Episode 709: Cockfighter (1974)

The Projection Booth Podcast

The Projection Booth

Film Reviews, Film Interviews, Film History, Tv & Film

4.8 • 686 Ratings

🗓️ 2 October 2024

⏱️ 117 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Heather Drain and Jedidiah Ayres join Mike to take a gritty plunge into Monte Hellman's Cockfighter (1974), a controversial and fascinating portrait of obsession and redemption. Warren Oates stars as Frank Mansfield, a man so consumed by his quest to win the cockfighting championship that he’s taken a vow of silence until he claims victory. Set in the underbelly of the American South, this visceral tale pits man against his demons, much like the roosters he trains.

Adapted from Charles Willeford’s novel, Cockfighter pulls no punches in its depiction of the brutal, outlawed sport, which was illegal in 47 states at the time. Film scholar Kier-la Janisse discusses the complex themes of masculinity, pride, and obsession, as well as Hellman’s signature directorial style in her new book, Cockfight: A Fable of Failure.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hold your ears, folks.
0:06.8	It's showtime.
0:08.6	People pay good money to see this movie.
0:10.9	When they go out to a theater, they want cold sodas, hot popcorn, and no monsters in the projection booth.
0:17.3	Everyone pretend podcasting isn't boring.
0:20.1	Shut it off.
0:25.3	Turn it off.
0:27.6	Turn it off.
0:31.5	Andra!
0:32.4	Yeah! Illegal in 47 states, it's the dirtiest sport in the world.
0:47.5	Not since the hustler has the savage underbelly of the gambling world been so nakedly exposed.
0:53.5	Warren Oates stars as Frank Mansfield professional.
0:56.0	In my bird here, he can beat anything you've got show man, anything.
1:00.0	Cockfighter, a violent man in the sport that killed.
1:03.0	He's got an animal instinct for winning and women.
1:08.0	The drive, the drive in it is to be the best.
1:11.6	And he'll do anything to come out on top.
1:14.1	Winning is the name of the game.
1:15.6	Cockfighter.
1:16.7	From governor's mansions to cheap hotels,
1:18.9	it's the big money sport that's dirty,
1:21.0	violent, and outside the law.
	...

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