are nice too.Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-31081219817844680892009-09-03T16:19:21.805-04:002009-09-03T16:19:21.805-04:00When the contributions of Robert Wise to the cinem...When the contributions of Robert Wise to the cinematic landscape are assessed, he is of course celebrated as the co-director of WEST SIDE STORY, as the helmer of one of the most beloved films, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, not to mention as a cutter for Orson Welles. His work for Val Lewton and in film noir is sometimes overlooked, but THE SET-UP makes fair claim to be his best-directed film.<br /> As Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-67330451094473317852009-09-03T13:39:48.085-04:002009-09-03T13:39:48.085-04:00Thanks Joshua. I love this film and I'm glad y...Thanks Joshua. I love this film and I'm glad you've decided to showcase Wise's great and too-often overlooked work in this blogathon.Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-38774412564201370752009-09-03T13:38:47.900-04:002009-09-03T13:38:47.900-04:00Thanks, Troy. I'd imagine you're right tha...Thanks, Troy. I'd imagine you're right that Scorsese was influenced by this movie -- Ryan's character also seems like one big influence on Bruce Willis' Butch in <i>Pulp Fiction</i>.<br /><br />I also love the ambiguity and complicated emotions of the ending, the way failure and triumph are inextricably intertwined in the reactions of Stoker and Julie; it's a definite Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-25192288819956361872009-09-03T13:36:03.644-04:002009-09-03T13:36:03.644-04:00Great post, and I appreciate the contribution! I f...Great post, and I appreciate the contribution! I find your description of the boxing match particularly striking as it's very visually compelling that all of the close ups are of minuscule details like you mention, the sweat, the gloves, etc.<br /><br />As for the film itself, 'economical' is probably the best descriptor for it, as you say, there's not a wasted shot.Joshuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02455492676909216509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-13499862192430973202009-09-03T10:47:28.693-04:002009-09-03T10:47:28.693-04:00I caught the last half of this on TCM a few weeks ...I caught the last half of this on TCM a few weeks back while I was doing some chores...needless to say after about 5 minutes of viewing, my chores stopped (much to my wife's chagrin) as I was enthralled with the film.<br /><br />You captured my initial feeling of the movie in your first line -- "not a second of excess." Wise squeezes every ounce of emotion possible out of each Troy Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14843741571724231174noreply@blogger.com