'The Hustler' treats pool not just as a game, but as a self- destructive addiction of the protagonist Eddie Felson. The film is about character or more specifically about the development of character. It's about a character coming to realise what's really important in life. Robert Rossen commits to making Eddie a very complicated character who has both positive as well as negative traits. This is why, the character arc that he undergoes seems very effective. Phil Newman is charismatic as well as extremely emotive in his portrayal. What I also like about the film is the treatment of the character of Sarah. On one hand, she isn't the damsel in distress who is supposed to be saved by Eddie. But on the other hand, neither is she the pixie dream girl who is perfect and the fantasy girlfriend from a male perspective. Just like Eddie, Sarah is a complex character who is given requisite amount of importance and attention by Rossen. Piper Laurie's performance is really really great. There is a particular scene in the film where Eddie and Sarah attend a party. There is a particular tracking shot in that scene(which is marked by extremely loud music) where the camera is on Sarah as she walks towards the camera with Eddie visible at the background talking to another woman. The facial expressions and general demeanour of Laurie in this scene is absolutely heartbreaking. My only little gripe with the film is the treatment of character of Bert Gordon. Performance wise, George C. Scott delivers a good performance which exudes authority and charisma. But unfortunately, the Mephistopheles-esque aura that the character is supposed to personify(this symbolism gets explicitly verbalised in the film) doesn't get enough build up and I didn't really feel his influence on Eddie to be as strong as the film wants us to feel. Overall, 'The Hustler' is a really impressive film that revolves around a sport, but is mainly about character ala 'Raging Bull'.
Review of The Hustler
