BORN TO WIN
US, 1971, 90 minutes, Colour.
George Segal, Karen Black, Paula Prentiss, Jay Fletcher, Hector Elizondo, Robert de Niro.
Directed by Ivan Passer.
Born to Win is a very grim film, about drug addiction. It came early in the piece for films about addiction. The previous year Panic in Needle Park had appeared with Al Pacino.
The film was directed by Ivan Passar, a Czech director who had flourished in Czechoslovakia during the 1960s but had moved away from his country to avoid the crackdown in the mid-60s. Like Milos Forman, he began a career in Hollywood. Other directors of the time like Jirí Menzel remained and continued to make films in Czechoslovakia.
Ivan Passer did not have a very prolific career, making a number of smaller and minor films like Silver Bears, Ace Up My Sleeve, Carter’s Way. However, he persevered, made a television remake of Picnic in 2000 and was filming in Kazakhstan and France in 2005.
George Segal had emerged as a prominent star in the 1960s with The Victors, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. At this time he appeared in The Owl and the Pussycat with Barbra Streisand. Karen Black had also made an impact with such films as Five Easy Pieces. Hector Elizondo and Robert de Niro appear in supporting roles.
This is an almost unrelieved film about the realities of addiction. Segal portrays an ordinary man caught up with drugs, his day-to-day life, his relationship with Karen Black – but, when the chips are down, he chooses drugs. An alternate and perhaps more appropriate title was Born to Lose.
1. The film's reputation, a Czech director making his American debut, a Czech viewpoint of America? How satisfying, how alien?
2. The presentation of the drug culture of 1970-71? In comparison with other films of the time? The atmosphere of reporting, the insights into the drug culture, world, individuals, police work, danger to society?
3. The irony of the title, its tattoo on J.Ps arm? The reference during the film? The irony and a pessimistic outlook on life?
4. The importance of the atmosphere of New York as a city, a grim city, its streets and its buildings, the world of drugs and the pushers, the money makers, the exploiters, the violent ones? The police and detection? A picture of America, a picture of world society and the influence of drugs? An important environment for the characters and issues?
5. The film's attitude towards drugs and their pushing? The evil, the effects on the individual, money, petty crime, exploitation, the ruining of people's lives?
6. George Segal’s performance as J.M.? Strengths and weaknesses of character? His opting out, his hairdressing work? His flip attitudes, serious cravings? His roaming New York, criminal involvement? The breaking of his marriage with Veronica and the significance of their meetings and her profession? His reliance on Billy and the bonds of friendship? The breaking of this with the pathos of Billy's death? The realization that it could have been his own? Contacts with the Greek and exploitation? The humiliation of pleading for drugs? Being dependent on the whims of others? Wandering the city, suffering, need? His not caring about life, the sequences of him sitting and wandering? The devices that he had to resort to to get money or drugs? His being in the power of criminals? Under suspicion by the police? Being used as a decoy by the police and open to police pressure?
7. The details of the incidents in which he was involved: his wandering. work, carrying, decoy for the police? The danger in which he lived as illustrated by Billy's death?
8. The world of Parm: Karen Black’s style, as a character in herself, the way that she met J.J., the bonds between them, the ironic love and sex (what he wore to bed?), the building of a relationship? Parm and her attitude towards the drugs? The irony of her being framed and betrayed by J.J.?
9. The Greek and the world of the pusher, suave extortioner, his hold over people, his shrewdness in not allowing himself to be detected by the police? His willingness to frame others and kill them?
10. How sympathetic the portrayal of police work? How critical? Violence, undercover work? The setting up of the situation to trap the Greek and J.J’s involvement? The danger to the undercover man? The pressure on Parm and audience disgust with the police?
11. Sequences such an J.J’s visiting Marlene and her husband and trying to persuade her for the drugs? Brutality, blackmail?
12. The comic touches and the tragic touches? A satisfactory or odd blend? The sharpness of observation? How was the insight into situation and character? Was the film particularly moralizing?
