Starring: Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, Peter Guinness, Sam Strike, Hadley Robinson
Distributor: Amazon MGM Studios
Runtime: 124 mins. Reviewed in Jan 2024
Reviewer: Fr Peter Malone msc
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A 1930s-set story centered on the University of Washington’s rowing team, from their Depression-era beginnings to winning gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
An enjoyable film, based on real characters and events. It’s a sports film, one of training, competitiveness, achievement and the better aspects of the human spirit. And, behind the camera is George Clooney, who has directed many successful films. Clooney has star power and is much involved with human rights issues.
The film is set in 1936, Washington state, University of Seattle. But, the US is still suffering the consequences of the Depression with its lack of job opportunities, makeshift townships, hunger, low self-esteem. . . In this context, we are introduced to a young man, Joe Rantz (British actor Turner), whose mother has died, whose father abandoned him when he was 14. Rantz is trying to manage to get casual work, living in a makeshift Depression town, but also trying to study engineering at the university. A friend mentions to him that the coach of the university rowing team is looking for oarsmen. Joe feels there could be some financial advantage and goes to audition, to participate in the extraordinarily rigorous training and exercise, and eventually be chosen as one of the team eight.
While there is some personal story for Joe, a sad encounter with his father, friendship with a fellow student, Joyce (Robinson), he becomes more and more committed to the training, his role in the eight, and the build-up to a competitive race.
The rowing coach is played by Joel Edgerton, now something of a senior citizen in his roles, stern, plainspoken, rarely smiling, a former rower, but skilled in techniques, in the demands on his men, evaluating their positions in the boat, the screenplay explaining for viewers the role of each man, but, especially the role of the cox, his overview, his ability to engage the progress of competing boats, and, in this case, a cheeky interpretation of regulations and encouragement of the rowers.
A significant character is George (British actor Peter Guinness), the boatbuilder who becomes a father-figure and guiding hand in Joe’s character development and sports skill.
We know that the Washington team is going to succeed locally, then in the American final, and be selected for the competition at the Berlin Olympics. There are complications when the rowing establishment tells Washington that there is not enough money to send the team to Berlin. What follows is a week of appeals and donations, with some touching scenes.
We might say that the film is formulaic as a sports film with final achievement. But, with Clooney’s sensibility and the talent in front of and behind the camera, why not? And, it is definitely a feel-good film.
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