Oscar night, February 27, belonged to Clint Eastwood. The former
Dirty Harry star went home with four awards, including
best director and best picture, for his stunning boxing film,
Million Dollar Baby.
The Eastwood-directed film about a female boxer, her crusty
trainer and the trainer's right-hand man, like most sports films,
focused on the protagonist's pursuit of her dream and meaning in
her life.
In the wake of the film's success, many critics are anticipating
a whirlwind of sports flicks reminiscent of the 1976 Rocky
effect. In China, many are questioning the embarrassing fact that
although this country is a sports powerhouse following hard on the
heels of the US, it has a decided lack of good films of this genre
to display alongside its Olympic gold medals.
The overall stagnancy of the filmmaking industry has certainly
hindered the development of sports films in China. Moreover,
producers and directors unfamiliar with the world of sport can
hardly create works with real box-office appeal.
More importantly, the poor showing of sports films stems from
the shallowness of the topics and the characters.
Back in the 1930s, director Sun Yu made the highly successful
The Sports Queen, starring Li Lili as a sprinter who gave
up a life of luxury and decadence to resume her beloved running
career.
The Sports Queen (1934)
In the years following the founding of New China in 1949, many
sports films were well received, such as
Player No. 5,
The Swimmer,?
The Unfinished Chess Game, and
Sha Ou. At that time, sport was closely connected with
national identity and its development was a symbol of China's
rejuvenation. The main characters went all out to win and most were
supported by strong feelings of national pride.
But despite the other enormous changes taking place in the
country following the implementation of the reform and opening
policy, sports films continued to follow the same old well-beaten
track. Athletes who never showed any sign of weakness overcame
repeated setbacks to succeed. In contrast, the successful Hollywood
sports films became metaphors for individual honor, more personal
and more human.
After the 1980s, some ambitious directors began seeking to
depict the
competitive spirit in their celluloid heroes, with such films as
The King Of Chess,
Taekwondo and
Black
Eyes. But the spotlight was still on the athletes'
achievements rather than their souls, and these films failed to
evoke much response.
In watching sports events, spectators cheer with joy, groan with
disappointment and marvel with wonder at the athletes who, win or
lose, give their all to their sport. Only love for the game could
induce them to carry on.
Eastwood said he preferred Million Dollar Baby to be
regarded as a love story rather than a sports film. A true winner
in this genre, like sport and life itself, must show that it is not
whether you win or lose: it's how you play the game.
(China.org.cn by Li Xiao, March 9, 2005)
