THE BOYS IN THE BOAT

US, 2023, 123 minutes, Colour.

Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, Peter Guinness, Sam Strike, Hadley Robinson.

Directed by George Clooney.

An enjoyable film, based on actual characters and events, a sports film, a film of training, competitiveness, achievement, better aspects of the human spirit.

And, behind the camera is George Clooney, who has directed quite a number of successful films, who has star power, and who is involved very much in human rights issues.

This is 1936, Washington state, University of Seattle. But, the US is still suffering the consequences of the Depression, lack of job opportunities, makeshift townships, hunger, low self-esteem… In this context, we are introduced to a young man, Joe Rantz (British actor, Callum Turner), whose mother has died, whose father has abandoned him when he was 14, trying to manage to get casual work, living in a makeshift Depression town, but also trying to study at the University, engineering. A friend mentions to him that the coach of the University rowing team is looking for oarsmen. Joe feels there could be some financial advantage and goes to audition, to participate in the extraordinarily rigorous training and exercise, and eventually chosen as one of the team eight.

While there is some personal story for Joe, a sad encounter with his father, friendship with a fellow student, Joyce (Hadley Robinson), he becomes more and more committed to the training, his role in the eight, and the buildup to a competitive race.

The rowing coach is played by Joel Edgerton, now something of a senior citizen in his roles, stern, plainspoken, rarely smiling, a former rower, but skilled in techniques, in the demands on his men, evaluating their positions in the boat, the screenplay explaining for viewers the role of each man, but, especially the role of the Cox, his overview, his ability to engage the progress of competing boats, and, in this case, a cheeky interpretation of regulations and encouragement of the rowers.

A significant character is George, the boatbuilder, played by British Peter Guinness, who becomes a father-figure and guiding hand in Joe’s character development and sports skill.

We know that the Washington team is going to succeed locally, then in the American final, and be selected for the competition at the Berlin Olympics. There are complications when the rowing establishment tells Washington that there is not enough money to send the team to Berlin. What follows is a week of appeals and donations, and a glimpse of Joe’s father donating as Well Is listening to the radio race commentary, generous gesture from a rival that enables them to go to Berlin.

There is mention earlier of Jesse Owens. And, as the American team waits to march into the arena, there is a brief conversation with Jesse Owens who tells his white fellow-athletes, that he is trying to achieve for his people back home. And, perhaps we remember that Hitler was not impressed. And, there is a scene where Hitler comes to watch the rowing, a literal photo finish between three boats, and his leaving in a huff when the American victory is announced.

We might say that the film is formulaic as a sports film with final achievement. But, with George Clooney’s sensibility and the talent in front of and behind the camera, why not? And, it is definitely a feel-good film.

1. True story? Audience awareness or not?
2. The Olympics in Berlin, the atmosphere of the 1930s, Hitler, Nazism? The Olympic Games, the US not saluting? The presence of Jesse Owens?
3. The sports film, using the formula, memories, the participants, the coach, the rowers? The choices, the strict and hard training, personal ups and downs, the achievement?
4. 1936, Seattle, the University of Washington, the late for the rolling, the sequence at Poughkeepsie? Berlin, the Nazi buildings, flags, the stadium, the games? The musical score?
5. The framework, the grandfather, watching his son, peeling the apple, memories, the grandson getting lost, helping? The heritage?
6. The focus on Joe Rantz, his background story, his mother’s death, father leaving, age 14, the Depression, lack of jobs, the Depression village and its poverty, hunger and lining up for food, no money, the hole in his booted newspaper, his studying engineering, the lectures, friendship with Roger, the attraction to Joyce, his quality of life, motivation, to raise money, sense of rejection and quitting?
7. The coach, not smiling, relationship with his wife, past roller, his abilities, auditioning the men, Joe asking about the payment? The strict coaching, plainspoken, the work with the other coaches, the other authorities, the possibility for going to Berlin, the hostile attitudes, the issue of raising money?
8. The collage of training sequences, close-ups, hard, exercises, rowing? The coach advising there was no shame in not being selected, because of the effort? The selection, the nature of the teams, the different places and tasks, the dormitories, the better clothes for those chosen?
9. Joe seeing his father, their talk, his anger, the father’s explanation, leaving? The father listening on the radio to the races, giving the donation and Joyce seeing him?
10. The buildup to the race, the rivals, practices, the crowds, the train going past the rowers? Everybody watching? The effort, the strategy, winning?
11. The joy and exhilaration, the teams, the coaches?
12. Going to Poughkeepsie, the rivalry, the tactics, the Cox? Winning, going to Berlin, the issue of finance the appeal, the collection of money, the donations, the final gesture from the growing coach?
13. Joyce, her friends, studying, the attraction to Joe, time together, the socials, in the dormitory, at the station, the brusque farewell, his return to kiss her?
14. Berlin, the joy, the pomp, the games, the character of Dan, always silent, yet playing the piano? His illness, the treatment? In the preliminary? His effort, the Cox urging him on?
15. The character of the Cox, cocky, cheeky, the trust of the coach, his skills, decisions, defying the coach, singing the song to encourage Dan?
16. Hitler, his presence at the games, his walking out as the Americans won?
17. A sports film, a film of achievement, American sports history?