Search - Requiem for a Heavyweight on DVD

An excellent film that should be COMPLETE!

Lawrence Rapchak | Whiting, IN United States | 10/23/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

"C'mon, guys!!! This is the age of DVD "extra-mania" with every sort of outtake, alternate scene, missing scene, lost scene, director's cut,, etc etc being an ESSENTIAL part of a film's legacy as preserved in the DVD format.In the case of the moving and powerful "Requiem" (and I agree with the customer who feels that the Jackie Gleason/Julie Harris staircase scene belongs at the top of the all-time list of great movie scenes), the film was obviously released in several different versions. The confusion begins,in fact, immediately after the staircase scene. There are AT LEAST THREE SCENES from the latter part of the film that are NOT INCLUDED on the DVD:1.) Gleason's encounter with the vile Ma Greeny in the hallway when he tells her he'd "like to run into her when you're not grafted to that torpedo..." (referring to her big thug/bodyguard).2.) A lengthy (and painful) scene where Quinn is training to be a wrestler, and the moronic Pirelli (Stan Adams, the only actor to reprise his role from the 1956 TV original version) signals Quinn's wrestling partner to intentionally gouge his bad eye, whereupon Quinn beats the crap out of the guy.....3.) Gleason's final speech on the rotten world of Prize Fighting which he delivers to the young wanna-be.....If Serling ultimately wanted these scenes cut, WHY IN THE WORLD were they ot included as EXTRAS??? I have old video copies of late-night, local TV airings of this film that are FAR MORE COMPLETE than this state-of-the-art DVD release.What a pity---to see such a cool film treated so poorly (the audio is also very low on this disc; I had to jack the TV volume all the way up to get a decent signal)."

An acting tour de force!

Candace Scott | Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA | 03/21/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am reviewing the VHS version of this film because the DVD is edited and omits several key scenes. I was bitterly disappointed in the DVD and would not recommend it. However, I enthusiastically recommend the VHS version.This film is one of the great forgotten masterpieces. Rarely do you see such depth of emotion as displayed by the three leading characters: Anthony Quinn, Mickey Rooney and Jackie Gleason. This is undoubtedly Quinn's greatest and most poignant performance, he delivers a knock out interpretation of the brain-damaged Mountain Rivera. Make-up and a false nose disguises Quinn's good looks and he resembles a drunken Victor MacLagen here. Mickey Rooney, always seriously underrated, is magnificent as Mountain's assistant. And Jackie Gleason is perfection as the greasy, sleazy manager. The scene of him on the stairwell with Julie Harris is one of the great moments in cinema history. What a movie!I'm at a loss to explain why this brilliant film is not universally recognized as one of the great movies ever made. The acting is superb, the screenplay gripping and the ending will mesmerize you. A thinking man's flick, to be sure. This is definitely a keeper."

A Great Movie assembled by a butcher !!

Don Cheeseman | Hockley, TX United States | 10/26/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

"(DVD) I agree with Mr. Rapchak. In addition to the missing scenes he outlines, there are other missing scenes near the beginning of the movie. The bar scene after Gleason is worked over by mob muscle; Quinn wandering the street, meeting a down-and-out ex-fighter/boozer and tussling with his boss, broken up by Gleason and Rooney. Quinn trying to get a moving van job...etc. There's no warning on the DVD cover that it does NOT contain the movie Requiem For A Heavyweight but rather selected scenes from the real movie. On the back of the DVD case however there are two pictures from scenes in the movie...they are among the scenes that are NOT included on the DVD. That strikes me as deceptive. I have seen the entire movie on satellite TV and the Columbia/Tri-Star version is a rip off. If you want to see the real Requiem For A Heavyweight then you'll be very disappointed with this butchered version of the movie. Maybe the VHS version will have the complete movie; I don't know."

A Knockout Cast in a Knockout Story

A. Wolverton | Crofton, MD United States | 12/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"'Requiem for a Heavyweight' is not only one of the great forgotten boxing pictures, it's also one of those movies that has almost vanished. Thankfully this DVD release will help keep this great film alive.Anthony Quinn superbly plays Mountain Rivera, a 37 year old fighter who risks losing his eyesight if he continues to fight. His manager (Jackie Gleason), his trainer (Mickey Rooney), and a new-found lady friend (Julie Harris) all have different ideas about Mountain's future. Just what CAN a fighter do after 17 years in the ring? While most of the drama takes place outside the ring, Rod Serling's script delivers tension, conflict and suspense in way you wouldn't expect from a 1962 film. You can almost see the characters thinking about where they are, where they're going, and how Mountain Rivera can and does affect their lives. The brilliance of the film's cast is electrifying. Every actor is in absolutely tip-top form. These performances are a real pleasure to watch. This film contains no weak links. Other reviewers have commented on the several different versions of the film. The film originally aired on television on a show called "Playhouse 90." This is the only version I have seen, so I have no other standard for comparison. I suppose it's possible, but I don't see how any version could top this one. Well worth your time and money.Approx. 90 minutes in black and white"