Plot: What’s it about?
Bill Thompson (Robert Ryan) is known as Stoker, a past his prime boxer who thinks he can still challenge for championships. But in truth, Stoker has struggled in his last few fights and is only losing steam as time passes. His dreams of being a champion remain, but the reality of the business is bound to crash down soon. His wife Julie (Audrey Trotter) begs him to retire and leave the ring while he is still in decent health, but he refuses to do so. His next fight is against Tiger Nelson (Hal Baylor), a skilled boxer who could probably defeat Stoker, but some added insurance is desired by those in the betting racket. Stoker’s own manager Tiny (George Tobias) agrees to have Stoker take a dive in the fight, an action which he knows Stoker wouldn’t allow. But Tiny is so certain that his man will be knocked out, he doesn’t even bother to tell Stoker about the fix, in order to keep not just half, but all of the payoff. After two tough decades in the ring, Stoker believes that this bout against Nelson is the one that could send him into the winner’s circle. His wife continues to plead with him to step aside, but Stoker just knows that this is his fight. As the fight nears, Stoker is more and more ready for the big time, but the odds stack higher and higher against him. Can Stoker win this crucial bout and even if so, what will the consequences be?
The premise here is one we’ve seen before, a worn down boxer who thinks he can still hack it, but is instead asked to take a dive. But does the film prove to be more than a retread, or is just another overdone cliche? I wouldn’t call The Set-Up a classic picture, but it has some excellent film noir moments, to be sure. So while the film isn’t as potent as it could have been, it stands as a solid and worthwhile production. The story is basic, with no real frills or twists, which means that you won’t be dazzled by depth. The minimalist approach was a wise choice in this case however, as the story relies on performances, not flashy dialogue or plot movement. I think the cast is one reason that The Set-Up works as well as it does, as the stars are so solid, their performances help to mask some of the movie’s flaws. Robert Ryan (The Wild Bunch, The Dirty Dozen) was a former boxer and it shows, as he brings a lot of realistic emotion to his role. The desperation in his character, mixed with that little spark of hope, is quite powerful. His costars are also in fine form, but Ryan stands out as the driving force behind the picture. The lack of depth sometimes hurts the material, as we’re never that close to the characters, but this is still a well crafted movie. Warner’s disc is solid, but for most folks, a rental should suffice.
Video: How does it look?
The Set-Up is presented in full frame, as intended. The source print shows some wear and tear at times, but on the whole, debris and grain are minimal at worst. I am very impressed with this visual presentation and I think this is a superb transfer, given the age of the source material. The contrast (this film is black & white) is well balanced throughout and detail is clean and high also. I did notice some small instances of moire patterns, but no serious compression flaws. So Warner has delivered, with a terrific all around treatment.
Audio: How does it sound?
An adequate, but unimpressive mono track handles the audio side of things, which is good and bad news. You’ll hear all the elements in decent enough form with this mix, but on the whole, this is a very unmemorable experience. The dialogue is sharp and clear though, so the main portions are well tended to and never falter. I just wish the music and sound effects could show more range at times, but that is one of the limits of the mono format. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The lone extra here is a good one, as director Robert Wise is joined by Martin Scorsese for a discussion of the production. Wise is always well spoken, so he provides terrific anecdotes and memories about the shoot. Scorsese serves as a moderator of sorts, prompting Wise at times and leading the session in certain directions. All in all, a focused and informative session, one that fans of the genre will love.
