Body and Soul
A gifted New York boxer rises through a corrupt fight world where money, loyalty, and conscience collide.
Overview
A young boxer's rise to fame is shadowed by the harsh realities of the sport and the choices he must make.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- gritty
- tense
- melancholic
- classic cinema night
- boxing movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film’s gritty performances, kinetic boxing sequences, noir-inflected direction, and forceful social commentary.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Charley’s rising boxing career and financial hunger draw him toward promoters who treat fighters and contests as commodities.
The fixed-fight economy and ruthless promoters make boxing a concentrated image of corruption throughout American society.
James Wong Howe’s mobile camera and the film’s celebrated fight sequences give the bouts an unusually immediate, documentary-like force.
Charley faces increasingly difficult choices as professional success becomes dependent on unethical arrangements.
Films like Body and Soul, and why
The Set-Up
shared boxing drama, working-class ambition, moral compromise, and socially conscious critique of exploitative institutions
Night and the City
shared film noir atmosphere, corruption, compromised ambition, and a protagonist trapped by a ruthless money-making system
The Harder They Fall
shared boxing-centered drama, masculine identity, class pressure, and emotionally grounded social realism
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Rossen
- Release Date
- 1947-11-11
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (121)
Cast
- John Garfield
- Lilli Palmer
- Hazel Brooks
- Anne Revere
- William Conrad
- Joseph Pevney
- Lloyd Gough
- Canada Lee
- Larry Anzalone
- Al Bain
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Body and Soul about?
- A gifted New York boxer rises through a corrupt fight world where money, loyalty, and conscience collide.
- What is Body and Soul like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Body and Soul as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Body and Soul violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Body and Soul as moderate.
- What did critics think of Body and Soul?
- Critics broadly praise the film’s gritty performances, kinetic boxing sequences, noir-inflected direction, and forceful social commentary.
- Which films are like Body and Soul?
- Films with a similar feel include The Set-Up, Night and the City, and The Harder They Fall.
- How long is Body and Soul?
- Body and Soul runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch Body and Soul?
- In United States, Body and Soul is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video.
