The Set-Up (1949)

*contains spoilers, sort of*

Second viewing, probably. Previously seen between 1983 and 1986.

A boxing manager fixes a fight but does not tell it to his fighter so he does not have to share his fee with him (he thinks he will lose anyway). Things do not go as planned though.

Interesting film, with a good premise and a picturesque depiction of night-time city streets and of a boxing gymnasium before and during a fight. It seems no one has understood it, from the reviews I read. The major point of the film is a demonstration of the concept expressed in "in the heat of the battle". Simply put, it remains indeterminate whether the protagonist would or would not have thrown the fight had he been warned in advance. We know only that he did not throw it after having been notified of it at midfight. On the contrary, he seems to have fought even harder after that point, despite probably being aware of the tremendous risk he was taking. Fact is, his emotions spoke louder. The bottom line, a person's reaction to a stimulus is highly dependent on the conditions under which he receives it. The incidental elements and characters of the movie offer a complement to that central analysis, depicting several instances of emotional behavior and human apparent irrationality.

Rating: 65 (unchanged)