Hard Times | | Cast : | Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Jill Ireland | | Director : | Walter Hill | | Studio : | Columbia/Tristar Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Full Screen | | Released Date : | January 01, 1975 | | DVD Released Date : | March 01, 2005 | | Language : | English (Subtitled), English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), Portuguese (Subtitled), Thai (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed), English (Original Language), Portuguese (Original Language), Chinese (Subtitled), Korean (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 22, 2005 | | Summary | Big Knockout | Content
 | For anyone who loves boxing movies or period pieces,DO NOT MISS THIS MOVIE! The fighting scenes barehanded really capture the 1920s aura. If you can,watch this movie in widescreen with the sound up, it helps bring you into the 'hard times' experience. Their is some really simple but great dialogue in this film. The "ring doctor" plays his role uniquely and Coburn and Bronsan are believable charactors you want to know more about. Jill Irelands poor everyday girl works well. A really good and interesting movie. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 16, 2005 | | Summary | "Hard Times" is a Favorite | Content
| Charles Bronson stars in this depression-era movie about a man who is forced to take up bare-knuckled fighting to earn enough money to survive. Bronson arrives in New Orleans with a few coins in his pocket and no prospects. Fortunately for him (and unfortunately for his opponents) he comes across a betting fighting match hosted by two local sharpies. Bronson studies the situation with cold calculating eyes and realizes that he could earn some much needed food money with a few bouts of his own. Introducing himself to one of the local sharpies, (James Colburn, who is superb in his role of a quick talking con-man in constant trouble with the local mob), Bronson and Colburn set out to win a small fortune on the match-making skills of Colburn and the hard punishing fists of Bronson.
Although clearly aging, Bronson is a natural and beleiveable fighter, with a lean muscular body certainly capable of knocking out his opponents. With initial success, Bronson is matched with increasingly tougher opponents, culminating in two "championship" bouts that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Intertwined between the bouts is Bronson and his co-star Jill Ireland (his real-life wife), and their effort to establish a relationship.
I won't spoil the ending for you by revealing the ending, but I will say that if you missed this movie when it was first screened in the mid-1970's, you don't want to miss it again! Although it does not belong on your "classic" shelf, "Hard Times" is one of Charles Bronson's best movies and it will be a treat to view on a Saturday night.
Jim Konedog Koenig |
| Rating | | | Date | June 30, 2005 | | Summary | Charles Bronson's Best | Content
| This film is a 70's classic. Bronson plays a bareknuckle fighter earning a few "in betweens" during the Great Depression. Coburn is great as his promoter.
The fight's are realistic and brutal by 70's standards. They are still better than most fights on film today.
Bronson plays a tough guy who has been down the long hard road in Hard Times and is still able to get up. He did not have to act much in this film because the character Chaney is CHARLES BRONSON who grew up poor in the tough Coal Mines of the Penn State.
Simple lesson in this film. ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE, whether you get dumped by your woman, lose your job or only have six dollars to your name you still need to fight your way out of it and never give up. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 05, 2005 | | Summary | HARD TIMES | Content
| This has got to be one of CHARLES BRONSON'S BEST.Why this QUIET MAN never received an oscar in his liftime is beyond me.Co-starring his late wife,JILL IRELAND..good friend also gone...
JAMES COBURN & STROTHER MARTIN..all gone now...BUT not forgotten by me.The opening & closing THEME MUSIC is great.The story very believeable.I mean when they fight..during the depression time it was very believeable..can't compare to "ROCKY".The real rugged life as it was.BRONSON..should never be forgotten for such a very good role in his career. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 06, 2005 | | Summary | Charles Bronson's Masterpiece | Content
| Loosely based on the early career of Jack Dempsey, 'Hard Times' captures the spirit of the depression era South and tells a story of a simple man who 'knocks people down' to make a few dollars and 'to fill some loose ends'.
Charles Bronson, James Coburn and Walter Hill were never better. No car chases, no cardboard villians, no vigilante executions......just a great story deftly told. |
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