Since the movie Music and Lyrics came out, I have been much more aware at the art and craft of deciding the title of a movie. ( I dare you to watch the film, and try naming it something better. I still hate the title, but I have learned to respect the difficulty, and have yet to think of a superior alternative!) The movie title has two meanings, making it a homonym. Oddly, they chose it despite a solid French title of Dix Seconds de Liberté, and 2 other films in the last decade of exactly the same name! So I am speaking of the movie Race 2016.
Another interesting piece of trivia is that Jessie wasn’t his name. He was misunderstood when he said J.C. (James Cleveland) in his Southern accent when he moved to Ohio.
This movie was a unique story based in the reality of Jessie Owen’s Olympic wins at a time in history when two giant cultures were discriminating against different races. It explores the decisions Jessie would have faced before and competing in 1936 Berlin. The treatment of Jewish colleagues are touched on, and the freedom of black athletes at the Olympic village a sober reminder of the segregation that still remained in the US at that time.
I suspect many historical liberties were taken in the writing of the script, but if you accept the characters as the best version of themselves, it was a great story of raw talent in the midst of difficult times. It stands as a reminder of ongoing injustice, and how an individual has to swallow a lot of bile to be a difference the world can admire. It was inspirational, personal, and well worth watching!
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