A film blog for students of my classes at Santa Clara University. Use this blog to discuss the films we are studying, classic films, current releases or production issues you encounter while making your own films.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Murderball documentary post
What are the various stories in this film and how do they relate to the overall theme and message? Did you like this approach?
This film follows the stories of some of the individual children of a Ugandan tribe who attend Polongo School in Northern Uganda. The school is training to compete in the National Dance Competition, which hosts many schools from the country as they compete for a variety of dance competitions. What makes the Polongo School individuals' stories so unique is that they are in the middle of the militarized zone of Uganda. This is where the rebels come and take young children away from their families to train them to become rebel soldiers. It is heartbreaking in that the individual children who star in the film have all experienced some sort of setback from this conflict, but it is inspiring to see how they are able to band together to win one of the dance competitions, particularly the one that they have been training the most for. These stories connect to the theme and message of the film, which is that sometimes life can hit you and beat you down, but you will never be beaten unless you succumb to it. These children endured hardships that many of us could never imagine. One of the young children, I believe it was Rose, went to the army headquarters to ask the rebel leader if her brother was still alive. When we see the other young girl fall on the floor of her father's grave, asking him to come back, you can't help but cry. It is heartwrenching to see these children have to endure these hardships. But seeing how much passion and energy they put into this dance competition turns it into a feel-good film by the end. To defy the odds and show their country that they could win against immeasurable odds is amazing and really liked that they chose this approach to tell the film.
The overall message of the movie is that being in a wheelchair does not control your ability to achieve things. If you put your mind to it, you can do anything including playing aggressive rugby. The stories told throughout the film are of the individual players and how they became handicapped as well as the Canadian coach's betrayal of the American team. There are a lot of side stories and side messages such as loyalty to one's country and feeling guilt/responsibility for causing a car accident. They are all woven together through the sport murderball, which is very different and an interesting approach. It reminded me of what War Dance did with the music competition.
The film had many different story lines. The stories and lives of Zupan (player), Joe (coach/former player), and Keith were intricately weaved together to give the viewer a deeper look into both Quad Rugby/Murderball and the lives of people suffering from quadriplegia. I think this film is about courage and resiliency. The quadriplegic athletes in this film are just as honorable and dedicated as any other athlete (if not more)-- and have overcome some of the most challenging adversities. They have the courage to move forward with their lives and be a part of something that they are passionate about-- a highly aggressive sport. I liked the approach of weaving together different people to create this overall message, and it opened my eyes to something I didn't know about.
This film was very interesting. I didn't really like this film. It was about athletes who play wheelchair rugby. It is interesting to see how they got to become in a wheelchair. These athletes are dedicated to the sports and work so hard to become the greatest team. The USA team is one of the best teams for wheelchair racing and is so competitive to be a part of.
This film follows multiple stories; that of the rugby teams, the players, and the coaches. I think the approach in weaving together these stories was a little bit rough at first. It starts with the teams competing in a really fast-paced, almost disorienting onslaught of scenes-- it really almost lost me, to be honest. The feel is very raw and the footage of them actually competing is, in my opinion, uninteresting because it moved so fast I really had no idea what was happening. I think the film became interesting when each individual talked about their story, how they were injured, and their journey to recovery. I'm really not sure what the theme was supposed to be, but I think it was examining what it truly means to be handicapped. One of the guys in the film discusses how when an injury as serious as paralysis occurs, your mind becomes more of an enemy than your physical condition. So, I think this film was trying to propose that the real handicap happens when you give up. I don't know...I found this film interesting, but at the same time I don't think it was very focused. I think it would've been better if they had just focused on the players's stories rather than focusing so much time on the rugby just because in my opinion, their road to recovery and the history of what got them into rugby is far more fascinating. I also think in introducing their main characters, the focus was lost as well. For instance, we meet one guy's girlfriend who starts talking about working in a morgue...or when the coach's wife talks about how their son has won awards for grades and being nice to other kids... Aspects like these, I found interesting but not necessarily relevant to the story. Overall, the film kept my attention and I thought there were good stories that could be pulled out of it.
