DiG the MURDERBALL on the RIZE!

This has been quite the year for documentaries. I haven’t seen the one with vertically challenged birds wearing tuxes but I hear it’s golden. What I have seen are three variations of the classic road to glory documentary* each with its own take; Murderball, DiG, and Rize.

*(The term road to glory documentary may be a bit of misnomer since often the subjects do not make it to the top of the hill. For instance I would categorize Hoop Dreams as a road to glory documentary. For those of you that lived in a cave or will still in high school ten years ago, Hoop Dreams told the story of Arthur Agee and William Gates as they tried to achieve success on and off the hard courts of Chicago. While we see both struggle and in many instances fail, the film is important because it allows the viewer to experience the highs just as much as the subjects, many time because they are so far and few between.)

I’ve referenced DiG a couple of times on the blog which should tell you this is a movie that will stick in your head. Much like Hoop Dreams, our two subjects are products of different environments that seek the same goal, musical greatness, but the twist here is that the goals for each group evolve and change and the film challenges the audience to keep up. One group, The Dandy Warhols, seem to have all the luck and advantages. Whether its turning a low selling U.S. record into a top selling hit overseas or escaping almost certain arrest everything seems to flow for the Dandies. The other group, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, seems to take five steps back for every one step forward. Whether their lead man is having a bout of the crazies, or their inability to escape from the squalor of debt, the Massacre seems to be a study in pain, especially self induced pain. Sound pretty clear cut right? Wrong. The Dandies seems miserable after signing to a major label while the Massacre, seems to have achieved a new level of musical and to a lesser extent business success while living in a house with no furniture. The film turns into a study of how to cope with the realization that the Promised Land isn’t so promised and a study of how one genius can struggle to move forward in life while taking leaps in art. Each person in the film can be loved and hated at the drop of the hat but that makes it even more fun.

Murderball is the most standard road to glory documentary following the trials and tribulations of the U.S. Wheelchair Rugby team. Early in the film the U.S. team is upset in the World Championships by hated rival Canada, and while the film is set up for the inevitable rematch at the Para Olympics, the story goes through such a slow burn that you’re actually surprised when the team departs for Athens. Murderball is glossy, predictable, and heart tuggingly good. The great thing about following a team in a road to glory documentary is that you find each player is following their own path to individual achievement and that’s the true focus of the film.

Rize takes the most unusual approach to the road to glory documentary. Here we follow the story of urban dancers in the clowning/krumping movement in inner city LA, but there doesn’t appear to be a goal at the end of the road. About halfway through the film there is a battle dance and upon initial viewing the audience is tricked into thinking this is the conflict/climax of the film. You’re thinking, “Here, is where one person will triumph over their demons and succeed.” That section of the film comes and goes and you begin to see the true road to glory for the films characters. Its about putting forward a new art form and saving kids from spending time on the streets and that is the central struggle. In the end there is no flashy resolution, no winning shot, just the idea that this movement is continuing to evolve and grow. (On a side note, the film is visually breathtaking thanks to director David LaChapelle’s background in fashion photography and music videos. Most films this style are grainy and poorly lit. While not every scene is pristine, the dance segments that best exemplify the spirit and art of the film are worth watching over and over again.)

Check all three of these out and maybe the one about the Antarctica marching band too.