Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Champion Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 8, 2021

Mark Robson's "Champion" (1949) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by film scholar Jason A. Ney and promotion al materials for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

One last match

After getting robbed on a freight train bound for LA, Midge Kelly (Kirk Douglas) and his partially handicapped brother Connie (Atrhur Kennedy) are picked up by professional boxer Johnny Dunne (John Daheim) and his mistress Gracey Diamond (Marilyn Maxwell), who are on their way to Kansas City. Later on, Dunne offers them an easy job at the venue where he is supposed to fight, but they turn it down because both have purchased shares in a small diner in Malibu where an old friend is making ends meet. Although they have not seen the place, they plan to put a lot of hard work into so that eventually they can get rich. But when one of the boxers in the venue is declared unfit to fight, his manager offers Midge thirty bucks to take his spot, and even though initially he hesitates to jump in the boxing ring, eventually he changes his mind. Midge then surprises everyone and lasts the whole match, though his opponent, an experienced boxer with a long record, gives him such a good beating that the doctor is asked to take a quick look at him. After the match, Tommy Haley, a veteran manager from LA, approaches Midge and offers to turn him into a professional boxer because he has what it takes to be one – guts. But they quickly part ways, and Midge and Connie then head down to Malibu.

At the diner, Midge and Connie meet Emma (Roth Roman), a single beauty who helps her father, Lew Bryce (Harry Shannon), run the place and learn from her that their friend was just an employee there and was recently fired. Even though the old man is not at all impressed by the brothers, their attitudes and story, he rents them a room. Soon after, Midge asks Emma out, and while pondering the future with her decides to seek Haley. They meet again in a club somewhere in the city, but this time it is Midge who has to work on Haley so that he wants to do business with him. A day later, Midge enthusiastically begins his transformation into a professional boxer. Success comes soon, exactly as Haley has predicted it would if his pupil does everything he is told, but eventually Midge is forced to face professional players who wear suits and carry guns.

Mark Robson directed Champion at the exact same time Robert Wise completed The Set-Up. Both films are about tough guys who end up self-destructing because they refuse to be flexible while being threatened by criminal elements. The former is unquestionably the more cynical of the two, while the latter is the darker and much more brutal film.

The general consensus about the boxer Douglas plays has always been that he is an astonishingly ruthless man who walks over anyone that stands on his way to the top. It is the main reason why there hasn’t been a whole lot of sympathy for him. While somewhat accurate, this short description of the boxer is way too simplistic to be taken seriously.

Here are a few details to consider while deconstructing Champion and specifically the transformation of the boxer:

He is an ordinary guy from the streets whose one and only strength is his physicality. It is the one undisputed ‘quality’ he has that makes him marketable. He knows it too, which is why he is trying to make the best of it -- on the boxing ring and in the bedroom, and while he can. Obviously, such a guy is awfully difficult to thrust and like, but the cynical logic behind his actions should be very easy to understand.

What is his alternative? He gets soft whenever the criminals tell him. He settles down for smaller, safer wins. He gradually loses more of his profits to the manager that trains him and sets up his matches. Eventually, he gets the inevitable career-ending concussion and goes back on the streets. It is an awful alternative, and the boxer knows it, which is why he is quickly bulldozing his way to the top. It isn’t pretty, but he has entered that kind of a business -- ugly and painful, respecting the winners and humiliating the losers. Does this make his ruthless? Yes, a ruthless pragmatic.

The other cruel but very old truth that emerges from this film is that in the game of life people that pursue the ultimate success have to be prepared to pay the ultimate price for it. It isn’t gambling, it is just the nature of the game.

Champion Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Champion arrives in Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

In the United States, Olive Films released Champion on Blu-ray in 2013. I have the release in my library. It is sourced from an older but very solid organic master that was supplied by Paramount Pictures. This release is sourced from the same master.

There are a few areas with minor density fluctuations, but they are inherited from the source that was used to produce the master. (I assume that it was an interpositive, but do not have technical credits to confirm). Grain exposure is very nice and there are no traces of problematic digital adjustments. From time to time grain can appear slightly overexposed or underexposed, but all of the visuals, including the ones that reveal the age of the master, have a very pleasing appearance. In fact, if you project the film, you will quickly realize that it looks exactly like a slightly aged film should. The entire master is very nicely graded, too. Blacks are stable and lush but not boosted, while grays and whites appear nicely balanced. Aside from some minor tweaks that can rebalance the whites and selected highlights, I think that the grayscale is already wonderful. Image stability is very good. Lastly, from time to time you will notice a few minor specks and even a couple of larger scratches, but they are not at all distracting. The bottom line is this: what you get from this release is a very solid organic presentation of Champion. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Champion Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I would describe the lossless track as solid. If you turn up the volume a lot, from time to time you will notice some extremely light background hiss trying to sneak in. Obviously, there are digital tools now that quite easily and quickly eliminate it. However, there are no distortions or any of those annoying pops that usually that tend to appear on unrestored audio tracks of older films. What the balance? There are some minor fluctuations, but this film has quite a few group and mass scenes where organic sounds and noises interfere with the dialog. While some minor rebalancing work can be done, I don't think that it will make a notable difference. I think that main unevenness is part of the original soundtrack that was finalized in 1949.

Champion Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new commentary was recorded by professor and film scholar Jason A. Ney. There is plenty of good information about the production of Champion and the exact environment in which the film emerged, the impact the film had on Kirk Douglas' career, Mark Robson's style and work, the evolution of film noir, etc. It is a predictably excellent commentary.

• Stills Gallery - a collection of promotional materials for Champion.

• Booklet - a collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Richard Combs and a piece on boxing in cinema by author/screenwriter S. B. Caves, as well as technical credits.

Champion Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is impossible to discuss Champion without mentioning The Set-Up because they are very similar and in my opinion two of the best films to be released in 1949. I prefer the latter because Robert Ryan is astonishing in it, but Kirk Douglas' transformation into the ruthless boxer Midge Kelly is a genuine masterclass in acting, too. Champion is a top film noir folks, so if you don't yet have it in your library, I urge you to pick up your copy now. Eureka Entertainment's release is sourced from the same older but very solid organic master Paramount Pictures licensed to Olive Films for their North American release of the film in 2013. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.