42 [Jackie Robinson] (2013) [Blu-ray]
Biography | Drama | Sport

Tagline: In a game divided by color, he made us see greatness.

History was made in 1947, when Jackie Robinson broke the professional baseball race barrier to become the first African American MLB player of the modern era. 42 tells the life story of Robinson and his history-making signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers under the guidance of team executive Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford).

Storyline: In 1946, Jackie Robinson is a Negro League baseball player who never takes racism lying down. Branch Rickey is a Major League team executive with a bold idea. To that end, Rickey recruits Robinson to break the unspoken color line as the first modern African American Major League player. As both anticipate, this proves a major challenge for Robinson and his family as they endure unrelenting racist hostility on and off the field, from player and fan alike. As Jackie struggles against his nature to endure such abuse without complaint, he finds allies and hope where he least expects it. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman on July 9, 2013 -- What would baseball be without Bob Gibson's electric fastball, without Hank Aaron's hammer, without Ricky Henderson's record base stealing speed, without Joe Carter's World Series walk-off home run, without Ken Griffey, Jr.'s sweet left-handed swing, without Andrew McCutchen's infectious personality leading the Pittsburgh Pirates out of 20 years in baseball hell? None of their accomplishments, none of their stand-up-and-cheer heroics, none of their big strikeouts, timely steals, or game-winning hits would be part of Major League Baseball lore without the courage of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play in the big leagues, the man who shouldered the weight of ending decades of white-only Major League baseball, the man who carried the hopes, dreams, and futures of an entire people on his broad, heroic shoulders. 42 tells the dynamic tale of one man's determination to break color lines and another man's courage to take that step across the line and play against unprecedented hate and long odds that extended well beyond the field. Ted Williams famously said that the most difficult thing to accomplish in sports is hitting a round ball with a round bat, but for Robinson, playing the game -- and playing it well -- was the easy part. Racial bigotry, raw hatred, misunderstanding, and a fear of the unknown and changing times all contributed to the emotional turmoil that followed Robinson to every stadium, that dogged him with every boo, that stung with every slur and insult. But, as they say, the first step is always the most difficult, and Robinson's perseverance forever changed things for the better, for the better of not only the sport but also the betterment of mankind.

The Brooklyn Dodgers are a quality ball club that's fallen just short of winning the pennant. General Manager Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), an opponent of racial segregation, decides -- against the advice of his colleagues and against baseball's unwritten segregation rule -- to hand-pick a player from the Negro Leagues to play for his Dodgers, a player he believes who cannot only help the Dodgers secure the pennant and make the club money but also handle the immense pressures of weathering the brewing storm of hate sure to come. Rickey selects Kansas City Monarchs standout infielder Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) who is first assigned to the Dodgers' top Minor League affiliate, the Montreal Royals. Robinson excels on the field but finds himself under constant bombardment from opponents of integration. The strains of his position only increase when, in 1947, he's called up to the Dodgers under intense national scrutiny and forced to battle not only fastballs to the head and endless racial slurs to the ears but also several teammates who disapprove of playing alongside him.

There's a certain "movie of the week" quality to 42 -- it never shows much big, cinematic flair -- but that format works well with the story. Rather than aim for some overly stylized experience that removes the focus from the story and the historical significance thereof and instead places it on how the film looks or feels, audiences are left to experience, almost firsthand, the nearly impossible-to-understand struggles of a baseball -- and a human -- hero-in-the-making, without forced currents or a manipulative heavy hand to interfere with what is one of the most important moments of 20th century America. The movie plays with a straightforward structure that mostly hits the main elements of racism without digging very deeply inside the minds of Jackie Robinson, Branch Rickey, or any of the other primary players in the story. However, it doesn't really have to. The reality of their experiences speak clearly enough, and the character development is built almost entirely on external factors. This is a story in which there's a symbiosis between what happens outside and what happens inside; the raw emotions, the personal restraint, and the vocalization of the prejudice all shape the internal components as clearly as they can be shaped, and the constant bombardment of exterior negatives only make the end result -- Robinson's success on the baseball diamond as a player and a man both -- all the more impressive.

This isn't a Baseball movie but rather a very human story as told through the prism of baseball. Every baseball scene -- each stolen base, every high-and-tight pitch to Robinson's head, each base hit, every home run -- revolves around Robinson's personal struggles for acceptance and are all part of the greater context of the personal story that's largely defined on the field but fundamentally shaped by attitudes, histories, ideas, hates, fears, and worries made off of it. There's a story beyond the game within every game, each practice, any time Robinson puts on a uniform, catches a ball, or swings a bat. That's why there's an understated feeling to the action. 42 doesn't have the cinematic dazzle of The Natural, for instance -- there are no shattering lights -- but it does have that fundamentally human core to it while still producing some good, intimate baseball action that reinforces the drama and shapes the character. It's much more akin to Field of Dreams, in some ways, in that the movie isn't about sports but rather the human stories that are born of sports and the emotions that flow from them. It all returns to that key principal that 42 remain tightly focused on Robinson and not any peripherals, that his story and all it encompasses be the film's sole focus, with everything pointing towards it rather than drawing attention away from it.

42 also benefits from a seamless period recreation. There's perhaps a slight push towards a warmer, golden, lightly sepia sort of style, but it's not at all overdone. The film looks very natural and authentic, from automobiles to the finest details on heavy old baseball uniforms. The production design effortlessly supports the greater narrative, melting into the background as the center story of Robinson's rise above the hate and settlement into history take shape. Chadwick Boseman plays Robinson with an effortlessness that captures all of the emotions, from the greatest joys to the deepest sorrows, from the biggest successes on the field to the most emotionally wrecking lows born of the bigotry and hatred pushed his way. Boseman understands it's not so much about becoming Jackie Robinson as it is allowing the audience to understand Jackie Robinson. Again, that's 42 not being about anything but the core importance of the story. Harrison Ford plays a gruff but determined Branch Rickey very well, completely disappearing into the part and balancing the historical significance of what he's doing against several backdrops, not only defeating bigotry but making money and winning ballgames. 42 makes it known that dollars and box office returns and fans in the stands and Brooklyn's place in the standings all factor in to bringing Robinson on board. The film might feel a bit thin in places and rather fast-moving through a critical time in history, but it also doesn't sensationalize the tale -- not too much, anyway -- nor does it make it into an unbelievable fairy tale.

42 captures the essence of what it took to break baseball's color barrier and also begin a shift towards broader racial equality and acceptance in the United States. While the film proves very well acted and technically faultless, it centers on the human emotion by downplaying any sort of cinematic excess in favor of the story's core drama and historical significance. The film should enjoy wide appeal beyond sports fans for its honest examination of history and its profile in courage. Warner Brothers' Blu-ray release of 42 sadly comes up rather short in terms of extra content, but picture and sound quality are both top-notch. Very highly recommended.

[CSW] -3.6- The two hours moved fast, but there was no flow to the story. Everything seemed too made-for-TV, too episodic. I wanted to see Jackie talk more calmly about his situation, without the anger. I would have loved to see him interact with the other black people in his neighborhood. But that was never the case. Every scene was dramatized. Every conversation seemed to be a sermon. It also would have been nice to see more of the fear that white ballplayers had with the eventual influx of black players. According to Ken Burn's Baseball documentary, in about 600 barnstorming games, the Negro League beat the Major Leagues about 4 out of 5 times. That's a huge disparity that the movie could have examined a little more. All in all, I'd still recommend "42", just don't expect too much. BTW, Harrison Ford was great. I think it was his best performance.
[V5.0-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box.

--- JOYA ---


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