Being perhaps the world’s most popular spectator sport, and a game watched by billions around the world, it’s no wonder that filmmakers have spent years attempting to capture the spirit of football on film. The outcomes have elicited a range of emotions, from joy to sadness, with unanticipated outcomes.
With every famous film on the beautiful game, there are many more that are too schmaltzy, too formulaic, or just fail to express why football means so much to so many people.
- Maradona
That was a filmmaking match made in heaven. Argentina football star Diego Maradona opens up about his life for similarly mercurial Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica, who follows the Pibe de Oro throughout Buenos Aires in this riveting documentary.The filmmaker may have gotten too close to his subject; the mutual understanding between the two volatile artists irritates at times, as Kusturica wilfully glosses over the less savoury parts of Diego’s life in order to depict the myth. Yet, he is saved by some absolutely wonderful sequences. A special feature is an interview with Maradona in one of Buenos Aires’ most known “cabaret” clubs, surrounded by half-naked dancers. Such is the filming of a wedding between two Church of Maradona members in the midst of Argentinos Juniors’ pitch, which finishes in the bride taking up a football and droppingkicking it into a crowd of guests.
- Football Factory
Not all football movies are about what occurs on the field. Several of the most popular titles in recent years have emphasised the dark side of our sport: the hooligans. While the Frodo Baggins-led Green Street was the more well-known film throughout the world, its Hollywood portrayal of football violence did not fully resonate with reality. Enter The Football Factory, a dystopian depiction of the Chelsea firm filled of petty thievery, cocaine addiction, and casual racism based on John King’s novel. The film follows Danny Dyer’s spiral into severe anxiety following an unfortunate encounter with the family of Tamer Hassan, the head of Millwall’s hooligan organization. The film concludes with a terrible pitched fight staged in advance of a Chelsea-Millwall cup match, and a performance of The Jam’s “Going Underground” is the ideal way to end any film.
- The Game of Their Lives
The Game of Their Lives is based on a true encounter between the United States and England in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, in which the United States defeated England 1-0. Gerard Butler, Wes Bentley, and Patrick Stewart feature in the film.This film has the makings of another inspiring classic, with the filmmaker of the highly acclaimed sports films Rudy and Hoosiers at the helm. Regrettably, many spectators considered it boring and unimpressive. The film has far too many historical errors for die-hard soccer aficionados. Yet, for casual viewers looking for an American soccer story, this is an excellent introduction to the sport.
- Green Street
This looks at football from the perspective of supporters, or more specifically, football hooligans. It follows the story of Matt Bucker (Elijah Wood), an American undergraduate who is wrongly expelled from Harvard and flees to his sister’s house in England. While there, he is exposed to the underbelly of English football hooliganism by her brother-in-law.This film, known as Green Street Hooligans in the United States, tells the tale of the Green Street Elite ‘company’ operating at West Ham. The main character is dragged along and learns to fight and maintain his ground for those who become his ‘friends’. It’s a fairly true depiction of the hooligan ism that has ravaged English football.
- Escape to Victory
What can you say about a film starring Sylvester Stallone, Pele, and Michael Caine set in a Nazi POW camp? Escape to Victory may not be the most polished picture ever made, but it delivers enough of entertainment for anyone prepared to suspend their disbelief a little.Caine plays a British POW and former professional footballer who is persuaded to organize an exhibition game against the guards, which swiftly develops into a propaganda gimmick for the Nazi authorities. Against all odds, the ragtag team, strengthened by the participation of Pele and the majority of the Ipswich Town first-team squad from the early 1980s, fight back from a 4-1 deficit to earn an agonising draw. Not only that, but the heroes use a pitch invasion at the final whistle to escape their captors’ hands, with Stallone inciting hysteria with a truly unbelievable save that keeps the game tied. Unmissable.
- Mean Machine
Mean Machine, based on the same basic idea as Escape to Victory, shifts the scene from a POW camp to a gloomy, modern British jail for this Vinnie Jones production. Jones portrays a former England captain whose career was derailed by charges of match-fixing in this version of the American football film The Longest Yard. After being beaten up alongside criminals who hate his treachery and champagne lifestyle as a result of an assault on a police officer, he finds forgiveness after being recruited to coach his imprisoned companions against the guards. From then, it’s fairly standard underdog-comes-through-to-win material, but the trip and the motley characters of the prison make the action lively and entertaining. Look out for Jason Statham, who plays the team’s crazy, martial arts-obsessed goalie with a grudge in an almost incomprehensible Scottish accent.
- The Two Escobars
In Colombia, the name Escobar will live on in perpetuity. Not only was Pablo Escobar a drug lord who made international headlines for all the wrong reasons, but Andres Escobar is also well-known in the soccer world. Escobar was a key member of Colombia’s national squad, which placed them in position to make a historic run at the 1994 World Cup. This video explores how the two Escobars crossed paths in a variety of ways. At the same time as all of this was happening, the country was transforming, and Escobar himself died after scoring his own goal during the World Cup’s elimination stage. This ESPN film is recommended for anybody interested in soccer or a tragic sports narrative in general.
- Goal! The Dream Begins
Goal! The Dream Begins is the first film of a fantastic trilogy, but it is usually regarded as the greatest of the group. It depicts the narrative of Santiago Munez, an undocumented Mexican immigrant residing in Los Angeles who is obsessed with soccer. He is finally recruited to play for the English club Newcastle United, and the pressure is on since he knows he needs to perform well in order to return to the United States. Soccer is utilised as an escape and a route to a better life once more.
- Looking for Eric
This Ken Loach film is less about what occurs on the field and more on the nature of fanaticism and how the game gives an escape from the drudgery of everyday life. Cantona-obsessed Eric Bishop’s life progressively unravels as he struggles with a dead-end career, a difficult relationship with his ex-wife, and a kid who looks to be falling deeper under the wing of a local drug lord. The turning moment, however, occurs after smoking his boy’s marijuana, when he notices the Gallic genius appear and begin to advise him. Everything improves for Eric after that, as Cantona remains with him and assists him in making adjustments to his uninteresting life. The film is both tough and escapist, and the ex-Manchester United legend’s excellent hammy performance shines through at every turn.