Hard Times

Aging Depression-era drifter Chaney (Charles Bronson) earns his keep fighting in illegal bare-knuckle street fights. He soon hooks up with shady promoter Speed (James Coburn), who talks him into going to New Orleans to make some real money. As Chaney’s reputation grows, Speed’s gambling debts deepen and they both run afoul of ruthless businessman Gandil (Michael McGuire).

The true mark of a well-crafted film is that it could have been a bad film in different hands. That description fits Hard Times to a T. By the mid-1970s, Bronson could do tough-guy roles with his eyes closed, which isn’t too far removed from what he does here. Chaney is a man of few words and when he does speak, it’s with an unwavering deadpan. This could have easily been nothing more than 90 minutes of him punching people, which, for some people, might still be worth watching.


What saves Hard Times from B-movie status is the behind-the-camera work of first-time director Walter Hill (who also wrote the script). The man who would go on to develop Alien and direct The Warriors and 48 Hours gives his debut film a solid period feel. It’s nowhere near as handsome as a Scorsese production, but the cars, the clothes and the crowded back alleys all feel right on. What’s more, Hill manages to subtly capture the era’s desperate, scrappy zeitgeist – something which viewers should be able to connect with in these tough economic times.


Next to the gritty look and feel, the film’s greatest asset is the fight sequences. There’s a touch of Indiana Jones Syndrome in that punches sound 10 times louder than they should be, but the strikes and blows are well-choreographed. At 50-plus, Bronson could still give – and take – a convincing beating. The on-screen slugfests are neither cartoonish nor stylistically exaggerated. This is just good, old-fashioned brawling, brutal and simplistic to a fault.


Both the script and the supporting performances are fairly one-note and predictable. Coburn is appropriately fast-talking and shameless as Speed, but it’s a completely static role. And Jill Ireland, the real-life Mrs. Bronson, isn’t on screen long enough to bring any depth to her role as a married woman Chaney takes up with. On the other hand, Strother Martin leaves a lasting impression as Poe, an opium-addicted med school dropout turned fight doctor with an exaggeratedly eloquent way of speaking.


In and of itself, Hard Times is solid entertainment which falls well short of greatness. It is worth watching, however, for both the insights it provides into Depression-era values and the ascendancy of Hill as a premier action director.


7/10