We open upon an emotionally detached Sol Nazerman, an aging Jewish former professor who survived the concentration camps but lost his wife, children and seemingly his humanity.
Sol now operates a pawnshop in Harlem views the people that frequent his shop with disdain not because of race he say's but because they are scum. Despite this, people still try to connect with. The middle aged widow (Geraldine Fitzgerald) raising funds for the youth center, Jesus Ortiz his young shop assistant and an elderly man who wants to talk with someone about books and ideas. Even the local crime boss (Brock Peters) who uses the pawnshop to launder money wants to connect with Sol.
Rod Steiger despite his appearance in the movie was incredibly only 39 at the time the film was made. For his role Steiger would be nominated for his second Academy Award, his first had been for Supporting Actor in "On the Waterfront". Three years later he would win the Oscar for the film "In the Heat of the Night" a role which was again very different from either of his two previous nominations.
While this is amongst Steiger's best work I do not believe this was amongst Director Sidney Lumet's (12Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon) best. There are certainly some very powerful scenes particularly inside the pawnshop, and of course there is Steiger's wonderful performance, but some other aspects fall short. In particular there are some scenes that don't seem necessary to the central plot and while initially the flashbacks are powerful there effect decreases through overuse.
Some of the limitations in the film might also be the result of the script, while the central story and central character are fascinating some of the other aspects and characters seem to be more hastily sketched and even clichéd.
The film also features a wonderful dynamic score by music legend Quincy Jones. This score would be something of a breakthrough and Jones first of 33 major Hollywood scores.
Sol now operates a pawnshop in Harlem views the people that frequent his shop with disdain not because of race he say's but because they are scum. Despite this, people still try to connect with. The middle aged widow (Geraldine Fitzgerald) raising funds for the youth center, Jesus Ortiz his young shop assistant and an elderly man who wants to talk with someone about books and ideas. Even the local crime boss (Brock Peters) who uses the pawnshop to launder money wants to connect with Sol.
Rod Steiger despite his appearance in the movie was incredibly only 39 at the time the film was made. For his role Steiger would be nominated for his second Academy Award, his first had been for Supporting Actor in "On the Waterfront". Three years later he would win the Oscar for the film "In the Heat of the Night" a role which was again very different from either of his two previous nominations.
While this is amongst Steiger's best work I do not believe this was amongst Director Sidney Lumet's (12Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon) best. There are certainly some very powerful scenes particularly inside the pawnshop, and of course there is Steiger's wonderful performance, but some other aspects fall short. In particular there are some scenes that don't seem necessary to the central plot and while initially the flashbacks are powerful there effect decreases through overuse.
Some of the limitations in the film might also be the result of the script, while the central story and central character are fascinating some of the other aspects and characters seem to be more hastily sketched and even clichéd.
The film also features a wonderful dynamic score by music legend Quincy Jones. This score would be something of a breakthrough and Jones first of 33 major Hollywood scores.