Sports documentaries today are all the rage. The appetite for them has skyrocketed in recent years. Once the live matches are won, the trophies are taken home, and the adrenaline rush withers, the emotions still linger. Sports documentaries revoke them. They connect people with something larger than themselves. Like any historical document, sports documentaries also rely heavily on archival footage. It works out for this genre well because not only is sports archival footage easily accessible, but it is also generally of remarkable quality.
The sports documentaries genre has evolved a lot over the years. For one, theatrical releases of sports documentaries have become widespread. Formats have also changed- people are witnessing the awe-inspiring stories of great athletic heroes in feature-length films and even multiple-part docuseries now. Let’s go over some of the classics in the field and some new innovative takes:
1. A Sunday in Hell (1977)
A pioneering sports documentary about cycling, A Sunday in Hell is an ever-golden film. It narrates the Sunday of April 11, 1976, when the Paris–Roubaix bicycle race was held. It features star riders including Eddy Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck, Freddie Maertens, and Francesco Moser. Jorgen Leth made use of more than 30 cameras for filming, along with unconventional helicopter shots using image-stabilising technology. If you want to witness the risks and madness of professional road racing like no other, make sure to check out this documentary.
2. Hoop Dreams (1994)
With enough drama packed into it to be considered equivalent to ten Hollywood movies, Hoop Dreams by Steve James is one of the best in the game. Through a duration of three hours, the film follows two black teenagers- Arthur Agee and William Gates- in their gruelling quest to make it to NBA. The film is popularly recognised as the Citizen Kane of sports documentaries and rightfully so. It arrived in the theatres and had an unprecedented success, racking up $7 million. It was also one of the first feature films to be shot on video as opposed to film. Hoop Dreams, hence, created an appetite for documentaries among the general public and set a golden standard for all directors to follow.
3. Senna (2009)
Consumed by a drive to win, Ayrton Senna gave his all and then some to Formula One world championship till he died in a crash at 34. Senna by Asif Kapadia paints the portrait of this enigmatic and exceptional figure. The movie is edited entirely from Formula One archival video with no new footage and it watches like a live-action drama rather than a documentary. The voice-over narration is done by Senna, his parents, his sister, Alain Prost, and television commentators. The film is exciting and emotional and you don’t need to know about the nitty-gritty details of F1 to enjoy it.
5. Free Solo (2018)
Alex Honnold’s fearlessness came together with directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi’s and bagged Free Solo its Oscar. The film follows Honnold scaling the sheer cliffs of El Capitan- the 3,000-foot granite cliff in Yosemite Valley that was once thought unclimbable without any safety harness. Honnold lives an intense life, one which can be thrilling and frightening at the same time. The film is successful in recapturing these feelings on the screen. The viewer is always aware that Honnold is one mistake away from a certain, lurking death. However, his efforts and drive still fascinate the viewer enough to keep watching.
6. The Last Dance (2020)
Documentaries made with hagiographic undertones can feel like a celebration of togetherness. The Last Dance by Jason Hehir proves this. Netflix’s 10-episode docuseries chronicles two timelines: first is the Chicago Bull’s 1997-98 season and their consequent sixth NBA title win; second is all the major years leading up to that season, with a focus on Michael Jordan. Beloved among basketball fans, this docuseries has something for everyone. The plethora of interviews, compelling backstory narratives, and the never-before-seen footage of the season come together to form a film full of athletic greatness and gripping drama.
Great