Clifford Odets proved himself a contender during the Great Depression but has grown unfamiliar on this side of the Atlantic. Here is a rare outing for his 1937 drama, bolstered by the stage return of Josh O’Connor after a decade on screen. He plays Joe Bonaparte, a New York violinist who, after years of careful endeavour, dismisses a precarious career in music to turn a quick buck as a boxer – risking his precious hands in the process.
He is spurred on by a zealous manager, Tom, who even deploys his own lover, Lorna, to keep him satisfied. O’Connor transforms seamlessly as Bonaparte who hardens, bout by bout, with a resolve he deems fitting for the desperate 30s. His professional success and emotional spiral are observed by an anxious father, who irresistibly hymns music over money, and the ruthless gangster who has bought a stake in him.
