Cinderella Man Film Analysis

The Bulldog of Bergen

Cinderella Man, a film made in 2005 starting Russell Crowe and directed by Ron Howard, conveys an important life lesson, an incredibly accurate representation of the outstanding comeback of one man, all while being a story others are able to relate with. It is clear to see that Crowe put a lot of emotion and time into creating this story for viewers, which makes the movie easy to compare with the book My Antonia written by Willa Cather. The movie, based on a boxer named James J. Braddock’s real life story, was tremendously well put together and highly emotional. The film begins in the Roaring Twenties with Braddock winning a match at Madison Square Garden. James and his family are seen in a big fancy house, with jewelry galore and happiness
oozing out the windows.
Soon after, the film goes from bright to dark as the setting moved into the first few years of the Great Depression. The Braddock’s have lost their home, their elegant clothing, and the luxury of warmth and a surplus of food. Jimmy, as his wife refers to James as, now finds work down at the docks every now and again, but is unable to afford keeping his family together. After loosing a good friend in an accident in Hooverville, and his children move in with the in-laws, Jimmy goes to his old boss and coworkers to ask for money. He goes on welfare provided by the state of New Jersey, brings his kids home, and fights for a better life with new determination. After his friend Joe Gould visits Jim in his apartment, Jim sees himself in fights once more. A year out of training and with only a day to prepare, James wins a big fight, and puts his name back in the papers. The Bulldog of Bergen fights all the way to the end to become the heavyweight champion of 1935, beating out a well-known boxer by the name of Max Baer. Braddock holds the heavyweight title until 1937, after which he retires from boxing and
provides for his family. The movie itself has been reported as ninety-three percent accurate to James J. Braddock’s real life story, and wildly popular in many homes across America. The acting was phenomenal, the story moved swiftly, and the emotion kept you tied. The actors truly captured the thoughts and values each of their characters and demonstrated them beautifully. For example, it was very easy to hate Max Baer, but now it is hard not to hate the actor who played him, Craig Bierko. The director Ron Howard also exemplified great direction. Clearly Howard challenged his actors and his crew throughout the process. One can tell this because of the emotion the viewer is able to feel and experience not only at the end of the movie, but throughout. The film can be related to Willa Cather’s My Antonia through the success of each main character. Both Braddock and Antonia went through rough times. Braddock lost his job; his home, and even at one point, his family. Antonia moved to the United States and ended up losing at one time a fiancé, money saved up, many friendships, and her father most literally. Both had traveled through rough times as well. James experienced the Great Depression within the city and Antonia found herself moving from home to home on the countryside. Yet somehow, each character ended up well in the end. James Braddock won the heavyweight title and Antonia had many children, married a man who loved her deeply, and was able to have a tight knit friendship in the end.