Ving Rhames's part manchild, part monster, part something else in Undisputed (2002).
Undisputed is one of those films that strangely, somehow, go unnoticed. 'Underrated' would be too simple an explanation. Given its fictionalizing of a contemporary (but not too new) issue—the Mike Tyson scandal(s)—as well as its ingenious mixing of genres in a prison-boxing movie, one has to wonder why Walter Hill's last film to date didn't make more of an impact at the box office. Action-star Wesley Snipes's slow descent into the direct-to-DVD realm was imminent, and Ving Rhames was nothing more than a fun, recognizable face from movies such as Pulp Fiction, Mission: Impossible, and Con Air, but the potential still remained. Many critics at the time hammered the film for being too "macho" or even more drastically that there was "no one to root for." But, coming through in the clutch (as always), Roger Ebert had this to say: "Some critics...complain that there is no hero… That is more of a strength than a weakness, depriving us of an obvious favorite and creating a fight which it is plausible to expect either boxer could win." In other words, this is not a movie about heroes and villains, but people, and this is mostly thanks to Ving Rhames's stalwart performance as George 'the Iceman' Chambers.
From the moment we see him, Ving Rhames's George 'the Iceman' Chambers is strangely, instantly likeable. Maybe it is his big, teddy bear stature, or all the lights, cameras, and action surrounding him and his profession, but either way, we are drawn to him, making him a flawed—but definite—protagonist. As he says to the prison's general administrative officer, Darlene Early (Amy Aquino), "People love a guy who can fight, money, pussy, kiss your ass, put you on TV, put your picture in papers, magazines, anything I want, because people love a guy who can fight, and don't take shit." These sincere, sympathetic turns help offset the fact that the Iceman has gone to prison for seemingly raping a young woman while partying in L.A., and I say seemingly because, despite the woman's almost impenetrable sincerity (seen through periodic clips of a TV interview), we still feel that there’s a chance Iceman didn't do it, even though he probably did.
His part-manchild, part-monster expands into something more when we see him predictably threatening the Warden's staff on how he's "not just some convict doing five to ten" in an also-predictably self-boasting speech. But, sneaking in at the end is the unnerving feeling that his childish threats are perfectly legit, and that he knows they're legit, and that they will ensue if and when the time comes. The Warden (Denis Arndt) claims to Early, "He's just another goddamn thug," to which Early replies, "Yeah, one who happens to be a world champion and a potential public-relations nightmare."
But his explanations and speeches cannot accurately pass for the real thing; his behavior around the prison (in this case, the 'real world') is what shows the Iceman's true colors. He moves about the yard, the cafeteria, and of course the showers as a fear-mongering beast set on showing everyone who's "the Champ." Even acts of kindness are reprimanded—when a prison gang sends a male prostitute as a gesture toward "cooperation and understanding," he seeks out their leader only to attack him and his compatriots. This policy of fear is most notably manifested in his dealings with the in-house Champ, Monroe Hutchen (Wesley Snipes), a pensive, simple-man foil to the larger-than-life Iceman. Monroe is no saint either—a murderer, even if a sympathetic one, and a maximum security prisoner just the same, but he is clearly the physical underdog of the two, and maybe the psychological as well. As Monroe tells Early, "You know, this whole thing, this whole thing is about people being scared."Iceman is stern with his cellmate, Mingo (Wes Studi), but does not enact the same hostility upon him, and the two eventually find a mutual respect for one other, subtly presented in a scene where they share work duties in the kitchen. This, again, arouses a certain sympathetic side to the character, or at least a more realistic, relatable one. That quality, which Rhames creates through his impeccably-balanced, finely-tuned performance, is what fosters the suspense that Roger Ebert mentions of the destined final showdown, which, in the wrong hands, could've been easily predictable. In other words, the fight's occurrence is predictable, but the fight itself is anything but.
The end fight is the accumulation of a masterfully-crafted film with an equally masterful performance by Ving Rhames; one could not persist without the other. Wesley Snipes and the supporting cast (especially Michael Rooker) are perfect, and all the elements, even the borderline-corny rap, gel as one. I obviously hold this film in high regard, maybe a little too high, but the point is clear: Ving Rhames gives a career performance here, in a genre where one would not expect such an achievement to be possible. That, above all, is why I'm starting these Great Action Performances features, and to effectively prove my point, I start with one of the best: Ving Rhames as George 'the Iceman' Chambers in Undisputed.
"This, this is a thing of beauty, a great thing of beauty. Two guys fighting to the finish but just one guy wins because he's the better man and that's what the Goddamn sport's about."
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