Watched a great documentary today titled Bigger, Stronger, Faster*. Not exactly about running, but a great movie about sports. The movie is made by Christopher Bell who is a middle class guy from the Midwest who grew up with his older and younger brother idolizing the stars of the 80's: Rambo, Ah-nuld, Hogan, and all the WWF (now the WWE) wrestlers. The three brothers grew up wrestling in the basement and all went on to some degree of success in high school athletics.
As the brothers moved on into collegiate sports, they found that despite their work ethic and and natural ability, they were having a tough time keeping up and turned to anabolic steroids to succeed. Bell takes the film on an incredible journey to examine history of steroids, their use in pro athletics, the unbelievable disappointment of learning that his childhood heroes were all on the juice at some point, and much more. He interviews an astonishing array of activists, athletes, experts, government officials, and his friends and family. The interviews and discussions occur everywhere from the halls of Congress to his family's dinnertable. (ed note: this is the running connection when he interviews both Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis of the 1988 Seoul Olympics 100m sprint scandal)
What I particularly like about this film is that while some documentary filmmakers who come at controversial subjects with a clear position and desire to change people's minds, this film approaches an INCREDIBLY controversial subject and does an excellent job of just pointing out potential and actual conflicts of interest and paradoxes about how we think about "drugs" in America.
-Why is it okay to take performance enhancing drugs if you are a fighter pilot (speed) or a musician (beta blockers)?
-Why is there no severe criminal crackdown on using legal drugs in inappropriate ways (adderal for students without learning disorders)?
-Who gets to decide when something is a disorder or not (growth hormone deficiency and ADHD)?
-Why can anyone make supplements and sell them without regulation? (There is a great scene where he hires illegal immigrants to come to his house and assemble pills of his "proprietary blend" costing about $1-2 per bottle of product worth over $60.)
-Why is it so easy to get steroids legally if you claim the right problem? (He gets a chiropractor to prescribe steroids and HGH for him)
-If tobacco and alcohol kill hundreds of thousands of Americans annually and steroids kill 3, (FDA Data, source not found on Google) why are steroids demonized for being deadly drugs?
-Why is it legal to dope your blood by training at altitude or sleeping in an altitude chamber, but using Epo is illegal? (Floyd Landis and the 06 Tour de France)
The overarching struggle in the film is the desire that Americans have to always be #1, at all costs, and without cheating (even when it should be pretty obvious to us all). But when athletes are caught using certain performance enhancing drugs, they are shunned, shamed, and stripped of titles. There is this willing ignorance that Americans collectively engage in for the sake of winning and being entertained by feats of athleticism. For example, the clip from the Simpsons that he uses of Mark McGwire. Lisa asks him if he uses steroids and his response is "Do you want the truth, or do you wanna watch me hit a few more dingers?" To which, the entire city of Springfield chants "Dingers, Dingers!"
What he is particularly effective at in the film is confronting people in sports, the supplement industry, activists, his brothers, and his friends asking them hard questions without coming across as confrontational. His approach is hard hitting, but conversational. While a couple of people are brought to tears by the questions, mostly when he presents difficult rhetorical questions, people defend their use of drugs and enhancements as acceptable, but any other kind is bad. The self-justification bias is incredible.
The films credits roll over Disturbed's cover of "Land of Confusion" which I thought was an excellent statement of where the issue is, overlayed with the heavy beats of a rock/metal band.
Other notes:
There is a great interview with Chris Bell at MesoRx. If you have never seen "Pumping Iron" with Ah-nuld, it is a classic, but very interesting to ponder not only looking back through time, but after thinking about the issues that Bell covers in BSF.
Showing posts with label movie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movie. Show all posts
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Saturday, November 14, 2009
REVIEW: Ultramarathon Man
The premise is: 50 marathons, 50 states, 50 days. UMMan, Dean Karnazes got set up by North Face and a few other sponsors to do the series of races. 8 were "live events" and nearly all the rest were run on official courses "recreated" for him and anyone who wants to run with him. Trail runs, road races, temps over 100 degrees F, nearly solo, and with dozens of people.
I have to say that the intro has got me off to a good start. It appears to be well edited/produced with some energetic music and words of adulation from his fans. The transition into the story begins with Dean in front of the camera running and (re)introducing us to his story, which is pretty awesome if you've never heard it.
A runner in his youth, he loses the passion for the sport but is reborn on his 30th birthday running from a bar with his friends to 30 miles away from his house. His mom, dad, wife, son and daughter are his planners and a vital part of his crew, now, as they have been through his years of running. He recalls the tragedy of his sister's death. With this event he frames his running and this 50/50/50 as part of his goal to inspire people to run and to address the unbelievable burden of obesity and inactivity in America.
I had heard about this event back when it happened, but I did not realize until this movie that a big part of the event was him inviting people to come and run with him where they would all run together and cross the finish hand-in-hand.
Though I should have thought of it, I wasn't expecting the beautiful scenery that comes with anyone traveling through all 50 states. The landscapes are amazing, but so is the score, cinematography, directing, and editing. Frequently I don't notice a lot of that in movies and the common wisdom is that when those jobs are done well, you won't notice them. In this film, however, I did notice, and in a wonderful way. I felt transported to these beautiful places, smelled the hot asphalt in Arizona, and shivered at the cold wind and rain of Kansas.
