BLOOD SPORT
US, 1973, 74 minutes, Colour.
Ben Johnson, Gary Busey, David Doyle, Larry Hagman.
Directed by Jerrold Friedman.
Blood Sport is an interesting telemovie with a particular focus on American football , the sporting ethos and the relationship of pressurising father on his talented son. This has been a common theme and was well illustrated in the baseball field with Robert Mulligan's Fear Strikes Out (1957) with Anthony Perkins and Karl Malden.
There were many expose type films of sports in the 70s ranging from Slapshot and ice hockey to One On One with basketball and the college ethos of sport with Robbie Benson. Ben Johnson in his maturity in the 70s was excellent in many films from The Last Picture Show to films like this. Gary Busey was a talented actor in such films as Stock Car Hero, A Star Is Born and Big Wednesday. A successful musician, he won an Oscar nomination in 1978 for his impersonation of Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story. Larry Hagman gives a competent performance as the coach. While particularly American, the point about family pressures and the ethos of success and failure is of universal value.
1. American interest in football, sport and its atmosphere, success and failure? The impact on a nonAmericans audience? Issues of sport and young players in any culture? Family pressures?
2. The quality of the film as a telemovie, retaining home audience interest, pace, audience identification, appeal, challenge?
3. The significance of the title and its indication of themes? How well was this illustrated, especially in the many portrayals of the game in slow motion, ordinary motion? Training, the atmosphere of war and fanaticism in both players and supporters? The importance of the death of the player during training and the sport taking its blood toll?
4. Audience presuppositions about American football? The stances taken by the screenplay? The importance of the various skills required for playing the game: physical strength, good judgment, tactical manoeuvres? The role of the coach, his prestige, associated with schools and colleges and universities, his having to be a pushy type, the pressures on the footballers? The danger of being callous, as illustrated by the coach's being told by David Lee's father what to do, his relationship to the school, his callous attitude towards the death of Michael? His prayers, rabble rousing and fanaticism? His being told at the end by David Lee to 'shove it'? The atmosphere of schools and colleges and the focus on sport, the training of the footballers, even to death? The necessary determination, killer instinct, desire to win? The fanaticism and its feel? Games as war? The words included in the prayers and the fact of praying them in the locker room? Colleges and the scouts and the prospects for up-and-coming footballers? The importance of education and its relationship to a football career? The picture of the American campuses and the atmosphere of the party and the put down by older players? Injuries, the future of the football players?
5. The picture of David Lee, during the credits as a footballer, as a good young man? Audiences identifying with him? His place in his family, relationship with his father and mother, brother and sister? Friends? A pleasant personality, easygoing? His father's filming him during play, showing him the films and moulding him? His father doing his thinking for him and training him? His mother and her niceness and worry about religious background at college? His brother's being put down by their father at table? His relationship with his brother, helping him build, his brother helping him to understand his father's ambitions? The visit to the Schmidts and the discussion about his future? His being awarded the scholarship after Michael's death? The visit to the campus and its repercussions on him? The injury to the other player and his being carried in triumph and seeing the crippled man? His reaction to the world of sport and the possibility of change and wondering about the future? The transition from his automatic expectations and reactions about football to questions about life?
6. The importance of Michael’s death, the attitude of the coach, the effect on the players? The scholarship? David Lee's drinking, his reaction against his father, the success of the previous games and the loss of the final game? His reaction to the coach? His injury? His future and the final scene of him watching his old films?
7. The portrait of David Lee's father, filming his son, talking about tactics, telling his son not to be late, the constant injunctions, comparisons? The welcoming of the college scout and showing him films? His put-down of his older son? The older son's explanation of what drove him? A possibility of a future without something to do and mould? His reaction against his son's drinking? The final match? The final rationalisation and still trying to hold on to the dream of success?
8. David Lee's brother and his bond with his father, presence at the matches, humiliation at the table, his building and his having a child, his enjoying life?
9. A portrait of small town and its way of life, school, sport, factory work, entertainment? The dream of going to bigger and better things? The ethos of the small town, its very Americanism?
10. The film's comment on sport and its values? Sport in proportion to other aspects of life? Expectations, success and failure?
