Fire in Babylon

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source: Fire in Babylon

A documentary on the West Indies cricket team's rise to being the best in the world, and one of the greatest cricket teams the world has ever seen, in the late-1970s and how they maintained that invincibility in the 1980s. Among the interviewees are key members of that team, including Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Colin Croft, Joel Garner and Deryck Murray. The West Indies cricket team of the late-1970s to early-1990s would be a candidate for greatest cricket team of all time. It was unbeaten in Test series from 1980 to 1995 and possessed an aura of invincibility. The players in that team include some all-time greats, many of whom are interviewed in this documentary. The documentary does the team and the players' achievements great justice, showing how the West Indies learned from previous experiences to become a much tougher side and how once on top they didn't let the crown slip. While the interviews with the players are great, the interviews with everyday West Indians highlight what the team's accomplishments meant to them. This said, the non-player interviews are also the only negative part of the film as some don't add anything and are quite unnecessary.

Cricket, a game so vast and important, have really lost it's way in past few decades. This documentary definitely shows the impact of cricket in colonies, and the psychology behind the sport in it's early modern days. West Indies were champions, and this sporting lead is way bigger than many we have seen in other sports over the years. Cricket is underrated and these stories are getting the brunt of it, as they really struggle to get a reach. As time progresses, it would be even more important to remember the colonial past as it will keep being distinct, and that will stop so many people from reaching their peak. In the end, it's about sports, but the bigger theme is definitely human emotions, and fast bowling. Fast bowling is the most dangerous thing on a cricket field, and the sport is getting more and more difficult for them as the new ruled keep trimming the value of bowlers. So, I believe that every cricketer, and decision maker should see this and learn the game from these legends.

Fire In Babylon is a documentary about the West Indian cricket team and their rise from cricketing lightweights to world dominators. There are elements of the film that are superb - its linking the teams determination to succeed to historical oppression, and the significance of the team to the region of the West Indies, provide insights that resonate. Furthermore, the film has selected a fantastic group of West Indians to interview - their passion for the team, outlined through story-telling and song, help the viewer to really see how much this team meant to its fans. The problem with the film is that it only thinly describes the historical facts. As a cricket fan who knows little of this period, I still feel that I understand very little of the test matches that the West Indies played throughout its dominant period. The great innings, the great bowling spells, comebacks and sledging battles are only breezed over, and as a result the viewer is left with the sense of understanding the side to be dominant through its ferocious bowling attack, but understanding little of the actual games themselves. Despite this it's a fantastic documentary and highly recommended.

In the late 60's, the West Indies cricket team was regarded as something of a joke, and their pathetic on field performances were greeted with the derogatory term "Calypso Cricket." They also had to deal with prejudice and racist taunts on the sporting field. The team reached a low point in the 1975 Test tour of Australia when they were comprehensively thrashed. Determined to turn their image around captain Clive Lloyd began to rebuild the team. By the end of the 70's the West Indies had become virtually invincible, and for fifteen years they dominated the sport like no other team, remaining unbeaten in Test matches during that period. Fire In Babylon is a real story of the triumph of an underdog against the odds. It places the rise of the West Indies team against a broader social, cultural and political background – South Africa was in the grip of the brutal apartheid regime, England suffered race riots, and the Caribbean itself was scarred by civil unrest. The documentary looks at the civil rights movement, the country's drive to seek independence and shake of its colonial roots, the move towards freedom, unity, and pride, and how the achievements of the cricket team on the field reflected this turbulent period of social change. The film also looks at the development of Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket and how it forever changed the face of cricket. Writer/director Stevan Riley (Blue Blood, etc) obviously has a passion for sports-based documentaries. Here he draws upon a wealth of deftly edited archival material; and there is plenty of cricket action, especially in the marvellous footage of their fast bowlers besieging the opposition batsmen. There are also interviews with a number of famous figures including Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd and fast bowler Michael Harding, who talk candidly about the resurgence of the West Indies team. And there is a reggae-flavoured soundtrack too! Even if you do not particularly like cricket, this is a fascinating, revealing and accessible documentary.