Extras on the DVD include a "Making of" Featurette, race stats, some fan features, and commentary tracks. Another neat feature of the DVD "Simulstat" posts info about time, pace, calories, etc. after each race, interjected through the film (although I found it a little intrusive)
I did have some reservations when Dean jumps out early on to tell us (viewers) how introverted he is (and his Myers-Briggs) and how he is doing this for the sake of others. Usually, I want to make those determinations for myself, but I have to say that my reservations were quickly assuaged. By the countless interviews with people who ran with him, by the way that whenever someone crosses the finish line of one of the races, he drops whatever he is doing, interviewing, eating, anything so he can go hug and congratulate the finisher. His foundation. The kids that come out to run with him.
The stories are amazing: people running their first marathons, people running PR's, the Japanese man who runs with him in Hawaii. I was taking notes while watching and honestly lost track. To list all the incredible people, even in tiny blurbs would go on for pages. So this movie is both about Dean and his incredible stamina and endurance, but also about the countless people who he has inspired and who run with him.
I've never met Dean. But, if he is only a fraction of the man portrayed in this movie, his impact on rejuvenating the sport and encouraging people off the couch is exceptional. One of the other runners captured his effect on people the best by saying, "Dean's crazy, and I want to be part of that."
Bottom line: I was captivated. I could not stop watching, and I loved it. Thanks Dean, for the inspiration.
I have to say that the intro has got me off to a good start. It appears to be well edited/produced with some energetic music and words of adulation from his fans. The transition into the story begins with Dean in front of the camera running and (re)introducing us to his story, which is pretty awesome if you've never heard it.
A runner in his youth, he loses the passion for the sport but is reborn on his 30th birthday running from a bar with his friends to 30 miles away from his house. His mom, dad, wife, son and daughter are his planners and a vital part of his crew, now, as they have been through his years of running. He recalls the tragedy of his sister's death. With this event he frames his running and this 50/50/50 as part of his goal to inspire people to run and to address the unbelievable burden of obesity and inactivity in America.
I had heard about this event back when it happened, but I did not realize until this movie that a big part of the event was him inviting people to come and run with him where they would all run together and cross the finish hand-in-hand.
Though I should have thought of it, I wasn't expecting the beautiful scenery that comes with anyone traveling through all 50 states. The landscapes are amazing, but so is the score, cinematography, directing, and editing. Frequently I don't notice a lot of that in movies and the common wisdom is that when those jobs are done well, you won't notice them. In this film, however, I did notice, and in a wonderful way. I felt transported to these beautiful places, smelled the hot asphalt in Arizona, and shivered at the cold wind and rain of Kansas.
Extras on the DVD include a "Making of" Featurette, race stats, some fan features, and commentary tracks. Another neat feature of the DVD "Simulstat" posts info about time, pace, calories, etc. after each race, interjected through the film (although I found it a little intrusive)
I did have some reservations when Dean jumps out early on to tell us (viewers) how introverted he is (and his Myers-Briggs) and how he is doing this for the sake of others. Usually, I want to make those determinations for myself, but I have to say that my reservations were quickly assuaged. By the countless interviews with people who ran with him, by the way that whenever someone crosses the finish line of one of the races, he drops whatever he is doing, interviewing, eating, anything so he can go hug and congratulate the finisher. His foundation. The kids that come out to run with him.
The stories are amazing: people running their first marathons, people running PR's, the Japanese man who runs with him in Hawaii. I was taking notes while watching and honestly lost track. To list all the incredible people, even in tiny blurbs would go on for pages. So this movie is both about Dean and his incredible stamina and endurance, but also about the countless people who he has inspired and who run with him.
I've never met Dean. But, if he is only a fraction of the man portrayed in this movie, his impact on rejuvenating the sport and encouraging people off the couch is exceptional. One of the other runners captured his effect on people the best by saying, "Dean's crazy, and I want to be part of that."
Bottom line: I was captivated. I could not stop watching, and I loved it. Thanks Dean, for the inspiration.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
REVIEW: Running on the Sun
Got myself another Netflix movie on running, and this week it is the 2000 documentary, Running on the Sun. This 90-ish minute film introduces viewers to the Badwater Ultramarathon, and specifically the racers from the 1999 running. If you have never heard of Badwater, it is easily one of (perhaps the #1) hardest ultra on Earth. 135 miles from Badwater, the lowest elevation in the Western hemisphere, halfway up Mount Whitney, an elevation of about 8000 feet.
As with many other running movies, especially the documentaries about actual races, the final results are fairly predictable. I was not sure about the final outcomes beforehand (which are obviously online for anyone who wants spoilers) but it was not hard to guess how things would turn out.
Content was fine, but I did not enjoy the music, animations, or production of the film very much. I have no idea what the budget was, for all I know, this could have been a promotional film, but it felt to me like a pretty low-budget and limited quality production.
It is certainly not for the squeamish, with up-close and personal shots of the tragic toll this race takes on people's feet, and a few blisters being popped and drained. There is a little bit of foul language as some of the racers get extra cranky from lack of soup.
