Powerful

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Mark Harris's story about a star pitcher (Michael Moriarty) who helps a slow-witted catcher (Robert De Niro) with a terminal illness make it through a season could have been maudlin but instead is intensely moving. Moriarty and De Niro are absolutely believable as major league players (Moriarty might have had a leg up here _ his grandfather, George Moriarty, was a Major League player and then an umpire). This film is especially fascinating because of the moment in which it captures the early stages of the two lead actors' movie careers, portending what remarkable performers they were and would go on to demonstrate again and again. If you don't shed a tear as De Niro struggles with his character's illness throughout this film, have somebody check your pulse. Beautifully done, top to bottom. I hate to use the phrase "instant classic," but this is that.

I saw this when it was released in 1973. I did not know anything about DeNiro, Moriarty, or Mark Harris but I am a lifetime baseball lover and fan as is my wife. We were accompanied by a couple who also loved this production and none of had ever heard a word about it. It captures the feeling of baseball from the opening jogging scene throughout despite the fact that is not really about baseball as much as it's about dying. I also played baseball from age 12 to 18 and went to numerous games. I agree with all the favorable reviews and many of the disparaging ones as technical points are often well taken. Mark Harris wrote four books about baseball and Henry Wiggens; The Southpaw, this one, A Ticket for a Seamstitch, It Looked Like Forever as well as a collection of essays one of which I may have read as it is about his life long love of baseball and the making of the movie. Each of his books tells a story about humanity with baseball as an underlying theme. The essay on the movie mentions that it was partially financed by a reader who loved the story, none of the stars were baseball experienced but worked very hard to be convincing and I believe they captured the essence of the book preserving the humor and the Ring Lardner flavor.

Bang the Drum Slowly (1973) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Depressing but eventually uplifting tale of a star pitcher (Michael Moriarty) who befriends a dimwitted catcher (Robert DeNiro) who is dying. The thought of watching someone dying from a terminal illness might keep some people away from this movie but that would be a real shame because the film does a beautiful job of teaching about how we should treat people. This film certainly deals with the topic of death but it also deals with the spirit of life and it also works very well as a baseball movie. I don't think the film gets enough credit for how it handles the story of a middle ground player who must work extra hard to just try and compete with the bigger guys. DeNiro's character isn't the most talented but seeing him work hard to get where he wants is something very uplifting and this is especially true considering how sick and near death his character is. DeNiro gives a wonderful performance and really nails this character's Southern accent and mentality. There's been plenty of talk about DeNiro working out with the Cincinnati Reds in order to make himself look like a baseball player and he also succeeds on this level. You can't help but watch him and see a real struggling player. His scenes dealing with the disease are also extremely well acted and incredibly touching. Moriarty never gets the credit he deserves but he too delivers a great performance. There are many scenes where he doesn't have too much to say yet we can see how he feels just by looking at his eyes. Vincent Gardenia plays the third angle of this story, the two men's manager. I've seen quite a bit of Gardenia's work but this here is certainly the best of that. He gives an extremely heartfelt performance not only during the sadder moments but also the anger moments of a manager trying to keep his team together. In the end I think a few things are a bit too heavily handled but there's still a great story here with a real message. The most interesting scenes in the film are when DeNiro's character is being picked on by his teammates yet they change after they learn he's dying. The message of treating people good because you don't know if they really are dying gives one something to think about.

DeNiro (as Bruce Pearson) and Moriarity (as Henry "Author" Wiggen) really shine in their roles and have great chemistry in this story about a journeyman catches stricken with Hodgkin's disease, and his friendship with his star pitcher teammate. I don't understand why this doesn't get more mention when people talk about great baseball movies. Maybe it's because while baseball dominates the scenes, it's not really a baseball movie.A few scenes really stand out to me in this movie as moving and really well done.1) Near the opening, Bruce burns all of his old press clippings at home after getting the diagnosis. It's as if since his future looks limited, his past no longer has meaning to him.2) Bruce's father, a simple man like his son, visits and has a talk with Wiggen. Mr. Pearson's struggle to accept his son's fate and then coming out with the words to express himself, coupled with Wiggen's emotions during and after the talk is a marvelous scene.3) The pennant clinching game. IThe ump sees Bruce struggling and uses the excuse of brushing off the plate to talk to him. "Don't slow down the game. You all right? You don't look all right." Wiggen is at his best, pouring in strike after strike as the pace picks up, and then it abruptly goes to slow motion with a pop up in front of the plate. The whole game sequence is very well done.The music really set the tone for the movie too, but if you don't like "Streets of Laredo" you won't appreciate it.