Hellman's sad and rollicking portrait of stubborn male pride stars Warren Oates in one of his iconic world weary performances as a man who has staked his dignity, reputation and power of speech on regaining the title of champion cockfighter. Working with a wonderful script by cult author Charles Willerford, who adapted his own eponymous novel and appears in a spirited minor role, and lustrous cinematography by Nestor Almederos, Hellman offers a richly authentic vision of the South and of cockfighting subculture that compares to the far West world of street racing captured so memorably in Two-Lane Blacktop. – HG