The Pawnbroker (1965) [unrated; my rating: R]

This was the first American movie to deal with the Holocaust from a survivor's point of view. Rod Steiger, in the role of his life, portrays Sol Nazerman, a German-Jewish university professor, who was taken to a concentration camp during WWII, where his family was killed in front of him. Now he is a pawnbroker in Harlem.

Having lost faith in humans, Sol has shut down. No emotion is allowed to be felt, relationships are shunned. Yet, there are some around him who want to connect with him, including his apprentice, Jesus (Jaime Sanchez). It will take a tragedy for Sol to become human again.

Throughout the movie we see Sol's flashbacks to the concentration camp. They are juxtaposed with the things going on around him in the ghetto. This is perhaps not too subtle, but certainly effective.

I was just 12 years old when I saw this movie for the first time. It made a huge impact on me and I have never forgotten it. This movie was also the turning point in my feelings about the Academy Awards. When Lee Marvin won Best Actor for Cat Ballou, rather than Steiger for this movie, I never trusted or enjoyed the Oscars again. Rod Steiger was CHEATED!! I know, he can be a terrible overacter, no one can chew scenery like Steiger, but his performance in this movie is perfect. He will break your heart.

The Pawnbroker was among the first American movies to feature nudity during the Production Code and was the first film featuring bare breasts to receive Production Code approval, which made it very controversial. However, the movie was so brilliant and meaningful that although condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency, the National Council of Churches gave the film an award for best picture of the year. I still remember my mother going "Whoops!" and suddenly putting her hand over my eyes. I was annoyed, not because I couldn't see the breasts, but because she had disturbed my concentration on the movie.

This is not an easy movie to watch, but it is important. Unlike Europe, Hollywood doesn't make many movies about the impact of WWII and the Holocaust on individuals. Our WWII movies tend to be about the war and battle. But war is not a concept, it is a real life event that affects individuals. This is the sad and tragic story of one of these people. 


DIRECTOR: Sidney Lumet.  CAST: Rod Steiger, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Brock Peters, Jaime Sanchez, Thelma Oliver, Juano Hernandez, Raymond St. Jacques.

AWARDS:  Nominated for Oscar. Another 7 wins and 5 nominations.