Directed by:
Ivan PasserComposer:
William FischerCast:
George Segal, Karen Black, Paula Prentiss, Jay Fletcher, Hector Elizondo, Robert De Niro, Burt Young, Paul Benjamin, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Ed Madsen (more)Plots(1)
Ivan Passer's BORN TO WIN is a fascinating, though widely overlooked, time capsule that reflects the down-and-dirty New York City of the early 1970s. In a career filled with memorable performances, George Segal is once again astounding as J, a heroin addict whose life has begun to spiral out of control. No longer interested in being a hairdresser, J spends his days searching for another fix. Along the way, he meets Parm (Karen Black), another weary soul who clings desperately to J. As J gets more and more lost in the haze of his addiction, he must face up to the junky life that has trapped him. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (1)
Ivan Passer struggled to establish himself after his emigration for quite a long time - after all, the film industry in which he professionally grew up could not be further from the American studio system. Born to Win is a small film that could be compared to contemporary American independent filmmaking, and its Central European roots, especially the Czech New Wave, are definitely evident in it. However extensively the issue of addiction is explored in American cinema, this film represents an interesting perspective with its tragicomic features. The main character is an exemplary weakling and a loser in every respect but successfully hides the misery of his situation with a daily dose of lies and self-deception. Unlike typical American productions, which partly moralize and partly aim for dramatic catharsis, here the director focuses on a series of small comical and tragic incidents of the junkie's everyday life, showing his aimless wandering. Nevertheless, the scene in the elevator, where the doors repeatedly and automatically collide with the lifeless human body, is one of the most chilling ones to emerge in this genre. The casting is good - Robert De Niro was not yet a star at that time and here he only has a supporting role as one of the detectives. Overall impression: 75%.
()