THE BIG TOWN
US, 1987, 109 minutes, Colour,.
Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, Tommy Lee Jones, Tom Skerritt, Lee Grant, Bruce Dern, Lolita Davidovich, Suzy Amis.
Directed by Ben Bolt.
The Big Town was based on a novel called The Arm, a gambling story about J.C. Cullen, `Cully', a young man with seemingly unlimited luck with dice. The setting is Chicago in the '50s.
The film re-creates a stylised big town of the period, focusing on clubs, apartments, artificially lit streets. This gives the film a somewhat unrealistic tone - in comparison with the scenes of the American countryside.
The film has a very strong cast led by Matt Dillon. Lee Grant and Bruce Dern are particularly good as the controllers of gambling. Tommy Lee Jones is a suspicious gangster character. Tom Skerritt, David Marshall Grant, Don Franks feature also in the cast. Diane Lane and Suzy Amis are the romantic leads.
The film asks for comparison with other gambling films like The Cincinatti Kid, The Hustler and The Colour of Money, The Baltimore Bullet, Rounders.
However, the material seems familiar, while the stars do their turns, the film is not as involving as might be expected.
1.Interesting gambling story? The gambling champion? The Big Town and Chicago of the '50s? The world of gambling?
2.The Indiana countryside and its realism contrasting with the artificial style and decor of the Big Town? The range of background songs, the period and the singers? Musical score?
3.The original title, the focus on Cully and his ability with the dice? The shift of emphasis to the Big Town?
4.Matt Dillon as Cully: the young man, dice in the town, his friendship with Carl Hooker, working with him, the gambling? The clashes with his mother, her religious background and wanting to stop him gambling? His decision to leave home, going to Chicago, wide-eyed in the big city, the contact with Ferguson, discovering she was a woman, her relationship with Hooker? Her blind husband and his bitterness, their treatment of Cully, setting him up, the money, the percentage? The collage of his success? The Gem Club, needing his own money? The interactions with George Cole, suspicions, loaded dice and confrontations? His friendship with Sonny, on the Big Town together? Meeting Aggie, the records, the gentle humane relationship with her and her daughter? The contrast with Lorry, her dances at the club, stripping? The infatuation with her? The build-up to the confrontation with Cole, the battering? The support of Ferguson and her husband? Sonny? Lorry and the deals against Cole? The sexual liaison? The irony of Cully meeting Carpenter, his responsibility for Edward's being blind? The build-up to a confrontation? Carpenter's death? The shoot-out? Sonny and his racism, the athletic club? The parting of the ways from Sonny? The return home, Hooker's death, Ferguson's grief? Lorry and her conniving, the lawyer, the deals with the money? Discovering her with the lawyer? His continued visits to Aggie, the balance to the gambling world, his decision to return home with her? The effect of the experience?
5.The home town, the religious mother and her disappointment, Hooker and his friendship, supporting of Cully, his funeral? Cully's confrontation with his mother?
6.Ferguson and her husband, the control of the gambling, Ferguson and her faith in Cully, the friendship with Hooker? Edwards and his blindness, his dealing with Cully, his bitterness, contriving? The resentment against Carpenter, the tip-off from Sonny, Cole and the contract to kill Carpenter?
7.George Cole, shady background, his club, the Marines, his connections? Loaded dice? His staff? Confrontations with Cully, the money deals, accusations of cheating, the beating? The jealousy with Lorry? Cole used to murder Carpenter?
8.Carpenter, image of what Cully might grow into? Past gambling, luck, cheekiness? Travelling around? Befriending Cully? The confrontation with Cole, his death?
9.Lorry, with Cole, stripper, money deals, infatuation with Cully, using him, her pleading the truth, the double deal with the lawyer?
10.The contrast with Aggie, schoolteacher, unmarried mother, her daughter, the records, Cully's future to her home, the relationship, Cully divided between the two women? The final decision and his return home?
11.The world of gambling, Chicago in the '50s, the gangster heritage? Racism and Sonny's attitudes? Big money deals? The bars, the people working there, the strippers?
12.The tradition of movies about American gambling? Insight, fables about luck, success - and returning to the ordinary way of life?