There are many different interweaving story lines in "Murderball" that relate to the greater theme that finding purpose and meaning despite overwhelming obstacles can bring new life and happiness into one's life. We see this with every sub-story in Murderball. We hear the sad stories of how each member of the US quadrapalegic team became disabled, but each was able to find new life in quad rugby, and the purpose it gave them to be part of that team. In Mark Zupan's story, he at first wouldn't talk to his best friend Chris Igoe because Chris ran into Mark while drunk, breaking his upper spine. Yet instead of giving up hope for a good life, Mark becomes the leading member of the US quad rugby team, gets a girlfriend, and is able to forgive Chris in the end. With Joe Soares' story, his obsession with quad rugby gives him new life while allowing him to realize the importance of family and camaraderie. In Keith's story, we see how his motorcross accident literally destroyed his life as he knew it, sinking him into depression in his new life. Yet we see a glimmer of hope when he learns about quad rugby from Mark Zupan's presentation at his hospital, and at the end of the film is saving up to buy a rugby wheelchair. With each of these narratives we see that each individidual finds new meaning with quad rugby. While quad rugby specifically is the solution for the subjects in this film, the underlying message is more universal: find what gives you meaning despite how difficult things are and you will live a happier life.
I think the themes for “Murderball” are redemption, forgiveness, perseverance, and optimism. This documentary gave us a first hand look of the USA quadriplegic rugby team and their personal lives. We see the story of great companionship and team bonding with the players. I feel that it shows how important being on this team has impacted each individual by giving them the strength and confidence they needed to realize that they can do anything they set their minds to; a wheel chair is not an obstacle. Family is also a big story here especially in the case of Joe who holds the highest title of championships in the world. He seems to struggle with his temper and it affected his USA team( he coaches rival Canada) and now his family. He is extremely strict on his son and has no real connection except that of a tyrant. It was only until he suffered a heart attack did he realize how precious life and family is. He came back with a totally new Joe much more loving and caring. We are also told the story of Zupan and him being thrown off a truck and eventually forgiving his best friend for putting him in the wheelchair; and after many years the two finally got to healing their emotional wounds. We saw stories of many players and their families going through (motorcycle accidents, deadly disease, polio ects) but in the end it was about fighting and pushing forward to get independence and happiness.
The various stories in this film are of the lives of the two paraplegic teams: Canada and the United States. Filmmaker Henry Alex Rubin and journalist Dana Adam Shapiro interviewed members of each team and asked them how they got paralyzed and how it affected their lives. The story also involved the rivalry between America and Canada, having one of the best American paraplegic team members become the Canadian coach. The overall theme and message is that people who are paralyzed can still live a normal life, just like the lives of people are not paralyzed. The theme is portrayed through the aggressive sport of paraplegic rugby. The theme was demonstrated this way because it is an aggressive sport and it shows people who are apart of it can do aggressive activities as well. There is also a segment where the paraplegic athletes discuss their sex lives and how it compares to an average persons sex life and exemplifies that they lead a normal life. I enjoyed this approach very much because the wide variety of participants emphasized that all of thee people are no different than us. Having several interviews of similar stories made this film more credible. I now have gained a higher respect for paraplegic individuals because of this film.
Murderball focuses on the rivalry between the American and Canadian men's quadriplegic rugby teams, as well as the personal stories of the players and coaches. A major part of the rivalry comes from the fact that former U.S. player Joe Soares "betrayed" the team after he was cut by moving on to coach the Canadian team. His story revolves around how he commits himself so strongly to his team and to winning, that he alienates his wife and young son in the process. It isn't until Joe experiences a heart attack that he takes a new perspective on life and isn't so angry anymore; he even attends his son's viola recital. Mark Zupan is the captain of the U.S. team, and his personal story was the most affecting, at least for me. The fact that it was his friend's fault for causing the accident that led to his paralyzation, and how his friend walked away unscathed, was hard to watch and hear play out. However, Zupan didn't let this affect his drive or motivation to succeed, which I think is a big message in the film. Even with severe spinal injuries that changed their lives forever, the players on these teams persevere and find new meaning and a new family playing a game that they love: murderball. I liked the approach the filmmakers took to tell us those personal stories on the teams' way to Athens, however at times the plot stumbled in my mind. For example, the part where the sex lives of quadriplegics was discussed felt random and unnecessary. I also felt like the actual rugby footage was poorly shot and thus made it hard to follow. With that said, I still think Murderball is a powerful and effective film.
Overall, I liked the approach the filmmakers took in "Murderball." There are a lot of things happening in the film and tracing multiple story lines is crucial. I think that the theme of this doc is acceptance and perseverance.
