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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...