The Set-Up

Over-the-hill boxer Stoker Thompson thinks he can still win a bout despite doubts from his wife and his manager. He goes into his next fight determined to beat his opponent not realizing his manager has taken money from a tough gambler for having Stoker take a dive. Played out in real time.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 053939674828

This riveting, gut-punching boxing picture plays out in something close to "real time." We are locked in with an over-the-hill pug (Robert Ryan) as he arrives at an arena for a match against a younger opponent. What he doesn't know yet is that his crooked manager has agreed to throw the fight for some gangsters--so Ryan has more than one battle on his hands as each bruising round goes by. At a lean, mean 72 minutes, The Set-Up manages to load the essential film noir themes into one potent package, excitingly delivered with no breathing room. Director Robert Wise would go on to make such mega-productions as The Sound of Music, which only makes you appreciate his economy here. And the movie's a fine showcase for tall, craggy Robert Ryan, one of the great under-sung actors in American movies, who was a boxer himself before becoming an actor. --Robert Horton