42
If you felt that Quentin Tarantino went too far with his frequent use of the word in “Django Unchained,” then you can imagine how it would feel like to watch a scene involving Philadelphia Phillies manager Ben Chapman who hurls racial slurs on Brooklyn Dodgers rookie Jackie Robinson as he climbs out of the dugout.
Robinson’s face is full of pain and rage as he tries to concentrate on hitting, aware that if he retaliates, the headlines will focus not on the racist manager but on the first black major league baseball player ever ’‘attacking’’.
It is hard for me to sit through this scene with Alan Tudyk’s performance as a nice actor playing well the role of these real life racists who are pure ignorant and hate Chadwick Boseman also does an equally good job as an intense fiery Robinson who has to play with the burden of history at his back within which he must reckon while individuals such as Chapman (and certain teammates) pester him all along. (Sadly, there was nothing fictional about Chapman 1947 really happened. Prior to that, during his stint in Major League Baseball with Yankees, he reportedly taunted Jewish fans using anti-Semitic slurs and even gave them Nazi salute. Goodness!)
In middle part century baseball was so corrupt that entire season was suspended for Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher because he had relationship with married actress but Chapman was asked just basically quit shouting racist slurs at Robinson and take picture together for publicity.
People learn every day something new regarding what happened in 1947 if they know anything about Jackie Robinson at all besides 42 being universally retired because white men were allowed to play professionally. That is why only 42 should be viewed this film should have been made earlier when this country still respects its greatest heroes.
However, it’s more like a home run than a grand slam.
Brian Helgeland’s “42” is a serviceable film that occasionally energizes you and maintains its honor for history, but rarely surpasses what one might expect in a conventional biography. It is mostly ordinary movie about an extraordinary man.
While this piece is similar to a spring game scenario, it has been proven by other scenes. For example, when he was playing a pioneering role for the first time in 1947 as he walked onto the pitch, we occasionally have that feeling which touches you deep inside your gut that would have been experienced by Robinson due to pressure on him although there is one incident where his bat breaks unnoticed by fans and teammates.
There are indeed racist fans taunting Robinson and several of his own teammates even made a petition against him joining Dodgers yet “42” doesn’t tell us enough about the person who played Jackie. The Jackie Robinson of “42” is more like a high school history lesson than anything else; it’s rather one dimensional without any complexity. These moments at home with Rachel (played by Nicole Beharie) are almost too good to be true. The real life Rachel was also heroic, but in “42,” she’s like a saint calmly counseling Jackie not to let his anger go overboard, or being stunningly attractive while silently putting up with idiots behind her in the stands.
Robinson’s contemporaries such as Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe future major league players themselves were passed over for him because they didn’t possess what Rickey called “nice,” or soft qualities he knew would be incompatible with the racial hatred they’d face.
This character acts sensibly in the movie “42”. He becomes more excited about how much money he will make if he signs a contract with Brooklyn Dodgers than any historical connotations it had.
In this film, Harrison Ford plays Branch Rickey, a Dodger executive who was determined to challenge the racial barrier between blacks and whites. It is quite amazing that Ford does an excellent job here since he truly gets involved totally into Ranger’s character often frowning and shouting out sound-bites of wisdoms within seconds. Be it Rickey lecturing young punks in his sunlit office, which by the way is similar to “The Natural,” or watching over his players from the touchlines and he has a pack of witty one-liners.
A great performance by John C. McGinley as well as Andre Holland being adequate. Holland plays Wendell Smith a black sports writer who serves more as Jackie’s babysitter and travel guide than an objective journalist.
The music, speechmaking, subject matter and even screenplay’s seriousness all indicate that this movie should be an Oscar contender but it is not quite there yet. No doubt Jackie Robinson was great. “42” is good enough.
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