Race (2016)

“In those ten second, there's no black or white, only fast or slow.”

            Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to go back in time and visit specific moments in history. I would never want to live in any later time than I do now I would just like to go and visit and witness what the world was like. One time period I would like to travel to is the 1930s. I know it was definitely not the best of time with the Great Depression but I would want to visit experience what seeing all my favorite classic films were like in theaters when they were first released. I would also just like to experience what it was like to hear history making news such as Amelia Earhart’s flight and Jesse Owens winning so many gold medals and setting records for track at field at the 1936 Olympics. With the new movie Race I get to see part of what the time period and what the 1936 Olympics with Jesse Owens was like.

            Race tells the story of Jesse Owens’s journey over three years to the 1936 Olympics. He was a high school star of track and field and earned a place at Ohio State University. At the college is coached by Larry Snyder (Jason Sudeikis). Jesse immediately begins to set records for different track and field events.

            Jesse eventually wins a place on the US Olympic team. The Olympics are held in Germany. The Nazis regime is in full control. They manage to bribe one of the members of the US Olympic Committee into not having two of the teams Jews not compete in an event and they try to hold Jesse back. If you know your history, Jesse sets several Olympic track and field records that were not broken for another twenty-five years.

            Race also tells a story about racial discrimination in the United States and even in Europe and how Jesse and others had to overcome that to participate in a sport they were passionate about. I liked that juxtaposition with the title because it means the races that Jesse had to win to get to the Olympics and the one at the Olympics and it also means his struggle with racial discrimination.

            Jason Sudeikis deserves so much recognition for his role as Larry Snyder. If you know Sudeikis you will know that he is a comedian, he is not a serious actor. The movie looked good but I most likely would not have gone to see it in the theaters had it not been for Sudeikis. I have been a fan of his since he first appeared on Saturday Night Live and I have seen him in other movies. He is a good actor and I was really interested in seeing him in a serious role. Sudeikis nailed it he was fantastic. I would like to see him other serious roles eventually.

            I liked Race. It was a good movie but it was way too long. There were so many aspects of the story that could have either been taken out or shortened way down. I could have done without the side story of Jesse Owens’s personal life but I can see why they were somewhat important. Some of the track and field race scene were longer than they should have been.