Best Sports Movies for Your Bucket List
Despite the modern tendency towards one-time movies, cinematography is still rich in films that will live forever, and this list includes a lot of movies about sport. Here are the greatest sports movies of all time that will stay popular for eternity and will always be remembered both by critics and viewers all over the world.
When We Were Kings (1996)
The 1996 Leon Gast’s documentary When We Were Kings is always mentioned in the list of best sports movies. And it is hardly surprising. All boxing fans would certainly agree that the personality of Muhammad Ali is legendary and iconic. It means a lot to see him preparing for the match, especially when we are talking about the one with George Foreman. Leon Gast shot his documentary back in 1974. However, it took him more than 20 years to get the financing to show his masterpiece to the world. And we thank the director a lot for not giving up. His great film When We Were Kingsreceived an Oscar, and the fight between two great boxers will be forever captured on film. Moreover, the director managed to portray the striking personality of Muhammad Ali by showing him all—his feelings, his thoughts, and his attitude towards the things that are not even connected with sports.When We Were Kings undercovers the true love of people and their strong faith in their hero who just cannot be defeated.
The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
Sam Wood managed to create one of the best sport films in the history of cinematography. The Pride of the Yankees tells the story of life and sports career of the first legendary baseman Henry “Lou” Gehrig. This New York Yankees’ player went down in history as the one who participated in 2130 games without having a rest for 14 years. The movie The Pride of the Yankeesmade Gehrig’s name famous all over the world and stays one of the most inspiring and sentimental stories about the baseman.
The Wrestler (2008)
What happens to a person who has nothing to lose? The world-famous Darren Aronofsky’s sport movie The Wrestler shows an aging wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson. He once was one the most famous wrestlers, but his life turns upside down when he has a heart attack during one of his fights. Despite the doctors’ recommendations and threats of death, Robinson decides not to give up and continues fighting anyway. The Aronofsky’s drama is intense and shows the world of wrestling as it is. The film shows all the details of this severe kind of sports and the people who literally have nothing to lose. The intense drama The Wrestler shows you what it is like to be a person whose whole life is sports.
Chariots of Fire (1981)
The list of the best sports films cannot do without the world-famous Hugh Hudson’s drama Chariots of Fire. The film was Oscar-nominated in seven categories and won four of them, including the Best Picture. The British film managed to outdistance all its strong competitors. The historical drama is a story of the rivalry between two athletes—Jewish Harold Abrahams and Christian Eric Liddell—who fought for the Olympic Gold Medal in 1924. TheChariots of Fire film shows not only the sporting competition but the rivalry between two absolutely different people that have different ideologies and religions. Hugh Hudson created a masterpiece, showing not only the world of sports but the characters of two strong athletes, their ups and downs, and the hard times for Europe when World War II is only about to come.
Rocky (1976)
It is hard to find a person who does not know the film Rocky. Among all thegreat sports movies about boxing, this one has truly become a legend. The intense, sensitive, and soulful John G. Avildsen’s drama had inspired us. So it was not a surprise when the film got its Best Picture Oscar. The Rocky film shows a broken-down boxer, who decides to use his last chance to succeed and fights for the title of the World Heavyweight Champion. Sylvester Stallone, who was then an unknown actor, managed to succeed in his role and won the hearts of the viewers and the Oscar prize, of course. While it seems that the film became popular because it was released back in 1976, the movie is adored even by the younger generation. Why? Because it has an incredible atmosphere and shows Rocky’s irresistible desire to prove that he is a person who can win Carl Weathers, the unconquerable boxer that thinks he is an undeniable winner.
Senna (2010)
Asif Kapadia’s documentary film Senna can be easily called a non-negotiable masterpiece. The film tells the story of a great motor-racing champion Ayrton Senna and his racing career in Formula One. The critics predicted the film to be a failure; however, on the very day when it was shown for the first time, they had to take their words back. The film won the hearts of the audience and was granted the status of standard documentary. The three-hours Senna film shows ten years of the champion’s life and consists of the documentary chronicle and narratives of the people who knew Ayrton Senna personally. The film perfectly shows why Senna was a special and remarkable person. Even his eternal rival, Alain Prost, said that Senna was the best person he had ever met in his entire life. Ayrton Senna was a hero, who was competing not to get an award but to prove that he can go beyond limits. The emotional documentary Senna shows a man who loved racing and never gave up.
Raging Bull (1980)
Martin Scorsese created a legend—he shot one of the greatest films about boxing, Raging Bull. The movie is about a popular professional boxer Jake LaMotta, who performed in the 40s. The film Raging Bull shows the sportsman’s fights with his competitors and undercovers his major rival—himself. Jake LaMotta’s uncontrollable and scandalous nature caused the boxer a lot of trouble in his personal life and sporting career. Raging Bullshows that the skilled professional fighter wasted his talent on constant confrontations with his managers, total consumption with jealousy to his wife, going on a binge and ruining matches. Martin Scorsese managed to show the boxer as he was and let the viewers plunge into the story using black and white filming, which conveyed the atmosphere of the documentary. The film is hard and harsh and, nevertheless, true-life. Robert De Niro, the leading actor of the Raging Bull film, created an incredible character, who is tortured by his own nature, and was a perfect fit for the role of Jake LaMotta, regardless of the sportsman’s age (the film shows 20 years of the boxer’s life). Moreover, De Niro portrayed the sportsman who is worth sympathy. Jake LaMotta watched Scorsese’s film. As a result, the film Raging Bull helped the popular sportsman understand how wasteful and careless he was with his life.
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