The film follows serveral all US players as they tell their stories about how they were injured and how they worked to move beyond their injuries. The film also follows Joe Soars, the coach of the Canadian Team who ultimately acts as the antagonist. He is a "traitor" to the US Murderball team. The Canadian Team competes fiercely with the US Team, beating the US in the Paralympics. However, it matters less who wins. The sport works to create a community and path to getting beyond terrible injuries. The sport is a way for players to move on and find new purpose in life. The film features someone who was recently injured, and Murderball is a way that he can start healing faster.
The multiple storylines enrich the story but it is confusing as the doc jumps from one to the other. It is chronologically ordered as the story follows the competition timeline. There are some good transitions between the storylines; but it does not happen every time.
Like many international competitive sports the United States and Canada have a very big rivalry in wheelchair rugby and this is one of the main focuses of the film Murderball, as well as individual profiles of the men competing and coaching. This film is very very emotionally taxing on the viewer, holy shit. The story of Zupan's accident, to Joe's heart attack during the film is just so sad it draws you in as a viewer and makes you not want to stop watching. When we go to Zupan's ten year high school reunion that is when we experience all that happened in his accident and how tough of a situation he is in. The fact that one of his best friends is the cause of his paraplegic state is hard in itself, but to see how hard it is on his friend brings it home on how much it affected everyone. The story of Joe being cut from the United States team and being salty about making him move up to Canada to coach against his country is an interesting story, but for him to have a heart attack because of all of the stress he has put on himself shows how much of himself he gives to this sport that has been a major part of his life. The final scenes of Athens was very emotionally touching as well when the United States players are with their families after their game with Canada that they lost. I did like this approach of leading up to them competing in Athens and watching the Paraplegic Olympics play out in Athens.
This film encompasses the whole idea that one is not defined by their disability, and in this case, their wheelchairs. This film centers around the US and Canadian paraplegic rugby teams. One of the main stories is about Joe Soares and his 'betrayal' to the US and leaving to go coach the Canadian team. The intense rivalry between the two teams seems to be spawned from this coaching decision. This film shows a little of struggle and the players have all gone through gut wrenching experiences that really capture the audience. Mark's story was very touching, basically form the fact that his friend is the reason he is now paralyzed. His story was really inspiring and the fact that he was able to forgive Chris was really big. I can't even imagine going though what he did, and I know it would have taken me a VERY long time to forgive Chris and really gain new hope for his new life. Just like War Dance, the way this film was filmed and the way the story was told really captured the hearts of the audience and it really makes you appreciate your life more.
12 comments:
This film follows the stories of some of the individual children of a Ugandan tribe who attend Polongo School in Northern Uganda. The school is training to compete in the National Dance Competition, which hosts many schools from the country as they compete for a variety of dance competitions. What makes the Polongo School individuals' stories so unique is that they are in the middle of the militarized zone of Uganda. This is where the rebels come and take young children away from their families to train them to become rebel soldiers. It is heartbreaking in that the individual children who star in the film have all experienced some sort of setback from this conflict, but it is inspiring to see how they are able to band together to win one of the dance competitions, particularly the one that they have been training the most for. These stories connect to the theme and message of the film, which is that sometimes life can hit you and beat you down, but you will never be beaten unless you succumb to it. These children endured hardships that many of us could never imagine. One of the young children, I believe it was Rose, went to the army headquarters to ask the rebel leader if her brother was still alive. When we see the other young girl fall on the floor of her father's grave, asking him to come back, you can't help but cry. It is heartwrenching to see these children have to endure these hardships. But seeing how much passion and energy they put into this dance competition turns it into a feel-good film by the end. To defy the odds and show their country that they could win against immeasurable odds is amazing and really liked that they chose this approach to tell the film.
The overall message of the movie is that being in a wheelchair does not control your ability to achieve things. If you put your mind to it, you can do anything including playing aggressive rugby. The stories told throughout the film are of the individual players and how they became handicapped as well as the Canadian coach's betrayal of the American team. There are a lot of side stories and side messages such as loyalty to one's country and feeling guilt/responsibility for causing a car accident. They are all woven together through the sport murderball, which is very different and an interesting approach. It reminded me of what War Dance did with the music competition.
The film had many different story lines. The stories and lives of Zupan (player), Joe (coach/former player), and Keith were intricately weaved together to give the viewer a deeper look into both Quad Rugby/Murderball and the lives of people suffering from quadriplegia. I think this film is about courage and resiliency. The quadriplegic athletes in this film are just as honorable and dedicated as any other athlete (if not more)-- and have overcome some of the most challenging adversities. They have the courage to move forward with their lives and be a part of something that they are passionate about-- a highly aggressive sport. I liked the approach of weaving together different people to create this overall message, and it opened my eyes to something I didn't know about.
