 The <unk> is fundamentally a story of what it means to be a human being , <unk> within the context of winning and losing . Describing the film , Robert <unk> said : " My protagonist , Fast Eddie , wants to become a great pool player , but the film is really about the obstacles he encounters in attempting to fulfill himself as a human being . He <unk> self @-@ awareness only after a terrible personal tragedy which he has caused — and then he wins his pool game . " Roger <unk> <unk> with this assessment , citing The <unk> as " one of the few American movies in which the hero wins by surrendering , by accepting reality instead of his dreams . " 
