Now that the Olympic Games are underway, it¡¯s a good time to delve into the history of some of the great athletes of the past ¡ª in this case, U.S. track-and-field legend Jesse Owens, who astonished the world by winning four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
¡°Race¡± is a movie that documents how Owens (Stephan James, ¡°Selma co-star) rises to Olympic stardom, even as he struggled with discrimination at Ohio State University where he trained under coach Larry Snyder (Jason Sudeikis). The double entendre of a title provides much food for thought, with racism founded on superiority complexes of those needing to ¡°prove¡± themselves better than others.
¡°Race¡± is earnest and sincere but it lacks the complexity that made ¡°42¡± (the story about African-American baseball superstar Jackie Robinson) cinematically compelling. Clocking in at two hours and 14 minutes, it often feels bogged down by director Stephen Hopkins¡¯ straight-laced interpretation of Owens, and his seemingly overwhelming desire to ensure the facts are right. According to the production notes, Hopkins and his film crew consulted closely with Owens¡¯ daughters in re-creating the athlete and the man behind the achievements ¡ª a partnership that perhaps (or inevitably) cramped their style.
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