The Pawnbroker

Sol Nazerman (Rod Steiger), a survivor of the Nazi death camps which took the lives of his wife and children is a man bereft of hope, instead taking refuge in misery and a bitter condemnation of humanity, while managing a Harlem pawnshop where he's subjected to an endless parade of prostitutes, pimps and thieves. Seemingly only caring about money, he is continually haunted by vivid flashbacks of the concentration camp.Oscar-nominated for his performance, Steiger firmly established his credentials as an actor of international standing, wonderfully supported here by Geraldine Fitzgerald (Wuthering Heights) and Brock Peters (To Kill a Mockingbird). The film also boasts a score from then first-time film composer Quincy Jones.ExtrasPresented in High Definition and Standard DefinitionNewly recorded audio commentary by Maura Spiegel, author of Sidney Lumet: A Life and Annette Insdorf, author of Indelible Shadows: Film and HolocaustGuardian Interview: Rod Steiger (1992, 113 mins, audio only): Rod Steiger discusses his career and talks candidly about his mental health issues in this interview with film critic Tom Hutchinson. Recorded at the BFI's National Film Theatre following a screening of The PawnbrokerNow and Then: Quincy Jones (1968, 21 mins): the legendary producer, musician, songwriter and composer is interviewed by Bernard Braden for his never broadcast series Now and ThenTen Bob in Winter (1963, 12 mins): Lloyd Reckord's Ten Bob in Winter is one of the most notable shorts to come out of the BFI Experimental Film Fund. An early classic of Black British cinema about the intriguing social dynamics that arise as a ten shilling note is passed around the Black community.Original theatrical trailerStills gallery**FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet including new writing on the film by filmmaker and film historian Jim Hemphill, an essay on Quincy Jones by Nicolas Pillai, and a Sidney Lumet biography by Maura Spiegel