The racers/characters are diverse as any other film about running, which always strikes me as quite interesting. A shop owner, a delivery guy from NYC, a driver for Lloyd's of London, a couple of amputees, a Marine, and so on. They all respond to the trials and struggles of the race in their own ways, and that part of the film is it's highlight, in my opinion.
Overall, an interesting flick, especially if you want a peek into the odd world of ultras. I am sticking with Spirit of the Marathon as the top running docu this far, but should have another review next week.
As with many other running movies, especially the documentaries about actual races, the final results are fairly predictable. I was not sure about the final outcomes beforehand (which are obviously online for anyone who wants spoilers) but it was not hard to guess how things would turn out.
Content was fine, but I did not enjoy the music, animations, or production of the film very much. I have no idea what the budget was, for all I know, this could have been a promotional film, but it felt to me like a pretty low-budget and limited quality production.
It is certainly not for the squeamish, with up-close and personal shots of the tragic toll this race takes on people's feet, and a few blisters being popped and drained. There is a little bit of foul language as some of the racers get extra cranky from lack of soup.
The racers/characters are diverse as any other film about running, which always strikes me as quite interesting. A shop owner, a delivery guy from NYC, a driver for Lloyd's of London, a couple of amputees, a Marine, and so on. They all respond to the trials and struggles of the race in their own ways, and that part of the film is it's highlight, in my opinion.
Overall, an interesting flick, especially if you want a peek into the odd world of ultras. I am sticking with Spirit of the Marathon as the top running docu this far, but should have another review next week.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
REVIEW: Running Brave
Back in 1983, the story of Billy Mills was told in the film "Running Brave". As a member of the Sioux nation Mills was an incredibly talented runner in high school. The film begins at a high school meet and tells how Mills went on to run for Kansas, winning numerous college titles only to face incredible frustrations, struggles with his family, and competing demands of the "White" world, in addition to racism.
While I do not personally know Mills, or much about his philosophy and beliefs, I think that the filmmakers were trying to capture the spirit that Mills felt when running free on the plains of the Midwest as opposed to the harsh competitiveness of the college circuit. They did communicate that it is clearly difficult to reconcile the values and desires of the Caucasian world with those of the Native American.
Mills was never a consistently "winning" runner in that he did win a gold medal in the 10K and was successful in college, but winning races does not seem to have been his life goal. Instead, helping other, like his family and Nation is much more what his life seems to be about, as evidenced by his current passion, supporting Indian youth.
I may begin to sound like a broken record here, but for many of the stories of these running legends I am learning about, I have found Steve Runner's Phedip shows more enlightening and enjoyable. So, for more about Mills, check out Phedip Episode 125, "Running Legend Billy Mills". In fact, I am downloading it again now to give it another listen.
While I do not personally know Mills, or much about his philosophy and beliefs, I think that the filmmakers were trying to capture the spirit that Mills felt when running free on the plains of the Midwest as opposed to the harsh competitiveness of the college circuit. They did communicate that it is clearly difficult to reconcile the values and desires of the Caucasian world with those of the Native American.
Mills was never a consistently "winning" runner in that he did win a gold medal in the 10K and was successful in college, but winning races does not seem to have been his life goal. Instead, helping other, like his family and Nation is much more what his life seems to be about, as evidenced by his current passion, supporting Indian youth.
I may begin to sound like a broken record here, but for many of the stories of these running legends I am learning about, I have found Steve Runner's Phedip shows more enlightening and enjoyable. So, for more about Mills, check out Phedip Episode 125, "Running Legend Billy Mills". In fact, I am downloading it again now to give it another listen.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
REVIEW: Saint Ralph
An underdog story, an uplifting tale, coming of age, rebellion, teenage love, dreams in miracles and impossibilities, archtypal overbearing naysayers and doubters, last minute self-doubt when the chips are down only to have everything come together perfectly. All the elements are here. I've read some of the critical reviews of the film and I think I agree with the two that are quoted in the Wikipedia entry for the movie.
Stephen Holden (NY Times) said, "This crude, inspirational tear-jerker is as sweet as a bowl of instant oatmeal smothered in molasses."
and...
Sean Axmaker of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer thought the "conventionally heartwarming underdog drama doesn't miss a cliche."
I could warn you about spoilers, but if you can't predict the vast majority of the script, then you haven't seen many movies.
It has inspirational moments, and it has been pointed out that Campbell Scott in his role as the priest with doubts his faith (but believes in Ralph) does shine in his role, one of the few I found believable. I enjoyed the use of "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen and performed by Gord Downie at the beginning of the film's climax. Jennifer Tilly as a Canadian nurse? Didn't work for me. I could imagine that for someone who is a strong Catholic, the imagery and Saintly references may have made it a more compelling film.
In sum, I don't want to be too hard on the film because I am looking for good films about running and this is more of a coming of age film that happens to incorporate running. In that genre, it did reasonably well. I have not watched many fictional films about running and I am not sure how many I have in my queue (I do need to go back and watch "Run, Fat Boy, Run" again) but I doubt this is one I'll feel the need to watch again.
