What is it about sport that makes it so translatable to film? It has a lot to do with the natural drama that comes from the competitive, unpredictable nature of sporting events. Some, of course, translate better than others; one-on-one sports, such as boxing and other physical combat sports have been the most popular and successful, with the factors of the minimal characters and a conflict between two, classically disparate, contrasting opponents creating effective and simple conflict. To celebrate the release of Fast Girls on Blu-ray & DVD from October 8th, I have created a list of my favourite sporting movies of all time. I have kept my list to theatrical films; if I had branched out to documentary then Hoop Dreams would have certainly made the top three. If you havent seen Steve James 1994 documentary that follows a group of African American youths attempts to make the NBA draft, then once you have read this article, go and watch it. The Big Lebowski also misses out, as while they are great men, sports men Walter and The Dude are not; and the film concentrates on bowling merely as a hobby the two men take a little too seriously. But I digress, on to the top 10.
10. Chariots of Fire
Re-released this summer to celebrate its 30th anniversary not to mention cash in on the Olympics Hugh Hudsons cinematically breath-taking re-telling of the controversial 1924 Olympics won four Oscars in 1982, including one for Vangelis immortal score. Based on truth, the film is as much about belief, faith and determination as it is the rivalry between the two protagonists Eric Liddell, a devout Christian, who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, a Jew who runs to overcome the anti-Semitism he encounters at his alma mater Cambridge or the 1924 Paris Olympics, in which they compete for Great Britain. Much like all great movies about sport, the outcome of the event is not the key focal point, but more the personal journey of the characters. For Liddell, it is the respect he receives for staying true to his convictions and refusing to race the 100m race that is rescheduled to take place on the Sabbath. For Abrahams, it is getting back on his feet after a heavy defeat in the 200 metre finals and returning to win gold in his less favoured 100 metres.