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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Pyschological Running Movie, March 3, 2006
Don't let the "R" rating on this movie scare you from seeing it, or from showing it to your family. Yes, there is a shower scene where the black runners are showering, and a scene where Christine skinny-dips in a water tank, but it is very discreet and in no way offensive. The language is not worse than in many PG movies. Furthermore, the morality is largely consistent with traditional values. Bertold (the coach) takes Christine into his little home because he has noplace else to live, but makes it very clear that she will be completely safe. Later, Christine's boyfriend wants her to move in with him, but she refuses. Throughout the movie the main characters show concern for their moral character, as well as their dedication to winning the big race. As with all these sports dramas, it comes as no surprise that Christine won the big race. What makes this movie so compelling is the psychology, both of Bertold and Christine. Bertold failed at the race twice, so he is sort of trying to relive the race through Christine. He thinks of nothing else as he does his best to train her. Christine, not understanding the male singular focus on training, longs for social interaction. The story pivots on how they handle these different perspectives. Parents can feel comfortable showing this movie to at least junior high kids. It wonderfully gives a South African feel to the whole story. Family discussion could revolve around understanding both psychological perspectives and how one's own kids would work to resolve the conflict. This is a surprisingly good movie, much better than Prefontaine (written by the same writer). The only better running movie I've seen is "Chariots of Fire."
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More than just about a race, it is about South Africa today, June 14, 2003
This 2000 South African film is about a 56-mile marathon run called The Comrades. It's also about a former marathon runner, now in his sixties, who never made it and has spent a lifetime as a manager in a brick factory. His avocation though is coaching other athletes. The German actor, Armin Mueller-Stahl is cast in this role of Barry, and the story centers around him. He's a white man but yet much beloved by the young black factory workers he coaches. And when he is fired from his job to be replaced by a politically correct black man, his running team is heartbroken. Circumstances, however, bring a young Namibian woman named Kristina, played by Ntahta Moshesh, into his life. He has observed her running on the road and sees her potential as an athlete. He saves her from being deported, brings her into his home, and starts to train her. As he's a widower and lives alone, this make his neighbors raise their eyebrows. All does not go well with the training however. Kristina resents him running her life and there is lots of conflict. There's also conflict with the four young African men he had been training. And the new manager who replaced him has tribal prejudices of his own and also begins to romance Kristina. This film gave me a good chance to view the South African landscape and see some of the recent shifts in racial politics there. The acting was uniformly good. And, even though I found the film too long even at 113 minutes, I was completely involved, holding my breath at the racing scenes, which were actually quite predictable. However, the setting and the theme made up for it all. Recommended.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A motivational movie about and for women!, February 26, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: The Long Run [VHS] (VHS Tape)
It is difficult to find motivational movies that star women athletes. With a few exceptions most are about men and men's teams.(From Hoosiers, Rudy, Remember the Titans, Cool Runnings, Radio etc) Even fewer films are about women runners.(Chariots of Fire, Prefontaine, Pre etc) So, I was delighted to find this video about Kristina Moyo and her challenge of finishing the Comrades Ultramarathon. The footage of Africa, music, dialogue, running scenes, and final finish, has put it on the top of my motivational movie list! She has inspired me to run my first marathon.
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