Stephen Holden (NY Times) said, "This crude, inspirational tear-jerker is as sweet as a bowl of instant oatmeal smothered in molasses."
and...
Sean Axmaker of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer thought the "conventionally heartwarming underdog drama doesn't miss a cliche."
I could warn you about spoilers, but if you can't predict the vast majority of the script, then you haven't seen many movies.
It has inspirational moments, and it has been pointed out that Campbell Scott in his role as the priest with doubts his faith (but believes in Ralph) does shine in his role, one of the few I found believable. I enjoyed the use of "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen and performed by Gord Downie at the beginning of the film's climax. Jennifer Tilly as a Canadian nurse? Didn't work for me. I could imagine that for someone who is a strong Catholic, the imagery and Saintly references may have made it a more compelling film.
In sum, I don't want to be too hard on the film because I am looking for good films about running and this is more of a coming of age film that happens to incorporate running. In that genre, it did reasonably well. I have not watched many fictional films about running and I am not sure how many I have in my queue (I do need to go back and watch "Run, Fat Boy, Run" again) but I doubt this is one I'll feel the need to watch again.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
REVIEW: Run For Your Life
My first introduction to Fred Lebow was Phedip episode #115
where Steve does a great job encapsulating Fred's accomplishment in his "short, but long enough" lifetime. This week, Netflix shipped "Run For Your Life" to me, the film by Judd Erlich.
His story is how an immigrant from Transylvania, Romania escaped the Nazis and the Russians to grow up in NY, make a decent, hard-partying living taking "high fashion" garments and recreating them for people to afford. He is described by another runner as "running like a duck, but slower". While he was never a fast runner, he obviously had a great talent for promotion, and long before sports/event promotion existed, he pioneered the concept and became the father of the NYC marathon.
The archival documents, newspapers, pictures, video clips, and interviews create an wonderful picture of how Lebow et al created all sorts of buzz and dreamed impractically big to create a sport and an industry that previously was seen as a mild form of insanity. From Shorter vs. Rodgers, to NYC in hopeless debt, to the bicentennial, to paying off gangs with clothes, it is a great story.
The movie makes mention of how, unlike some other running leaders and promoters, he was more than happy to have women participate. For example, in addition to all sorts of bizarre stunt runs like the Internationl run from the UN, the New Year's Eve Run, the Halloween run, a backwards race, the 5th Avenue mile, and the Empire State Building runup, he also created the first woman's only race, the 6 mile Crazyleg minimarathon.
It then moves into how, as running became more popular, people began to take advantage of it (a la the runner-who-shall-not-be-named that cheated her way into the Boston marathon) and both genuine and manufactured rivalry with the Chicago Marathon.
The story and movie's touching conclusion is the incredible story of how, after being diagnosed and treated for CNS lymphoma, Fred ran his own race in 1992, arm in arm with Grete Waitz, 9-time NYC winner whose career Fred helped create. At some point in the film, Lebow mentions that when he learned how many people in America run, Lebow said his response was to wonder why the remainder were not yet runners.
Thanks, Fred.
With regard to the cinematography and editing, I really enjoyed how the filmmakers used some creative imagery to make static pictures come alive, to transparently stack newspaper headlines on top of one another and even hybridize archival video with newspapers.
Erlich does a great job as a documentarian to show how Lebow meant so many things to so many people, and could be abrasive at times. There is a great clip where he is being interviewed by Tom Brokaw and Fred is goading him because Brokaw's wife completed the marathon and Brokaw did not. So, while some considered him a running messiah, or a champion of the American dream, others found him obnoxious, self-centered and described him as a dictator, but the film lets you come to your own decision.
EXTRAS: Don't neglect the extras on the disc, of which there are many. "Fred's Last Wish" is a short interview with his nephew, Moshe, who ran the 1994 race (two weeks after Fred passed away) in Fred's honor.
BOTTOM LINE: I really enjoyed the film and extras. At this point, I would put it right up there with "Spirit of the Marathon" as a top nonfiction running film.
Links:
Run For Your Life, film site
Fred's team, run in support of cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering
ING NYC Marathon
where Steve does a great job encapsulating Fred's accomplishment in his "short, but long enough" lifetime. This week, Netflix shipped "Run For Your Life" to me, the film by Judd Erlich.
His story is how an immigrant from Transylvania, Romania escaped the Nazis and the Russians to grow up in NY, make a decent, hard-partying living taking "high fashion" garments and recreating them for people to afford. He is described by another runner as "running like a duck, but slower". While he was never a fast runner, he obviously had a great talent for promotion, and long before sports/event promotion existed, he pioneered the concept and became the father of the NYC marathon.
The archival documents, newspapers, pictures, video clips, and interviews create an wonderful picture of how Lebow et al created all sorts of buzz and dreamed impractically big to create a sport and an industry that previously was seen as a mild form of insanity. From Shorter vs. Rodgers, to NYC in hopeless debt, to the bicentennial, to paying off gangs with clothes, it is a great story.