Steven Riley's documentary starts with highlights of some fierce fast bowling and batsmen crumpling to the ground. Those violent but fulgurant images straightaway set the enthralling tone for the entire 80 minutes. This documentary tells us the true story of a social-rebellion by a cricket team. Riley very deftly manages to showcase the transformation of the West Indies Test Cricket Team from entertaining but lacking substance " calypso cricketers" to become vehement combatants. Documentary starts with the turbulent 60s and early 70s with racism in the world at its zenith and the West Indies Cricket struggling even to make a palpable mark in International Cricket. They don't have a leader in their team who can unite all the Caribbean players from different islands under one flag of West Indies. Not much time has passed since their liberation from the British colonial rule and the remnants from the colonial rule are still visible in all the islands of Caribbean. Citizens of all the Caribbean islands are still oppressed and they all need something to hold on to, something they can be proud of, something they can all boast without ignominy as being purely Caribbean. Enters, one of the best captains of Test Cricket History "Clive Llyod", who after the disastrous 1975 tour of Australia resolves to embrace the merciless tactics of their vitriol-hurling adversaries (Australians) for their own realization and thus starts one of the greatest transformations ever in sports history. The narration takes us through the formative years of West Indies test Cricket strengthening themselves as a veritable world power. From the calamitous Australian tour of 1975 to renowned "Blackwash" england tour of 1984, it shows all the political and the social ups and downs of West Indies cricket and its impact on the Caribbean society. Riley, while showing us all the political & racism related facets of those years and their impact on West Indies cricket, astutely manages to keep the prime focus on the strengths of West Indies Cricket. Documentary deftly and instructively tell us the about the unsubduable Viv Richards as their batting lynchpin, ferocious Pace Quartet as their bowling arsenal & Clive Llyod as their inspiring leader. Random musical numbers infuse a kind of Caribbean vitality to the documentary. The part describing the nicknames & strengths of the Fearsome Foursome "Roberts, Garner, Holding and Marshall" was simply awe-inspiring. These 80 minutes germinated a serious respect for Sir Vivian Richards in me not only as a batsman but also as a human being. Only down side with the documentary is Riley's exaggerated depiction of apartheid and racism in some shots. In a nutshell, this is the story of one of the greatest test teams ever, a team which wanted to beat their former masters in their own game and if you are a big fan of the game of cricket, you sure can't afford to miss this one. My Rating: 8/10, Not to be missed. P.S: Personally, I think " Whispering Death" is one of the coolest nicknames in sports history.

I'm no longer a cricket fan but my childhood memories of cricket in the 70's and 80's was that we were excited to have such great competitors come to play in Australia. They were great athletes and thrilling to watch. This film tells the other side of the story - the systemic racial hatred aimed at them in the 1970's and 80's from UK, Australia and South Africa. Stevan Riley is English so he makes it look like it was mostly Australian and South African racism - but even India refused to play them at one stage. They managed to rise above it and their achievements make them statesmen for the game. Their recollections are for the team achievements not the individual performances (and there is plenty to admire on both levels). Their impact went beyond sport. Viv Richards and his Four Men of the Apocalypse are my new heroes. They don't seem to make them like that anymore. On a lightweight note, these men are aging wonderfully. I bet Lillee, Thomo etc don't look anywhere near as good these days.

I had heard much about Windies cricket of the 70's and 80's. I had never understood why they were so aggressive. I had not understood how they became such great sporting giants. I think I know now. 11 guys from different islands form a team that makes them known around the globe. They left a legacy unparalleled to date in any sports. The people of Windies are proud of their Cricket. And why not they produced a team and legends that will live for ever in the pages of history. This documentary should be an example for other sports and nations as well. The only thing that could have made the movie more powerful would have been more video highlights, more action. Congrats to Stevan Riley for producing a wonderful movie.

Churchill once said, of his memoirs of WW2. "This is not history, this is my case" The same can be said for Fire in Babylon - it is brilliant, moving and a must watch for anyone who loves the game of cricket. But it is one side's story. Some of these examples have already been covered by previous reviewers, but I'll add my take : The West Indies were one all with India in '76, when they caught them on an unsafe pitch and basically bowled bodyline. The Indians are no cowards. They held their own in a hostile environment. The traditional bogan VB-fueled abuse at the MCG is not particularly racial. Botham's paternity has been questioned on many occasions, as has Hadlee's supposed inter-species sexual predilictions. To act offended and then half an hour later say "if you cannot stand the heat - get out" is a bit hypocritical. Alvin Kalicharran was not mentioned. No-one would know that he was WI's best batsman in the mid 70s, and captained them when the rest went off to make money on the Packer circus. Which leads to -> there was a bit of Black-Asian tension in the WI in the 70s, and a feeling that some good Asian West Indians were being marginalised by the new regime. Some of those Asians joined the rebel team to South Africa. Maybe they felt "seriously embodied" with their struggling brothers and sisters in Uganda. For the sake of fairness, Tony Greig's grovelling crawl back to the pavilion could have been mentioned - he did publicly admit what an idiot he'd been. He made his amends by helping sign up the West Indies up to WSC thereby getting them the pay they deserved. Went on to become good friends with Michael Holding. It's a great story, but more Disney than Documentary.