Pforte zur Hölle

Ivan Passer struggled to establish himself after his emigration for quite a long time - after all, the film industry in which he professionally grew up could not be further from the American studio system. Born to Win is a small film that could be compared to contemporary American independent filmmaking, and its Central European roots, especially the Czech New Wave, are definitely evident in it. However extensively the issue of addiction is explored in American cinema, this film represents an interesting perspective with its tragicomic features. The main character is an exemplary weakling and a loser in every respect but successfully hides the misery of his situation with a daily dose of lies and self-deception. Unlike typical American productions, which partly moralize and partly aim for dramatic catharsis, here the director focuses on a series of small comical and tragic incidents of the junkie's everyday life, showing his aimless wandering. Nevertheless, the scene in the elevator, where the doors repeatedly and automatically collide with the lifeless human body, is one of the most chilling ones to emerge in this genre. The casting is good - Robert De Niro was not yet a star at that time and here he only has a supporting role as one of the detectives. Overall impression: 75%. (09.08.2010)