The movie makes mention of how, unlike some other running leaders and promoters, he was more than happy to have women participate. For example, in addition to all sorts of bizarre stunt runs like the Internationl run from the UN, the New Year's Eve Run, the Halloween run, a backwards race, the 5th Avenue mile, and the Empire State Building runup, he also created the first woman's only race, the 6 mile Crazyleg minimarathon.
It then moves into how, as running became more popular, people began to take advantage of it (a la the runner-who-shall-not-be-named that cheated her way into the Boston marathon) and both genuine and manufactured rivalry with the Chicago Marathon.
The story and movie's touching conclusion is the incredible story of how, after being diagnosed and treated for CNS lymphoma, Fred ran his own race in 1992, arm in arm with Grete Waitz, 9-time NYC winner whose career Fred helped create. At some point in the film, Lebow mentions that when he learned how many people in America run, Lebow said his response was to wonder why the remainder were not yet runners.
Thanks, Fred.
With regard to the cinematography and editing, I really enjoyed how the filmmakers used some creative imagery to make static pictures come alive, to transparently stack newspaper headlines on top of one another and even hybridize archival video with newspapers.
Erlich does a great job as a documentarian to show how Lebow meant so many things to so many people, and could be abrasive at times. There is a great clip where he is being interviewed by Tom Brokaw and Fred is goading him because Brokaw's wife completed the marathon and Brokaw did not. So, while some considered him a running messiah, or a champion of the American dream, others found him obnoxious, self-centered and described him as a dictator, but the film lets you come to your own decision.
EXTRAS: Don't neglect the extras on the disc, of which there are many. "Fred's Last Wish" is a short interview with his nephew, Moshe, who ran the 1994 race (two weeks after Fred passed away) in Fred's honor.
BOTTOM LINE: I really enjoyed the film and extras. At this point, I would put it right up there with "Spirit of the Marathon" as a top nonfiction running film.
Links:
Run For Your Life, film site
Fred's team, run in support of cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering
ING NYC Marathon
Sunday, July 19, 2009
REVIEW: Nova's Marathon Challenge
This week's running movie from Netflix is Marathon Challenge. It is a one hour film originally created and broadcast on PBS as part of the series, Nova. This documentary follows a series of basically never runners, smokers, diabetics, and even an NFL star through an extended training plan over several months to train for and run the Boston Marathon.
This film holds a lot in common "Spirit of the Marathon" that I reviewed earlier. I felt like the hour long runtime did not let the filmmakers explore the trials and tribulations as much as Spirit did. Challenge did an interesting job of exposing the watchers to concepts such as fast vs slow twitch fibers and measuring VO2 max as a marker of cardiorespiratory fitness. During the video, they did not share absolute numbers for these, but visiting the PBS website it was pretty amazing to see just how much some of the competitors improved, one woman may have doubled her VO2 max. They talk about how running alone did not make much impact on weight, but I do not think the competitors were dieting.
Illustrations were interesting, although I thought one of the best was the topographic map of the Boston course which helped put the downhill start and the severity of "Heartbreak Hill" into perspective.
It is a well produced, succinct portrayal of runners and the commitment and hardship of training for 26.2. If you are looking for something a bit more inspirational though, I would recommend "Spirit"
This film holds a lot in common "Spirit of the Marathon" that I reviewed earlier. I felt like the hour long runtime did not let the filmmakers explore the trials and tribulations as much as Spirit did. Challenge did an interesting job of exposing the watchers to concepts such as fast vs slow twitch fibers and measuring VO2 max as a marker of cardiorespiratory fitness. During the video, they did not share absolute numbers for these, but visiting the PBS website it was pretty amazing to see just how much some of the competitors improved, one woman may have doubled her VO2 max. They talk about how running alone did not make much impact on weight, but I do not think the competitors were dieting.
Illustrations were interesting, although I thought one of the best was the topographic map of the Boston course which helped put the downhill start and the severity of "Heartbreak Hill" into perspective.
It is a well produced, succinct portrayal of runners and the commitment and hardship of training for 26.2. If you are looking for something a bit more inspirational though, I would recommend "Spirit"
Saturday, June 20, 2009
REVIEW: Four Minutes
I recently found a "Top 10" List from another Netflix user/runner who suggested enough movies for me to keep doing these movie reviews every week for months. The latest film on the list is 4 Minutes.
This 2005 film stars Jamie MacLachlan as Sir Roger Bannister and Christopher Plummer as Archie Mason. It begins as Bannister enrolls at Exeter College with the intention to study Medicine and his father expressing his opinion of the mile as the perfect race.
As a made for TV movie, it does suffer from some expected drawbacks. It is relatively short at about 90 minutes and not suprisingly feels rushed at times as the screenwriters attempt to compress his entire athletic career into an hour and a half. MacLachlan as Bannister was enjoyable, stiff at times, but a relatively accurate depiction according to some other reviews I have read.
The love interests in the film are somewhat contrived, but I will say that one scene that I particularly enjoyed is when Bannister and his future wife Moyra Jacobson, played by Amy Rutherford, are on a treadmill of his own design and he teaches her to walk on it. Without spoiling it, the scene speaks to me of the simple pleasure both of running and of and being with someone whom he loves.
