zardoz-13 Scenarist Walter Hill made his directorial debut with "Hard Times," a rough and tumble, but realistic, bare-knuckles boxing saga set in New Orleans during the Depression where Charles Bronson becomes the number one knuckle-buster. All too often during his career, Charles Bronson starred in far-fetched, unbelievable action movies that would ultimately be forgotten long after their initial release. This is not the case with "Hard Times," an atmospheric yarn that casts the "Death Wish" star in one of his finest roles as Chaney, a taciturn itinerant to rides the rails to the next town but doesn't sink roots. The rugged strongman has just gotten off a train when he notices people crowding into a nearby warehouse. Curiously, he investigates and watches as guys place bets on two opposing bare-knuckle boxers. Essentially, the man left standing is the man who wins. Speed (James Coburn of "The Great Escape") loses when his fighter is beaten to a pulp. Afterward, in a bar, Chaney meets with Speed and offers to fight for him. Chaney goes so far as to wager his own wad on himself. Aside from the air conditioning units that stick out of the windows on Bourbon Street, "Hard Times" tries to evoke the era. Speed is one of those guys who loses more often than he wins, and he is constantly contending with the bothersome guys who loaned him money that he hasn't repaid. When Chaney and he hook up, they make an unbeatable pair. Speed brings in an associate, Poe (Strother Martin of "Cool Hand Luke"), who spent two years in a medical college. He attends to Speed's fighters should the need arise for such treatment. Initially, things are uncertain because Chaney doesn't want to fight as often as Speed would like. Nevertheless, when Speed gets Chaney a fight, Chaney demolishes his opponent. The refreshing thing about "Hard Times" is that it eschews a romance for the sake of a romance. Mind you, Chaney does meet a girl, Lucy Simpson (Jill Ireland of "So Evil, So Young"), but it isn't love at first sight. Ireland seems to be around because she was married to Bronson at the time, but also because a woman will brighten up any movie. Interestingly enough, she wants to earn her own money and doesn't want to rely on a man for her welfare. You know when the superstar lead in a movie like this doesn't walk off with the dame on his arm in the end that this is might be an art film. Furthermore, Walter Hill sticks to the fundamentals, keeps things simple and straightforward, and doesn't fall back on contrivance. He stages the fights impromptu like, and things never get distressingly bloody. Of course, like your standard-issue boxing movie, Chaney has to work himself up the ladder to get better fights. Chaney's fight with Jim Henry (Bob Tessier of "The Longest Yard") is the highlight of the film. The fight that takes place before Chaney squares off against Jim shows a kid popping his fists off Jim's head. Later, Jim will smash his rock-hard cranium into his adversaries face three times. Tessier ranks as the best villain of the film. If the film appears to have lapses in continuity, you can blame director Walter Hill who pared it down to the quick. Reportedly, Coburn wasn't happy with what he saw. At least twenty minutes or more has been deleted. "Hard Times" provides a memorable glimpse of illegal fist-fighting may have been like during the Depression era in New Orleans.

rodrig58 I saw "Hard Times" several times as a child, as an adult, each time with great pleasure. It can be seen any time, in "hard times" or in happier times, never gets old. Because it has four aces: Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Strother Martin and director Walter Hill. There's also Jill Ireland, true life's partner of Charles Bronson, they were together also in "Cold Sweat"(1970), "Someone Behind the Door"(1971), "The Valachi Papers"(1972), "The Mechanic"(1972), "Chino"(1973), "Breakout"(1975), "Breakheart Pass"(1975), "From Noon Till Three"(1976), "Love and Bullets"(1979), "Death Wish II"(1982), "Assassination"(1987). Plus two unique faces, Robert Tessier (who appeared with Bronson in "Breakheart Pass") and Nick Dimitri, another favorite of director Walter Hill. Good music and highest level picture signed by Philip H. Lathrop. Editing provided by Roger Spottiswoode, who would become a great director himself ("Under Fire"(1983), "Air America"(1990), "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot"(1992), "Tomorrow Never Dies"(1997).

SnoopyStyle Set during the great depression, Chaney (Charles Bronson) is a quiet drifter who joins fight manager Speed (James Coburn) in an underground no rules fights. They are joined by cut man Poe (Strother Martin). In New Orleans, Chaney has an affair with Lucy Simpson (Jill Ireland). They confront promoter Chick Gandil (Michael McGuire) and his unbeatable fight champ.The story is very bare bones. It is Walter Hill's directorial debut. The strong silent acting from Bronson works well as a solo act. He has difficulties developing chemistry with Coburn or Ireland. In the end, it is the fights that are so much fun. It is an early depiction of MMA where kicks are used. The boxing parts are still the old standard of pre-Rocky. However when kicks, head butting, and other things are added. The fights ascend to a whole other level.

Simon Harris Walter Hill has a way of stripping action movies down to the bare minimum, both in terms of dialogue and story. There is hardly a story here at all. Broke drifter rides the rails into depression era New Orleans, and starts winning his way through the local bare knuckle boxing community. Simple. In Hill's hands, it's a masterpiece, and a large part of that is down to Bronson who was such an all encompassing screen presence. Bronson was 54 when this was filmed, but physically he looked about thirty, and he carried the fight scenes off with a certain style that even stands up today. His fight with Jim Henry (Tessier)is equally as good as the final battle with Street, and there are a several other good set piece fights as well as these two. Coburn deserves a mention as his wheeler dealer opportunistic fixer, and he steals a few of the non fight scenes, but Strother Martin as the opium addicted cut man, Poe, is equally deserving of praise "You are not, Mr Chaney, what Speed unfortunately refers to as a bleeder". Bronson moves through the film with a reserved laconic nonchalance in the non action scenes, but comes to life when he starts throwing punches. There's some funny and quotable dialogue, a scene where some less than sporting southern redneck gentlemen are given their come-uppance at Chaney's hands, and a no frills ending that makes you wish there was a Streetfighter II. But that would have spoiled things. Watching this is a great way to spend an evening, and this could be Charles Bronson's finest hour.