Susan Granger’s review of “Murderball” (ThinkFilm release)
Just to prove that you can’t judge a movie by its title, there’s this remarkable documentary about the contact sport that’s now called quad rugby because it’s played by quadriplegics in custom-made wheelchairs that resemble armored vehicles straight out of “Mad Max.” Filmmakers Dana Adam Shapiro and Henry Alex Rubin profile two competitors from the 2002 World Championships in Sweden. There’s fortysomething, Portuguese-American Joe Soares, who lost the use of his legs to polio in childhood; when he was cut from the U.S. team, he went north to coach their rivals: the Canadian team. And there’s thirtysomething Mark Zupan, who suffered a spinal-cord injury in a freak automobile accident when he was 18; he’s the spokesman for Team USA and one of its top scorers. Zupan took Soares’ defection personally, so the stage is set for a grudge rematch at the Paraolympics in Athens in 2004. Then there’s the more recently paralyzed Keith Cavill who, while still dazed and angry about the motor accident that changed his life, is introduced to the quad rugby wheelchair for the first time. Forget about pity and sentimentality towards the handicapped; these athletes are not only treated with respect but also with humor. They’re foul-mouthed, tough guys, fearlessly hurling themselves across the court, slamming each other to the floor again and again in an unforgiving sport. They also have remarkable insight into the human condition and are not shy about expressing themselves, delving into their off-court relationships, including their sex lives. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Murderball” is an unforgettable, hard-knock 9. These intimidating combatants have real character – and that’s what makes this film extraordinary.
