Fire In Babylon [DVD] [2010]

United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Cast/Crew Interview(s), Interactive Menu, Scene Access, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: From the producers of the academy award winning The Last King of Scotland and One Day in September comes one of the most inspiring stories in sporting history... Fire In Babylon is the breathtaking tale of how the oppressed people of the West Indies fought back and triumphed over its colonial masters, through the remarkable achievements of one of sports most iconic teams. In a turbulent era of apartheid in South Africa; race riots in England and civil unrest in the Carribean, the West Indian cricketers, led by the enigmatic Viv Richards, struck a wonderfully defiant blow at the forces of white prejudice worldwide. Their undisputed skill, combined with a fearless spirit, allowed them to dominate the game at the highest level, replaying it on their own, terrifying, terms. This is their story. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: British Independent Film Awards, ...Fire in Babylon (2010)

The West Indies cricket team in the 1970s and 80s rightly continues to be regarded as one of the finest of all time. Names such as Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Malcolm Marshall and Gordon Greenidge played the kind of cricket that remains talked about to this day. But what the film Fire In Babylon does is dig a little deeper, examining the ramifications of what that team achieved off the pitch as well as on it.

Fire In Babylon examines the oppression and prejudice that the West Indies team was batting against, and how it came to gradually overcome them. It looks, too, at just what can be achieved by sporting success, with many of the key names of the time all contributing.

Running to a little shy of 90 minutes, Fire In Babylon blends match footage when it can, and breezes through its running time. Perhaps it doesn’t quite fully match its ambitions, but it does provide a thoughtful, engaging documentary, one whose appeal should extend far beyond followers of cricket. It’s an uplifting piece of work, and one that really deserves to be seen. --Jon Foster