He is a hustler, and while not a person you would trust, he does not have any villainous traits. While Chaney has a certain heroic quality to him, Speed is decidedly more conniving. They earned a few dollars in prize money from people attending the bouts, but they made their biggest money betting on themselves (or against themselves) in illegal gambling dens. They did not fight in front of the biggest crowds, and what they did was mainly a hustle. Among them were the bare-knuckle boxers of prior generations. Many aspired to be were prizefighters among the athletes, and many of the era's legendary boxers bring forth fond memories to this very day. Actors, singers, and athletes were the icons that people looked up to. Depression-era renegades that achieved considerable notoriety and fame despite the turbulent times were commonly found in the entertainment realm. Troubled economic times can bring forth the tales of many heroes. While not the most uplifting of tales, there is a heroic charm to the everyman Bronson plays, which is why HARD TIMES maintains a timeless quality. He's a Bogart-esque blue-collar man down on his luck looking for a way to survive. Chaney acts as an itinerant drifter making good for himself the only way he knows. It is merely a tale of a man that does his best amidst a very troubled environment. HARD TIMES won't fit the description of a tale of glory. While the beginning sets up the narrative masterfully, the opening also masterfully sets up the themes. An escapist component appeals to its fans, and that escapism lurks in proceedings of HARD TIMES. While economic times are somewhat dire today, combat sports such as boxing and MMA are doing quite well. There is a timelessness to this type of narrative. The two form an uneasy alliance and head to New Orleans, where Speed feels he can make a lot of money with the aging Chaney.
Chaney wins the fight with one punch, leading him to a new partnership with fight hustler Speed (James Coburn). Bouts such as these - financed by side betting - took place frequently during the depression. Perhaps pure desperation leads him to bet his last $3 on himself in a bare-knuckle boxing bout.
The down-on-his-luck Chaney has probably been bouncing from town to town, trying his hand at everything with no success. He looks at his nearby surroundings and reveals a look showing he is not sure where he is going.
Chaney takes this as a cue to depart from the train. He gazes upon the empty look in the eyes of two children standing by the train tracks. He looks from the train and sees the desolation brought on by the depression.
Charles bronson hard times free#
Chaney, a drifter, played by Charles Bronson, looks out of the boxcar he invariably hopped on for a free ride. Films of this cinematic style are almost nonexistent these days, and a look back at HARD TIMES reveals a lost cinematic style brilliantly captured by legendary director Walter Hill.Ī train rolls through the desolate plains of what seems to be Middle America.
Charles bronson hard times movie#
The feature drives forward with a physical action that does not detract from the characters' depth in the movie but greatly enhances it.
In those days words didn't say much," sums up the feature. The tagline for the film "New Orleans, 1933. With that brief exchange, Charles Bronson and James Coburn start their new partnership in the 1975 classic fight film HARD TIMES. "I suppose you have been down the long, hard road."
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