The Champ is somewhat of a slow burner. It isn’t a complicated film, but instead a rather straightforward family drama about the relationship between a father and his son. The film starts slow, yet as it progresses, it steadily builds up the relationship. By the end of the film, you can’t help but care for the characters, despite their faults, up until the utterly heartbreaking finale.
The performances of The Champ truly sell the film. If it wasn’t for Wallace Beery’s staunchly faulty and stoic portrayal of the titular character, and Jackie Cooper as the strong-willed son, the film simply wouldn’t have worked. They make the characters feel as alive as they do the world around them.
I was ultimately taken by surprise at how much I cared for the story by the end of the film. But that seems be a consistent aspect of King Vidor’s films. They’re sleeper-hits that slowly lul you in, leaving you deeply engaged - or at least, that has been my experience.
The Champ is somewhat of a slow burner. It isn’t a complicated film, but instead a rather straightforward family drama about the relationship between a father and his son. The film starts slow, yet as it progresses, it steadily builds up the relationship. By the end of the film, you can’t help but care for the characters, despite their faults, up until the utterly heartbreaking finale.
The performances of The Champ truly sell the film. If it wasn’t for Wallace Beery’s staunchly faulty and stoic portrayal of the titular character, and Jackie Cooper as the strong-willed son, the film simply wouldn’t have worked. They make the characters feel as alive as they do the world around them.
I was ultimately taken by surprise at how much I cared for the story by the end of the film. But that seems be a consistent aspect of King Vidor’s films. They’re sleeper-hits that slowly lul you in, leaving you deeply engaged - or at least, that has been my experience.
