Murderball

Synopsis: Becoming a quadriplegic is definitely not the end of life for the stars of this film. This marvellous doco traces the lives of several members of the USA Quad Rugby team, as they train for the Athens Paralympics in the sport once known as "Murderball".

Firstly, let it be known I am no big fan of sport, let alone rugby. But this documentary is marvellous - it's how good docos should be made - interesting characters, sympathetic but honest treatment, plenty of heart and emotion, excitement, informative, and a subtext much broader than one would ever imagine. It is also tightly directed and edited - no extraneous irrelevant stuff- just honing in on what's important.

The film traces a two year span starting with the world championships in Sweden and finishing with the 2005 Athens Games. We are introduced to the various team members, impressive guys with great sporting prowess and each with a story to tell of how they ended up a "quad" and an attitude to life that we all should cultivate.

Joe Soares, polio victim, was once a team USA member, but now coaches their arch rivals Canada. We see his personality change after a heart attack, and he becomes a softer person, kinder to his son whom he used to discipline heavily. Mark Zupan, tattooed and looking like a bikie-gladiator, was considered by his friends "an arsehole before his accident, and still an arsehole". And yet Mark is able to really inspire Keith, damaged only four months prior in a moto-cross accident, and imbue him with hope. Bob suffered meningitis as a child and has no arms or legs yet still manages to care for himself independently at home. When Bob talked about using everything he has to get through life, and his dreams of flying, with all limbs intact, I was moved to tears. In fact, under all the macho bravado, drive and competitiveness, this is the most human story imaginable - one of overcoming amazing hurdles and using life's bad breaks to the best advantage. These guys' stories are inspirational, and several of them say they've done more in a chair than they would have as an able-bodied person. And yes, many of them have real babes as girlfriends; the issue of disabled sexuality is discussed frankly and covers many aspects able-bodied viewers may have wondered about.

The tension and excitement generated by the narrative arc of the film comes as a surprise. Much of the camera work was done at chair level, and we are in the thick of the thrills and spills, as these custom-designed armoured chairs are expertly whipped around the court. The breath-holding rivalry between Canada and the USA is exploited to great benefit, especially in one scene which uses slow-mo with only music backing to capture every emotional nuance of the players and their supporters. It's obvious that the subjects had a lot of trust in the filmmakers: several very intimate and traumatic moments are captured in a fly-on-the-wall style scene. Sport lover or hater, this is a must-see film that will alter any preconception you may have had about living with a disability.

 

 

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