THE GAME OF THEIR LIVES Rating: (out of 5 stars) Director: Daniel Gordon Producer: Daniel Gordon Writer: Daniel Gordon Directors of Photography: Nick Bennet and Darry Kibblewhite Cast: N/A Visit the IMDB page for full cast and crew

More 2003 LA Film Festival reviews.

Review by: Warren Curry
6/10/03

About the North Korean soccer team's astounding run in the 1966 World Cup, Daniel Gordon's documentary, The Game of Their Lives, is more than just another sports' film championing the underdog. It took four years of negotiations before Gordon and his film crew were allowed access into North Korea to track down a handful of members of the miraculous squad. This rare opportunity to travel inside the country marks the documentary as an important achievement by itself, and the director ambitiously endeavors to combine a cultural exposé with a tension-filled account of the World Cup matches.

Members of the Western world will find regimented North Korean society startling. The codified behavior and obsessive love of their leaders makes the citizenry of the country appear as if it is the largest brainwashed cult on the face of the earth. Yet, Gordon's conversations with the soccer team's players paint a different picture of what we might be expecting, and also a familiar portrait of humanity. The players reminisce fondly about the brief period of time when they served as ambassadors for perhaps the most mysterious nation in the world.

After defeating Australia to qualify for the World Cup, North Korea, whose average team height was a mere 5'-5", traveled to England to participate in the tournament. Allowing the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) to take part in the event was in itself a controversial issue, as the allies of South Korea feared offending the country by recognizing its enemy as a nation. But a political calamity wasn't anticipated because little was expected of the North Korean team. The country's first round matches were held in Middlesbrough, England, and after being soundly defeated by the Soviet Union, the city oddly adopted the North Koreans as their home team. The overwhelming support led them to a tie with Chile, and subsequently an astounding upset of soccer powerhouse Italy. It was then on to the quarterfinals in Liverpool where North Korea faced the mighty Portugal, who boasted one of the best players in the world, Eusebio.

Large chunks of footage of the matches, shot by North Korean camera crews, are on display in the film, and the way the game against Portugal is edited brings the excitement level to a boil. Gordon is a soccer lover, and he expertly accentuates the drama of the sport. He also focuses on the (what must have been) surreal atmosphere for the North Koreans. Not only were they in a country that was almost the polar opposite of their nation, but the team found themselves being wildly, and inexplicably, embraced by their hosts. Several Middlesbrough fans even traveled a few hours to cheer them on in Liverpool. "The people of Middlesbrough supported us all the way through. I still don't know the reason why," comments one player.

As expected, there are moments when the transition between riveting sports documentary and cultural commentary feel awkward. Often times Gordon will intercut footage of modern day North Korea with the World Cup highlights and these montages clutter his intentions. However, the director's narration is to the point and relays information vital to the film.

The Game of Their Lives serves as both an exciting movie and a fascinating social document. Given the current climate of the world, the film couldn't be more timely.

(Screened at the 2003 Los Angeles Film Festival.)

Comment on the message boards.