Murderball

In a previous blog 'Dream, Believe, Achieve' I mentioned a 2005 film called Murderball.  I used the tag line from the film as the basis for my blog about my recent experiences of going to NHNN and my attempts to stand.

 

In the blog I copied in the Amazon review of the film but said that I would tell you more about it once I had watched the film.

 



 

So last night, having had the film sat on the side for about 8 months I finally watched it.  And it was well worth the wait.

 

The film tells the story of two Wheelchair Rugby teams, USA and Canada, and the rivalry that builds up between the two leading up to and including the Athens Paralympics in 2004.  Up until this time the sport had been called Murderball, hence the films title, but as one of the USA players says that name just wasn't marketable to big corporate sponsors.

 

On the one hand its a film about two fiercely competitive sports teams, whose rivalry increases because of the perceived betrayal by one of the coaches, in defecting to the other team. 

 

On the other its a film about disabled men, overcoming their disabilities to compete in a highly physical sport.

 

You can take the film as either one of those things, and it will still be a good watch.  But actually its much more than that.  These are young men who have suffered severe disability, either because of childhood illness or because of an accident, that has left them paralysed and wheelchair bound.  They use their sport to gain back some control over their lives.

 

The film isn't sentimental or mushy.  It doesn't hide any of the uncomfortable circumstances of these guys illnesses or injuries.  As you'd expect from a world of hard competitive sport, its full of big characters, some you'll like, some you won't.

 

It explores some of the difficult issues to do with disability.  You have young men discussing how as quadriplegic's they had to overcome their disabilities in various ways to lead their lives.  They discuss the relief involved in finding out they could still have active sex lives, and how they had to adapt their thinking towards sex and relationships.

 

You see in one scene a young guy going home after 10 months in rehab, and looking at his home, which has been adapted by his family to suit his needs, and sitting there saying it all sucked.  Not because he didn't appreciate what had been done, but simply because it then started to hit home, that this was his life from here on.  (Sound familiar, anyone).

 

Later on you see the same guy meeting one of the USA team, and talking about the sport of Wheelchair Rugby.  He gets into the players chair and tries it out.  And suddenly the guy sees he can do this, this is great fun, wow my life isn't over.

 

And that really sums up the film.  The sport of Murderball is only a background to the picture.  The real story is about how these guys use their sport to re-build there lives and to overcome their disabilities.  Its very open, very honest.

 

Its not mushy or sentimental, but it will make you cry.  Both at what these guys have been through, but also in how they have come through the other side, and what they are now able to achieve.

 

It's a good film, well worth seeing, and whether you watch it as a documentary about sport or disability, or both. I'd recommend it.