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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Considering that Sylvester Stallone's first film of any real distinction was Rocky, an Academy Award winner for best picture and an instant classic, it's a safe bet that he had free rein when it came to his next project. In F.I.S.T. (released in 1978), he chose a vehicle that matched him with a big-time director (Norman Jewison of In the Heat of the Night and The Thomas Crown Affair renown), a screenwriter on the verge of stardom (Joe Eszterhas, whose future would include Flashdance and Basic Instinct), and veteran actors like Rod Steiger, Peter Boyle, and Tony Lo Bianco. Yet while F.I.S.T. is filmmaking on a grand scale, it also has the underlying themes that made the Rocky Balboa saga such a hit, particularly the plight of the common man as he struggles to maintain his dignity in the face of daunting odds. Stallone portrays Johnny Kovak, a blue-collar worker in late 1930s Cleveland who joins the nascent Federation of Inter-State Truckers (the Teamsters, basically) and rises up through the ranks until, a couple of decades later, he becomes the union's head honcho. Along the way, his ambitions lead to an alliance with organized crime, and while Kovak is an essentially decent fellow, the compromises he's made eventually catch up to him in the form of an investigation by a grandstanding, blowhard U.S. Senator (Steiger) and big trouble with an oily mob boss (Lo Bianco). All of that takes quite a while to play out; at 145 minutes, the movie is too long, especially considering that Jewison and Eszterhas (Stallone co-wrote the script) take an approach that's no more nuanced and subtle than, well, a flying fist. It also seems somewhat dated; viewing it now, in an era when CGI and other effects wizardry would have greatly enhanced some of the bigger scenes (a truckers rally in Washington, confrontations between union members and strike-breaking thugs), one is reminded more of a '70s TV movie that the epic the filmmakers clearly intended to create. The DVD includes no extras. --Sam Graham
Product Description
Sylvester Stallone stars in this hard-hitting, boldly ambitious drama that powerfully reveals a significant slice of American history. As union leader Johnny Kovak, Stallone's performance confirmed his stature as one of Hollywood's hottest stars. Closely paralleling history, the film follows the rise and fall of Kovak, from his beginnings as an idealistic blue-collar worker to his final position as head of one of the country's most powerful unions: the Federation of Inter-State Truckers. But there are no unscarred heroes in this world. To achieve his dream of justice for the working man, Kovak must accept the muscle of organized crime. Ultimately, F.I.S.T. is a story of idealism corrupted and betrayed. Oscar® winner Rod Steiger (1967 Best Actor, In the Heat of the Night), Peter Boyle and Brian Dennehy are featured in the fine supporting cast. Directed by Norman Jewison, with Laszlo Kovac's darkly moody cinematography and a heroic score by Rocky composer Bill Conti, F.I.S.T. is "a particularly American kind of epic" (Vincent Canby, The New York Times).
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This movie from the late 70s, loosely based on the life of Jimmy Hoffa, about a labor leader, Frank Kovak, who makes a Faustian bargain with the mob for which he ultimately pays the price, was done before Stallone became locked into the ironjawed superhero mode. In the early scenes of the movie, he is still able to display the qualities of charm, humor and humanity that distinguished his performance in the orginal Rocky and, further back, in The Lords of Flatbush.
Moreover, the film is graced with strong supporting performances. In particular, I would single out Tony Lo Bianco's performance as the mob boss, Babe Milano, to whom Stallone turns when the survival of his trucker's union is on the line, for its chillingly effective qualities of understated and insinuating menace, especially from an actor who I have found to be prone to overacting.
The main criticism that one could make of this effort if one references it to the life of Hoffa is that Kovak is treated as genuinely heroic instead of the corrupted person that Hoffa in fact became, for although Kovak made a deal with the mob, more specifically, Babe Milano, it is made clear that he did so only because he thought it was necessary to insure the continued existence of his union when its striking members were being beaten up by company goons, not for his personal aggrandizement. Moreover, for what it is worth, I remember reading at the time of the film's release that Stallone insisted that the character be portrayed this way. In spite of this caveat, I find Fist to be both dramatically compelling and strongly acted.