The interaction that Bannister has with his medical mentor I had a particular connection with because I can see many of my professional experiences reflected in it, including the asides that are made about how much time he spends "running in circles". Bannister rejects many of the common wisdoms of training and coaching to make scientific study of his own body and its performance. In doing so, he embodies a sense of personal accomplishment and achievement that I feel when I run, since I typically do so (physically) alone. Granted, I have the support of and connection with other runners through podcasts, blogs, and websites, but in the end, like Bannister, I spend a lot of time running by myself.
It made me chuckle to see the depiction of Bannister's treadmill as a torture device, and through its use he comes to describe himself as both Dr. Frankenstein as well as "his own monster".
Others have also noted the historical inaccuracies (or artistic licenses) in the film such as exaggerations of the weather on May 5, the fictional coach character, and meeting his wife years too early. I found these unobtrusive to the story and did not detract from the film.
Extras on the DVD include an interview with Dr. Bannister and Chris Chataway. The interviews include three wonderful observations. The first, from Bannister is of his earliest memory of running, and how the joy of being able to run fast was all he could remember. The second, from Chataway, is how Bannister's career, pressure from peers, the media, and his countrymen had built him up to win gold at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Had fate taken him that route, and he HAD won, that he would have likely retired from running, returned to Medicine, and we would not likely know his name from that of the winners in 1948 or 1956. He further notes that it is awfully hard to know what events in life are good luck and which are bad. Third, Chataway depicts Bannister as the last of an era of amateurs. This based on the fact that Bannister's life ambition and self-described greatest accomplishment was to be a superb physician, and happened to, as a part-time athlete, establish a legacy as one of the greatest runners of his time.
Bottom Line: This is a compelling dramatization of a man's incredible achievement in sport as an self-driven amateur (if you're looking for a documentary, go rent a documentary). So far, it is my favorite "based on real events" movie about running and I'd imagine that the next time I toe the line, I will certainly remind myself to
"knock the bastard off."
This 2005 film stars Jamie MacLachlan as Sir Roger Bannister and Christopher Plummer as Archie Mason. It begins as Bannister enrolls at Exeter College with the intention to study Medicine and his father expressing his opinion of the mile as the perfect race.
As a made for TV movie, it does suffer from some expected drawbacks. It is relatively short at about 90 minutes and not suprisingly feels rushed at times as the screenwriters attempt to compress his entire athletic career into an hour and a half. MacLachlan as Bannister was enjoyable, stiff at times, but a relatively accurate depiction according to some other reviews I have read.
The love interests in the film are somewhat contrived, but I will say that one scene that I particularly enjoyed is when Bannister and his future wife Moyra Jacobson, played by Amy Rutherford, are on a treadmill of his own design and he teaches her to walk on it. Without spoiling it, the scene speaks to me of the simple pleasure both of running and of and being with someone whom he loves.
The interaction that Bannister has with his medical mentor I had a particular connection with because I can see many of my professional experiences reflected in it, including the asides that are made about how much time he spends "running in circles". Bannister rejects many of the common wisdoms of training and coaching to make scientific study of his own body and its performance. In doing so, he embodies a sense of personal accomplishment and achievement that I feel when I run, since I typically do so (physically) alone. Granted, I have the support of and connection with other runners through podcasts, blogs, and websites, but in the end, like Bannister, I spend a lot of time running by myself.
It made me chuckle to see the depiction of Bannister's treadmill as a torture device, and through its use he comes to describe himself as both Dr. Frankenstein as well as "his own monster".
Others have also noted the historical inaccuracies (or artistic licenses) in the film such as exaggerations of the weather on May 5, the fictional coach character, and meeting his wife years too early. I found these unobtrusive to the story and did not detract from the film.
Extras on the DVD include an interview with Dr. Bannister and Chris Chataway. The interviews include three wonderful observations. The first, from Bannister is of his earliest memory of running, and how the joy of being able to run fast was all he could remember. The second, from Chataway, is how Bannister's career, pressure from peers, the media, and his countrymen had built him up to win gold at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Had fate taken him that route, and he HAD won, that he would have likely retired from running, returned to Medicine, and we would not likely know his name from that of the winners in 1948 or 1956. He further notes that it is awfully hard to know what events in life are good luck and which are bad. Third, Chataway depicts Bannister as the last of an era of amateurs. This based on the fact that Bannister's life ambition and self-described greatest accomplishment was to be a superb physician, and happened to, as a part-time athlete, establish a legacy as one of the greatest runners of his time.
Bottom Line: This is a compelling dramatization of a man's incredible achievement in sport as an self-driven amateur (if you're looking for a documentary, go rent a documentary). So far, it is my favorite "based on real events" movie about running and I'd imagine that the next time I toe the line, I will certainly remind myself to
"knock the bastard off."
Friday, May 8, 2009
REVIEW: Chariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire (Title derived from the hymn "Jerusalem" and from 2 Kings 2:11) is a 1981 British film telling the tale of the 1924 British Olympic team, their humble beginnings, and their success at the 8th Olympiad in Paris. Primary to the story are Eric Liddell (The Flying Scotsman) and Harold Abrahams, the former a Christian and the latter a Jew. It is through these religious conditions that most of the films themes are developed.