This film was very interesting. I didn't really like this film. It was about athletes who play wheelchair rugby. It is interesting to see how they got to become in a wheelchair. These athletes are dedicated to the sports and work so hard to become the greatest team. The USA team is one of the best teams for wheelchair racing and is so competitive to be a part of.
This film follows multiple stories; that of the rugby teams, the players, and the coaches. I think the approach in weaving together these stories was a little bit rough at first. It starts with the teams competing in a really fast-paced, almost disorienting onslaught of scenes-- it really almost lost me, to be honest. The feel is very raw and the footage of them actually competing is, in my opinion, uninteresting because it moved so fast I really had no idea what was happening. I think the film became interesting when each individual talked about their story, how they were injured, and their journey to recovery. I'm really not sure what the theme was supposed to be, but I think it was examining what it truly means to be handicapped. One of the guys in the film discusses how when an injury as serious as paralysis occurs, your mind becomes more of an enemy than your physical condition. So, I think this film was trying to propose that the real handicap happens when you give up. I don't know...I found this film interesting, but at the same time I don't think it was very focused. I think it would've been better if they had just focused on the players's stories rather than focusing so much time on the rugby just because in my opinion, their road to recovery and the history of what got them into rugby is far more fascinating. I also think in introducing their main characters, the focus was lost as well. For instance, we meet one guy's girlfriend who starts talking about working in a morgue...or when the coach's wife talks about how their son has won awards for grades and being nice to other kids... Aspects like these, I found interesting but not necessarily relevant to the story. Overall, the film kept my attention and I thought there were good stories that could be pulled out of it.
There are many different interweaving story lines in "Murderball" that relate to the greater theme that finding purpose and meaning despite overwhelming obstacles can bring new life and happiness into one's life. We see this with every sub-story in Murderball. We hear the sad stories of how each member of the US quadrapalegic team became disabled, but each was able to find new life in quad rugby, and the purpose it gave them to be part of that team. In Mark Zupan's story, he at first wouldn't talk to his best friend Chris Igoe because Chris ran into Mark while drunk, breaking his upper spine. Yet instead of giving up hope for a good life, Mark becomes the leading member of the US quad rugby team, gets a girlfriend, and is able to forgive Chris in the end. With Joe Soares' story, his obsession with quad rugby gives him new life while allowing him to realize the importance of family and camaraderie. In Keith's story, we see how his motorcross accident literally destroyed his life as he knew it, sinking him into depression in his new life. Yet we see a glimmer of hope when he learns about quad rugby from Mark Zupan's presentation at his hospital, and at the end of the film is saving up to buy a rugby wheelchair. With each of these narratives we see that each individidual finds new meaning with quad rugby. While quad rugby specifically is the solution for the subjects in this film, the underlying message is more universal: find what gives you meaning despite how difficult things are and you will live a happier life.
I think the themes for “Murderball” are redemption, forgiveness, perseverance, and optimism. This documentary gave us a first hand look of the USA quadriplegic rugby team and their personal lives. We see the story of great companionship and team bonding with the players. I feel that it shows how important being on this team has impacted each individual by giving them the strength and confidence they needed to realize that they can do anything they set their minds to; a wheel chair is not an obstacle. Family is also a big story here especially in the case of Joe who holds the highest title of championships in the world. He seems to struggle with his temper and it affected his USA team( he coaches rival Canada) and now his family. He is extremely strict on his son and has no real connection except that of a tyrant. It was only until he suffered a heart attack did he realize how precious life and family is. He came back with a totally new Joe much more loving and caring. We are also told the story of Zupan and him being thrown off a truck and eventually forgiving his best friend for putting him in the wheelchair; and after many years the two finally got to healing their emotional wounds. We saw stories of many players and their families going through (motorcycle accidents, deadly disease, polio ects) but in the end it was about fighting and pushing forward to get independence and happiness.