Moreover, the film is graced with strong supporting performances. In particular, I would single out Tony Lo Bianco's performance as the mob boss, Babe Milano, to whom Stallone turns when the survival of his trucker's union is on the line, for its chillingly effective qualities of understated and insinuating menace, especially from an actor who I have found to be prone to overacting.
The main criticism that one could make of this effort if one references it to the life of Hoffa is that Kovak is treated as genuinely heroic instead of the corrupted person that Hoffa in fact became, for although Kovak made a deal with the mob, more specifically, Babe Milano, it is made clear that he did so only because he thought it was necessary to insure the continued existence of his union when its striking members were being beaten up by company goons, not for his personal aggrandizement. Moreover, for what it is worth, I remember reading at the time of the film's release that Stallone insisted that the character be portrayed this way. In spite of this caveat, I find Fist to be both dramatically compelling and strongly acted.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It's hard to believe I never watched this movie before recently. I had caught a few minutes of it here and there on TV over the years but, never bothered to watch it through. For the most part the story itself is compelling enough but, the characters seem one dimensional and after a good first half the characters, not the story make the film drag. It's a shame because the film's not bad but, it's pretty forgettable. Like the movie 'Hoffa' which this film is obviously emulating it has an unsatisfying ending, this one being way too abrupt! I had invested 2 1/2 hours in this mediocre film and it just ended badly! It's OK as I did enjoy the film but, I doubt I will ever watch it again.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Andy Thorson
Format:VHS Tape
First off, Sylvester Stallone is my favorite actor and secondly I believe this to be probably one of his best films (besides Rocky) and why it was not a hit is beyond me because it really is a great story and Stallone does a great job in the acting --- its 2 1/2 hours long but I throughly enjoyed every minute of it and can't wait til I can get my own copy and watch it again.
If you like Stallone this is a DEFINITE must.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Car Guy
I purchased this for a friend who once owned a vehicle like the one in F.I.S.T. He said it was "very good."
Published 6 days ago by Rhonda King
5.0 out of 5 stars
i love it (NO SPOILERS)
this was an absolutely great movie with an all star cast that people seem to have forgotten about it revolves around how a man rose to power and became the president of the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Evan Ternullo
3.0 out of 5 stars
FIST
I bought this for my husband. He said he wanted it. We watched it once. The disc works just fine.
Published 2 months ago by J. Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars
GREAT MOVIE
This was a great story and sly did great job in the character. A bit different from his usual roles but he succeeded very well.
Published 2 months ago by teddybear
5.0 out of 5 stars
FIST
An "oldie but goodie" movie. I enjoyed seeing this movie in the theater years ago and was delighted to find it available as a video.
Published 7 months ago by Arkomom
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hoffa based film - Stallone's second best work!!
When FIST came out in 1978, I had the opportunity to see it in the theaters. It was just two years after ROCKY and everyone knew the name Sylvester Stallone. Read more
Published on May 11, 2011 by Charles D. Blanchard
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent movie that never made it big!
This movie was recommended to me for some research I'm doing on the Teamsters Union and it was excellent. Read more
Published on April 8, 2011 by BIG creative
5.0 out of 5 stars
F.I.S.T
This tells how one union came into being (they were needed as most but not all big bussiness owners were a-holes who made money off other people's labors and payed lousy wages, and... Read more
Published on January 20, 2011 by Frank J. Sundstrom
3.0 out of 5 stars
Stallone's most ambitious film
What is it about some directors and stars that make them follow up their biggest hits with misleadingly titled movies that just set them up for audience disappointment? Read more
Published on December 18, 2010 by Trevor Willsmer
4.0 out of 5 stars
good quality
I got the DVD in a sqare cardboard box and the DVD was held well incased in a plastic slim casing with the picture and title in front. Read more
Published on September 18, 2010 by Rose
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