Requiem for a Heavyweight

Directed by Ralph Nelson, Requiem for a Heavyweight follows professional boxer Mountain Rivera (Anthony Quinn) as he’s essentially kicked out of the profession after failing a medical exam. Filmmaker Nelson, armed with Rod Serling’s screenplay, kicks Requiem for a Heavyweight off with a striking first-person-perspective opening sequence that immediately captures the viewer’s interest and attention, with the movie, beyond that point, segueing into a low-key, character-study-like midsection that benefits substantially from the top-tier efforts of its performers. (Quinn’s absolutely mesmerizing turn here remains an obvious and ongoing high point, although Nelson elicits equally strong work from costars Jackie Gleason and Mickey Rooney.) And although the movie, saddled with a talky, stage-play-friendly atmosphere, admittedly does suffer from a handful of narrative lulls, Requiem for a Heavyweight’s overall impact is heightened by a recurring emphasis on stirring, engrossing interludes and sequences – with this particularly true of the heartbreaking stretch wherein Mountain tanks a promising job opportunity by drinking heavily beforehand. By the time the unexpectedly grim and thoroughly memorable finale rolls around, Requiem for a Heavyweight has cemented its place as a stirring drama that’s far more impactful than one might’ve initially anticipated.

*** out of ****