Dealt is a 2017 documentary film that examines the life and career of Richard Turner, one of the greatest card manipulators to have ever lived.
Blinded at a young age due to a bout of scarlet fever, Richard refused to let his disability slow him down and pursued many different hobbies and interests, many highly physical and dangerous, with a singular focus.
This film provides examples of the following:
- Blind Weaponmaster: Richard is a recognized and respected master of Wado-kai Karate.
- Card Sharp: Richard is a card mechanic, meaning he can manipulate decks to fix card games. But instead of cheating at cards, he uses the skills to work as an entertainer.
- Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Throughout his life, Richard's done everything he can to be treated almost the same as everyone else. He takes particular umbrage at how people use "blind" to make his card manipulating abilities seem more impressive when they're already at a level few can even dream of achieving.
- Foil: Richard's sister is heavily featured to show the contrasting approach the two siblings have towards their blindness. Whereas Richard refuses to use any aids so that people won't pity him, his sister embraces them because they allow her to be independent.
- Handicapped Badass: Despite being blind, Richard has pursued motorcycling, mountain climbing, circus performing, and karate and mastered all of them. Especially in karate, as he insisted on becoming a legitimate black belt by fighting ten fresh fighters and refusing to quit despite breaking his arm in the process.
- Heel Realization: Towards the end of the film, Richard comes to realize that he's been placing incredible strain on his wife due to his refusal to use the aids available to blind people. As the movie closes, he's seen beginning to use things like text readers and guide dogs so he won't have to rely on others so much.
- Hiding the Handicap: If he can avoid it, Richard won't tell anyone about his blindness and can hide is well enough that most people can't immediately tell.
- Insistent Terminology: Richard makes very clear that he is a card mechanic and not a card magiciannote .
- Irony: In his steadfast refusal to use tools and aids designed to help blind people, rather than asserting his independence, Richard became reliant on his wife and son's assistance and guidance.
- Kid Sidekick: Richard tried including his son Asa in his act when Asa was a child. However, Asa became resentful of having to learn and practice tricks and stopped.
- The Perfectionist: Richard is intent on excelling at everything he does. This means he obsessively practices card manipulation at all hours of the day (even when being intimate with his wife) and keeps himself in peak physical condition and aggressively trains in karate. It's not-so-subtly implied that this drive is his way of compensating for his blindness and refusal to let his disability be what defines him.
- Stage Magician: Richard uses his skills to make a living as a performer and archival footage shows that he often performed under the guise of a riverboat gambler, complete with outfit and gun.
- Super-Senses: Richard is able to track cards and reorder decks to exactly how he wants by touch alone.
