Buninyong Film Festival, 2006

MURDERBALL

Reviews, credits & stills    

 

Related Web site: http://murderballmovie.com/

Country of Origin: United States

Publisher/Distributor: Hopscotch

Director/Producer/Editor: Dana Adam Shapiro & Henry-Alex Rubin

Talent: Mark Zupan, Joe Soares, Keith Cavill, Andy Cohn, Scott Hogsett, Bob Lujano

Film Genre: Documentary

Duration: 85

Classification: M


An enlightening documentary about a sport which may well profit from the exposure it receives, Murderball charts the progress of the US and Canadian wheelchair rugby teams as they approach the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. This is not a sport for the squeamish or the brave adrenaline-fuelled extreme sports junkie. It's played by quadriplegics who have little or no lower body feeling who hurl themselves at each other at speeds which could be called breakneck if not for the fact that most of its participants have indeed suffered such an unfortunate accident.

As well as shedding light on a hitherto virtually unknown sport, Murderball provides a perfect example of the power of the mind over the human body. Most of the players were either injured in a freak accident, or suffered from childhood disease, yet they have all battled through the difficulties of coming to terms with life in a wheelchair and gone on to win Olympic medals.

The US and Canadian team are hugely competitive: largely thanks to the defection in 2002 of US star Joe Soares to coach the team from north of the border. Soares epitomizes the never-say-die attitude that made him his country's leading player: he's loud, aggressive, brash and extremely likely to harbour a personal grudge or two. His new Canadian charges take time to come to terms with his outlandish managerial style, while his old team regard him as little more than a traitor. As they meet in several warm-up games prior to the big event, no prisoners are taken in the battle to be Number One.

Not that the Americans are short of their own stars, most notably poster boy Mark Zupan who, according to his friends, was a difficult guy before the car accident that disabled him and remains a boisterous presence on the court. Cleverly the filmmakers also follow a recent young accident victim, who struggles to adjust to his new life, yet by the end of the film is saving up to buy his own reinforced chair.

This is a rare example of a film that treats disability in adult and grown-up terms, and never patronises the participants. In frank discussions we learn how many of the players were extremely fit and healthy before their life-changing experiences, their grievances at the way they are regarded by the general public, and the thorny question of girlfriends and the possibility of having a sex life (they are all eager to prove that everything is in working order in that department).

It's also a terrific sport, which deserves to be in the spotlight other than every fours years when it gets a showing during the Paralympics. Brutal yes, but also tactical and judging by the number of close games in the film, extremely exciting. Zupan has been snapped up by US sports companies keen to embrace his positive attitude. As for Soares, he may help GB take gold in China as he is now in talks to manage our national side.

Paul Hurley  http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/reviews/murderball.html


Other links:     

http://www.murderballmovie.com/filmmakers.html

http://www.ebertfest.com/seven/murderball.htm

 

 

To top

Return to 2006 Program

Return to Buninyong Film Festival home page