great film and and be any hollywood actor in the 1940 more magnetic than john garfield . it be the box movie on which all other box movie have draw element from ever since the poor kid make good by his talent for box yet who be exploit by corrupt fight manager and his own material greed and the faithful girlfriend or wife out of the ring and the scene show the lure of rich and the moral decay it bring . the film open with garfield wake from a troubled dream and call out for ben . in the middle of the night he rush to his mother ( ann revere ) apartment where his faithful girlfriend lilli palmer burst into tear upon see him . revere tell garfield to go . we soon find out and through flashback and just what have happen to garfield and his body have be use at the expense of his soul . while the film may seem formulaic now . let remember it start the boxing formula . great performance all round . garfield be intense and charismatic and palmer be sympathetic and warm yet also keenly intelligent and aware and canada lee get a striking role a ben and the role be a major move forward for the portrayal of african american on screen . the film be well write ( polonsky would make the excellent force of evil with garfield in the following year ) and contain many memorable scene and and the editing in that final fight scene be top notch . compulsive and compulsory viewing .