Abrahams, from the outset, is depicted as being constantly reminded of his faith and both overtly and covertly discriminated against as a result. Similarly, Liddell is chastised and pressured to ignore his beliefs so the the crown of Britain might shine more brightly. Specifically he refuses to run on the Sabbath at the games in Paris.
Being that I am not much of a learned historian, nor do I want to spoil the story here for those that have not seen the film, I will offer my thoughts and be on my merry way for four miles on the road this morning.
Bottom line is, this is a movie where the main characters are runners, but the movie is about religion. That doesn't make it a bad movie, it is enjoyable. I do not think it has much replay value for me personally, but I can see why it has critical acclaim. The competitive sequences (ie: races) are not very compelling or grand, but that's okay too. The title sequence, with the very-well-known-running-on-the-beach-in-slow-motion-theme-music is beautiful and moving. (FYI: it was filmed on the beaches of St. Andrews) Regarding the religious themes, I did find the exploration of Liddell's devotion and Abraham's discrimination interesting. Hard to think of any NFL players today that would refuse to play on the Sabbath.
I am still looking for inspiring movies about running, so if you have any suggestions, send them my way.
Abrahams, from the outset, is depicted as being constantly reminded of his faith and both overtly and covertly discriminated against as a result. Similarly, Liddell is chastised and pressured to ignore his beliefs so the the crown of Britain might shine more brightly. Specifically he refuses to run on the Sabbath at the games in Paris.
Being that I am not much of a learned historian, nor do I want to spoil the story here for those that have not seen the film, I will offer my thoughts and be on my merry way for four miles on the road this morning.
Bottom line is, this is a movie where the main characters are runners, but the movie is about religion. That doesn't make it a bad movie, it is enjoyable. I do not think it has much replay value for me personally, but I can see why it has critical acclaim. The competitive sequences (ie: races) are not very compelling or grand, but that's okay too. The title sequence, with the very-well-known-running-on-the-beach-in-slow-motion-theme-music is beautiful and moving. (FYI: it was filmed on the beaches of St. Andrews) Regarding the religious themes, I did find the exploration of Liddell's devotion and Abraham's discrimination interesting. Hard to think of any NFL players today that would refuse to play on the Sabbath.
I am still looking for inspiring movies about running, so if you have any suggestions, send them my way.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
REVIEW: Prefontaine
I am continuing to keep my Netflix account hard at work during my vacation and got "Prefontaine" sent to me yesterday. The movie is a biopic of the phenomenonal runner Steve Prefontaine. For brief historical background, he was born in Coos Bay, OR, showed some promise in high school cross country, but then exploded on the running scene when he began running distance track and field events, like the mile. He attended U of Oregon and was coached by the legendary Bill Bowerman (coach of numerous top runners and co-founder of Nike). He set record after record, went to the Munich olympics in 1972 and narrowly lost a medal in the 5K Meters. He was tragically taken from his family and the running world in a car accident before he could return to compete in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.
Now, The movie covers all this material and, to the best of my knowledge, is historically accurate. There were moments that I appreciated and I thought were well directed and acted, such as how the athletes were affected by the tragic hostage crisis that marred the Munich olympics. I was less sold on the presentation of some of the other historical events, such as how Pre and other amateur athletes dealt with the AAU in trying to compete and maintain their "amateur" status. I can appreciate that this was a big point of contention at the time (indeed it still is when you look at some of the teams that the US sponsors, like basketball). But somehow, the athletes came across as petty, and the AAU as Sith lords and it seemed all too black and white, when I'd imagine there were and are a lot of nuanced arguments to the question of amateur status and the Olympics.
Another element I did not really like is how the director kept cutting back to the key participants (Bowerman, Pre's girlfriends, etc.) as if this was a documentary, but these were actors, and it was clearly a "based on true events" kind of movie. Overall, I found the approach to Pre's history a little hamhanded. I enjoyed it, but would certainly not keep it in a stable of "movies to watch before a run to get me pumped up".
Next in the queue is probably Chariots of Fire, which I have somehow managed to miss seeing, but that's what vacation is for, right?
Training note: Went for 4 miles this AM. Not very fast, but I used albuterol this time and my breathing was much easier. The heat kept me slow today (it's only May, but it is Florida).
Now, The movie covers all this material and, to the best of my knowledge, is historically accurate. There were moments that I appreciated and I thought were well directed and acted, such as how the athletes were affected by the tragic hostage crisis that marred the Munich olympics. I was less sold on the presentation of some of the other historical events, such as how Pre and other amateur athletes dealt with the AAU in trying to compete and maintain their "amateur" status. I can appreciate that this was a big point of contention at the time (indeed it still is when you look at some of the teams that the US sponsors, like basketball). But somehow, the athletes came across as petty, and the AAU as Sith lords and it seemed all too black and white, when I'd imagine there were and are a lot of nuanced arguments to the question of amateur status and the Olympics.
Another element I did not really like is how the director kept cutting back to the key participants (Bowerman, Pre's girlfriends, etc.) as if this was a documentary, but these were actors, and it was clearly a "based on true events" kind of movie. Overall, I found the approach to Pre's history a little hamhanded. I enjoyed it, but would certainly not keep it in a stable of "movies to watch before a run to get me pumped up".
