Fire in Babylon

My review: Fire in Babylon

Written & directed by Steven Riley , "Fire in Babylon" is a sports documentary film which got released in UK last year finally released in India this week. Cricket has always been lauded as a game with lot of human elements & emotions. This documentary focuses on the human elements & emotional turmoil and upheavals of one of the most strongest team ever in any sports of any era , the West indies cricket board.

Movie starts with insights into how a group of independent nations are represented collectively as one cricket team , a legacy of colonial rule till the 60's. It is really shocking to know that till Sir Frank Worrell all the West Indian captains were whites. There are many other shocking revelations about how the team was tormented in Australia in both by the players & the spectators with racist abuses.

Actually this documentary is made in the template of any other "under-dog feature film". This movie traces the raise of the under-dog cricket team which was once taunted as the "Calypso cricketers" who entertain but don't win to the world beaters they became. The story starts with the 1975 tour of Australia where they get decimated by the Lille-Thompson pace duo and the racial abuses. Wounded by the utter humiliation when they return home Clive Lloyd , taking a leaf out of Australian team's success ( the protagonist ala feature film ) starts scouting for pacy fast bowlers. Andy Roberts & Michael Holding are joined by Colin Croft. India is the unfortunate team which gets to be in the receiving end of this team with new philosophy & fire power.

After beating India it is the turn of England in England to get the mauling fueled by the now infamous jibe of Tony Grieg "I Intend to make them grovel" . This point in time one starts rooting for the West Indies team to beat the arrogant English side which they did.

In between the movie focuses on the financial crunches that crickets of those days used to face , especially in West indies & the famous World series cricket of Kerry Packer which came to their rescue. There can't be a under-dog movie unless the under-dog finally put its might across their tormentors. 1979 is the year when it is payback time for the West indies against the mighty Australians.

Movie ends with focuses on the 5-0 "black wash" against England & the truth that from 1980 to 1995 they were undefeated.

Apart from Clive Lloyd , movie focuses amply on the pace quartet Andy Roberts , Micheal Holding , Colin Craft & Joel Garner. Viv Richards is Lloyd's trusted lieutenant. Once respect for the man grows manifold when it is revealed that he turned down a million dollar deal with the apartheid government of South Africa for the cause & sentiments he believed in.

"Fire in Babylon" is a well crafted documentary which entertains , especially if you are an avid cricket fan. It focuses not  only on the sports but also on the socio-political as well as the humanistic aspects of the game as well.

Bottomline : Under-dogs' success story.

3.5/5