Steiger stars as Nazi concentration camp survivor Sol Nazerman, he now runs a pawn shop in Spanish Harlem. Reserved, he has clearly not recovered from the loss of his wife and two children. He is so restrained, that we can sense the boiling rage that unexpectedly spits out on occasion. Sol is going through the motions of living, but devoid of real feelings and emotions. Even as he watches the antics of his teenaged niece and nephew, his eyes are dead. Sol doesn’t even seem to find much comfort in sharing his bed with Tessie (Marketa Kimbrell) who lost her husband in the camps. The only thing that matters to him is money. Nonetheless, Steiger’s skillful portrayal of Sol shows a genuine kindness that still exists in this broken man.
Despite his bluntness to some of the losers that come into his shop, Sol has developed relationships with some of his customers. Marilyn Birchfield (Geraldine Fitzgerald), a middle class white woman new to town, tries to reach Sol through kindness. She is rebuffed with a devastating speech that makes it clear he just wants to be left alone. In time though, the two develop a friendship of sorts. There’s also the homeless black man that drops by the shop to discuss Greek philosophy. Sol keeps these people at arm’s length, but offers them as much of a friendship as he is capable.
Sol’s young assistant Jesus Ortiz (Jaime Sanchez) is eager to learn. He comes to think of Sol as a father figure. Their relationship ship is a rocky one and leads to a tragic climax. I won’t offer the details here; it’s better just to see the film. Suffice to say, The Pawnbroker was never meant to be a happy film, but I like to think his relationship with Jesus led Sol to an emotional breakthrough.
Released in 1965, The Pawnbroker signaled that the Motion Picture Production Code was on its way out. The first mainstream American film to show naked female breasts, it was also ahead of its time concerning racial politics. Brock Peters plays Rodriguez, a rich gangster who launders his money through Sol’s pawn shop. In one scene, Sol is at his apartment when a blond young man enters and goes upstairs. Rodriquez excuses himself and follows the young man upstairs, implying that the two men are lovers.
As many boundaries as The Pawnbroker pushed the main reason to watch the movie is Rod Steiger’s stunning performance. A master class in acting, Steiger takes the viewer inside Sol’s dark world of frightening memories and bitterness.
Presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Olive Films 1080p transfer is impressive. Aside from a few small specks in the first few frames, this beautifully reproduces Boris Kaufman’s cinematography. The contrast is excellent, and detail is superb throughout. DNR or other digital anomalies aren’t a factor.
The Pawnbroker‘s lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track offers clean and clear dialogue, and a nice accounting of Quincy Jones’ score. The sounds of the city, and other ambient sounds come through with pleasing clarity.
No subtitles are included.
No extras are available.