The various stories in this film are of the lives of the two paraplegic teams: Canada and the United States. Filmmaker Henry Alex Rubin and journalist Dana Adam Shapiro interviewed members of each team and asked them how they got paralyzed and how it affected their lives. The story also involved the rivalry between America and Canada, having one of the best American paraplegic team members become the Canadian coach. The overall theme and message is that people who are paralyzed can still live a normal life, just like the lives of people are not paralyzed. The theme is portrayed through the aggressive sport of paraplegic rugby. The theme was demonstrated this way because it is an aggressive sport and it shows people who are apart of it can do aggressive activities as well. There is also a segment where the paraplegic athletes discuss their sex lives and how it compares to an average persons sex life and exemplifies that they lead a normal life. I enjoyed this approach very much because the wide variety of participants emphasized that all of thee people are no different than us. Having several interviews of similar stories made this film more credible. I now have gained a higher respect for paraplegic individuals because of this film.
Murderball focuses on the rivalry between the American and Canadian men's quadriplegic rugby teams, as well as the personal stories of the players and coaches. A major part of the rivalry comes from the fact that former U.S. player Joe Soares "betrayed" the team after he was cut by moving on to coach the Canadian team. His story revolves around how he commits himself so strongly to his team and to winning, that he alienates his wife and young son in the process. It isn't until Joe experiences a heart attack that he takes a new perspective on life and isn't so angry anymore; he even attends his son's viola recital. Mark Zupan is the captain of the U.S. team, and his personal story was the most affecting, at least for me. The fact that it was his friend's fault for causing the accident that led to his paralyzation, and how his friend walked away unscathed, was hard to watch and hear play out. However, Zupan didn't let this affect his drive or motivation to succeed, which I think is a big message in the film. Even with severe spinal injuries that changed their lives forever, the players on these teams persevere and find new meaning and a new family playing a game that they love: murderball. I liked the approach the filmmakers took to tell us those personal stories on the teams' way to Athens, however at times the plot stumbled in my mind. For example, the part where the sex lives of quadriplegics was discussed felt random and unnecessary. I also felt like the actual rugby footage was poorly shot and thus made it hard to follow. With that said, I still think Murderball is a powerful and effective film.
Overall, I liked the approach the filmmakers took in "Murderball." There are a lot of things happening in the film and tracing multiple story lines is crucial. I think that the theme of this doc is acceptance and perseverance.
The film follows serveral all US players as they tell their stories about how they were injured and how they worked to move beyond their injuries. The film also follows Joe Soars, the coach of the Canadian Team who ultimately acts as the antagonist. He is a "traitor" to the US Murderball team. The Canadian Team competes fiercely with the US Team, beating the US in the Paralympics. However, it matters less who wins. The sport works to create a community and path to getting beyond terrible injuries. The sport is a way for players to move on and find new purpose in life. The film features someone who was recently injured, and Murderball is a way that he can start healing faster.
The multiple storylines enrich the story but it is confusing as the doc jumps from one to the other. It is chronologically ordered as the story follows the competition timeline. There are some good transitions between the storylines; but it does not happen every time.
Like many international competitive sports the United States and Canada have a very big rivalry in wheelchair rugby and this is one of the main focuses of the film Murderball, as well as individual profiles of the men competing and coaching. This film is very very emotionally taxing on the viewer, holy shit. The story of Zupan's accident, to Joe's heart attack during the film is just so sad it draws you in as a viewer and makes you not want to stop watching. When we go to Zupan's ten year high school reunion that is when we experience all that happened in his accident and how tough of a situation he is in. The fact that one of his best friends is the cause of his paraplegic state is hard in itself, but to see how hard it is on his friend brings it home on how much it affected everyone. The story of Joe being cut from the United States team and being salty about making him move up to Canada to coach against his country is an interesting story, but for him to have a heart attack because of all of the stress he has put on himself shows how much of himself he gives to this sport that has been a major part of his life. The final scenes of Athens was very emotionally touching as well when the United States players are with their families after their game with Canada that they lost. I did like this approach of leading up to them competing in Athens and watching the Paraplegic Olympics play out in Athens.
This film encompasses the whole idea that one is not defined by their disability, and in this case, their wheelchairs. This film centers around the US and Canadian paraplegic rugby teams. One of the main stories is about Joe Soares and his 'betrayal' to the US and leaving to go coach the Canadian team. The intense rivalry between the two teams seems to be spawned from this coaching decision. This film shows a little of struggle and the players have all gone through gut wrenching experiences that really capture the audience. Mark's story was very touching, basically form the fact that his friend is the reason he is now paralyzed. His story was really inspiring and the fact that he was able to forgive Chris was really big. I can't even imagine going though what he did, and I know it would have taken me a VERY long time to forgive Chris and really gain new hope for his new life. Just like War Dance, the way this film was filmed and the way the story was told really captured the hearts of the audience and it really makes you appreciate your life more.
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