Ben Foster plays Harry Haft, a real-life boxer who fought fellow prisoners in the concentration camps to survive. This film splits time between the horrors of the Holocaust (in black and white) and his later life in the US (in saturated color), where he determines to fight Rocky Marciano in an attempt to get enough media attention to find the woman he lost in the camps. First, the focus must be on Foster’s portrayal. He’s in almost every scene and his physical transformations are impressive, but it’s the depth of his struggle that’s most noteworthy. Director Barry Levinson has crafted a film with some powerful moments, but the emotional effect doesn’t always live up to the subject’s potential. Even so, it’s an intriguing story told with competent skill. 
(3.5 / 5)
