The Set-Up (1949)

Directed by Robert Wise
My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Bros)

Superb boxing drama set in real time. Robert Ryan is over-the-hill at 35, but still believes he is "one punch away" from a shot at the title. His wife can't stand to see him get beat up every night and contemplates leaving him. Unknown to him, his manager has taken money for him to take a dive against a younger and overwhelmingly favored opponent. The four rounds are shown in their entirety and in real time. The real fight comes afterwards, though. Robert Ryan's best performance and a classic of both noir and boxing.