Next in the queue is probably Chariots of Fire, which I have somehow managed to miss seeing, but that's what vacation is for, right?
Training note: Went for 4 miles this AM. Not very fast, but I used albuterol this time and my breathing was much easier. The heat kept me slow today (it's only May, but it is Florida).
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
REVIEW: The Spirit of the Marathon
On vacation now, I am trying to get the most out of my Netflix subscription as well as get through all those movies that "I'd like to watch someday when I have the time". Well, while I am waiting for the next set of discs to arrive, the "Instant Watch" is a great alternative. Yesterday, I found a movie I had not heard of before titled "The Spirit of the Marathon". Filmed in 2005, this documentary follows several entrants in the '05 Chicago Marathon.
The first thing I was taken aback by, is the incredible number of famous runners who have cameos or significant roles in the film. For example, Deena Kastor is one of the featured runners and she grants us a look into her home and training. We see her go through a period of rest and recovery as an aqua-jogger, the struggle of being such an accomplished runner without ever having won a major marathon, and the incredible race she ran in Chicago that year. But other running stars include Salazar, Rodgers, Shorter, Radcliffe, Beardsley, and more.
Daniel Njenga is another elite marathoner in the film. Originally from Kenya, the filmmakers show his journey from Africa, through Japan, and on the elite training circuit so he can support his family living with the strife and conflict rampant on that continent.
After getting past being star-struck though, I realized that this is also a great movie for anyone interested in running and completing a marathon. The creators develop storylines around the semi-pro, whose goal is a BQ [1], the first timers who are looking for success in something outside of their daily rat-races, and the sweepers [2] who run almost completely for the fun of it (but do allow for some dreaming of the own personal excellence).
The movie does a pretty good job of illustrating the scope of a major metro marathon with expansive flyover shots and a ground level flythrough of the course. There are images towards the end of people getting tired and stopping for stretch/walk breaks. While I recognize the fatigue they are feeling, I am not sure it would come across to the person who has not run 26.2. The history of Phedippides, the first marathon, why it is 26 miles and 385 yards, and more is also covered with a ton of great historical footage and photos.
The film is really enjoyable and I am seriously considering buying a copy to have on hand for inspiration when it comes times for my next 26.2
The movie website is: http://www.marathonmovie.com
[1] Boston Qualifying time, an arbitrary time based on age and gender set by the Boston Athletic Association to limit the field of runners to many many thousands, and as this movie points out, helped fuel the mystique of it being one of, if not THE, premier, marathon.
[2] Also known as back-of-the-pack-and-proud-of-it runners, people with a pace near the lower limit of the allowable time to complete the race. Amusing that the movie also mentions a guy who suggests that by running fast, you are not getting your money's worth and the slow runners get every last penny of value for their entrance fee.
UPDATE 7/26/09: Was browsing Hulu and found "Spirit" streaming free, check it out!
The first thing I was taken aback by, is the incredible number of famous runners who have cameos or significant roles in the film. For example, Deena Kastor is one of the featured runners and she grants us a look into her home and training. We see her go through a period of rest and recovery as an aqua-jogger, the struggle of being such an accomplished runner without ever having won a major marathon, and the incredible race she ran in Chicago that year. But other running stars include Salazar, Rodgers, Shorter, Radcliffe, Beardsley, and more.
Daniel Njenga is another elite marathoner in the film. Originally from Kenya, the filmmakers show his journey from Africa, through Japan, and on the elite training circuit so he can support his family living with the strife and conflict rampant on that continent.
After getting past being star-struck though, I realized that this is also a great movie for anyone interested in running and completing a marathon. The creators develop storylines around the semi-pro, whose goal is a BQ [1], the first timers who are looking for success in something outside of their daily rat-races, and the sweepers [2] who run almost completely for the fun of it (but do allow for some dreaming of the own personal excellence).
The movie does a pretty good job of illustrating the scope of a major metro marathon with expansive flyover shots and a ground level flythrough of the course. There are images towards the end of people getting tired and stopping for stretch/walk breaks. While I recognize the fatigue they are feeling, I am not sure it would come across to the person who has not run 26.2. The history of Phedippides, the first marathon, why it is 26 miles and 385 yards, and more is also covered with a ton of great historical footage and photos.
The film is really enjoyable and I am seriously considering buying a copy to have on hand for inspiration when it comes times for my next 26.2
The movie website is: http://www.marathonmovie.com
[1] Boston Qualifying time, an arbitrary time based on age and gender set by the Boston Athletic Association to limit the field of runners to many many thousands, and as this movie points out, helped fuel the mystique of it being one of, if not THE, premier, marathon.
[2] Also known as back-of-the-pack-and-proud-of-it runners, people with a pace near the lower limit of the allowable time to complete the race. Amusing that the movie also mentions a guy who suggests that by running fast, you are not getting your money's worth and the slow runners get every last penny of value for their entrance fee.
UPDATE 7/26/09: Was browsing Hulu and found "Spirit" streaming free, check it out!
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