MovieChat Forums > The Verdict (1982) Discussion > The Pinball Machine

The Pinball Machine

posted 8 years ago by clupo154
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I love that Sidney Lumet and David Mamet use a pub pinball machine as an element to develop Paul Newman's character. I think it was creative and a fun choice.

Literally the first shot, one of the greatest Sidney Lumet shots of all time, a silhouetted Frank Galvin is standing next to the pinball machine with a glass of lager next to him as he plays on it. After his turn he looks out the window, grabs the glass and drinks a big portion of it. He puts down the glass and resumes playing. This first shot, no colors but the ones outside the window, is absolutely stunning. No words, just sounds of a pinball going off, no sounds. We learn so much of him in less than five minutes. What a loser he is and feels like, how much he has hit rock bottom.

Then, when he takes the case, he is now in full light, and doing more successful at the game. He is more alive, more in the moment than in the beginning. Then he lets out a victorious "YEAH!!!" when he wins the game. This and the polaroid scene shows us a new Frank Galvin.

Great movie. Paul Newman was a perfect choice as Galvin, David Mamet is a great writer and Sidney Lumet is truly one of the great artists of Cinema. We lost two Film giants in 2008 (Newman) and 2011 (Lumet).

[–] wordsatplaytoday 8 years ago

It's nice to see someone else also appreciate Lumet, Newman and this movie as much as I do.

Sidney Lumet is truly one of the great artists of Cinema.

He is and yet I find him so damn underrated.
He is up there with the greats of Scorsese, Spielberg, Coopla and all others.
However he doesn't get as much love and admiration as they do.
Which is a damn shame.

If you haven't already, you should listen to the commentary track that Lumet and Newman provide.
You find out that the whole movie was filmed in New York and not in Boston.
Amazing that they found places and streets that make you think they are in Boston.

Damn I'm good.

[–] wordsatplaytoday 8 years ago

During a re-watch after not viewing this movie for quite a while, I noticed what you picked up on with the timing and the pinball machine.
The very first time is during the opening credits as you pointed out in detail.
And then we see that he is not doing too good at all as a drunk hearse chaser.

The next time, a bit better but still loses and is frustrated on his way to see the patient in the coma he just found out he represents.
He is a bit more animated as the movie starts to take off at this point.

Then the final time we see him playing pinball, this time he wins and gets excited.
Before that, he just had sex, which he hadn't had in a long time, with a beautiful woman and now he is on his late way to see the judge and the defendant's attorney to confirm to them in his own words that he is going to turn down the offer and take the case to court.

So the pinball scenes went in three stages. From a shadow of nothing to getting active to full on winning excitement. It all changes along the same pace the life of Frank is changing.
However, we then see that not everything stays on a high note for Frank.
His witness, Dr. Gruber disappears, a nurse who was a witness refuses to cooperate, and then a bit later it's discovered that Laura is being a mole for the other side.
The pinball reflects him going up a hill from nothing to starting to be something. When things go downhill again, we don't need the pinball machine anymore because now the movie is fine without it. When the machine is done with the set up and pace, it is no longer needed.

Damn I'm good.