The Man, the Father, the Legend in Damon Runyon’s Cinderella Man

The Man, the Father, the Legend

In Damon Runyon’s

Cinderella Man

From its title, one gets the idea this story is going to be a myth about redemption and empowerment. In actuality, this is a tremendous true story about a man named Jimmy Braddock who lives out a fairy tale, not a sugar coated fairy tale, but more of a grimace one. Cinderella Man is a film of survival and people finding strength within, to do what they have to do to carry on, particularly for what it takes a man to provide for his family.

In this movie, the director wanted to show people that were just becoming poor, some who were destitute already, and perfectly middle class people that were destitute because they didn’t have a job. New York City and the depression, everyone had suites and ties on, even though they had no money or lived on the street, still all of the men wore hats. Many of the men were well dressed because they say; a man’s spirit breaks before his suite does. “The movie offers a very visual cinematic sort of reminder of the devastation of that time in big cities and Cinderella Man really dramatizes that time”. “The cameras, actors, and location do everything possible to tell a story in a way that audiences really respond to”. (Tom Roston)

This film is not like every other depression period film; there is a different sort of life to this film, a little grit to the photography. It’s not as slick and as beautiful with backlights and smoke, which is where most films of this sort want to lean. “This film offers more handheld photography that is rough and not so perfect”. (Eleanor Gillespie) Life isn’t perfect, which is the philosophy followed in the photography and lighting.

The very beginning of the story takes place in 1928, the world is good, life is good for everyone, and everything is bright and colorful. James Braddock, a husband and father of two boys and a girl, is at the height of his boxing career, no stage fright, no nerves, and has never been knocked out. The colors at the Braddock home are golden and very warm. The camera spans over the various items of jewelry on top of a bureau and then on to the red flowered wall paper.

From there, it fades from these times of color, ahead into 1933, where there is a shift in their fortune, life changes for them, the depression hits, and the world changes. Consequently, the color is removed from the movie and the next environment is essentially a black and white environment. Here, the family is struggling through severe financial difficulties and are behind on many of their bills, including their milk bill.

It is seen how low Braddock and his family can sink when the Boxing Commission de-commissions him, while understanding, that millions of people are sinking lower. By 1934, Braddock is working the New Jersey docks, or, rather, standing with hundreds of other men outside the gates, hoping for work. There's an awful scene in which the boxer goes to the old Madison Square Garden and confronts the fight men in their smoky den, begging for a handout, the moment aches with shame and necessity. Then his old manager, Joe Gould, appears with a one-time offer, to fight again because a boxer has dropped out of a match with an up-and-coming heavyweight, providing for $250 purse, win or lose. Braddock’s response to this opportunity, “For $250, I'd fight your wife.”

When he steps back into the ring, the radio announcer snidely states “it looks like they dug old Jim Braddock up,” and the dreamy, smiling look on his face, is peculiar. Cinderella Man charts the course for a comeback step by step, fight by fight, gauging the growing fascination of the press and the public, but it makes clear that the boxer never had a game plan. Every extra inch, however temporary, is a gift to a man who can say, “At least I know what's hitting me.” It is completely conceivable to understand how this man clearly defines the meaning of the well known expression, hard work and perseverance pay off. It was once said, “In all the history of the boxing game you find no human interest story to compare with the life narrative of James J. Braddock”. (Josh Rottenberg) An individual like Braddock is a rare find, and begs the question, do they make guys like this any more? When he sets out for work at the docks, he does so with a broken hand, knowing work for him will be sparse at best. Yet, Braddock returns on a daily basis hoping to be selected, and never hesitates perform the job once chosen.

Even having enough food for his family to eat is daunting for the Braddock family. A prime example is depicted in the movie when Rosie, (Braddock’s little girl) is dining at the breakfast table and has finished eating her only serving of a sliced bologna, she complains she is still hungry, therefore,