The movie
It's one thing to watch athletes on
TV or DVD, and admire their strength,
perseverance, and skill. But what about behind the scenes? What does
it take to become a competitor at the highest levels? What do the
athletes go through, not just physically but emotionally, as they
strive to be the best? I've always found films that answer those
questions to be very interesting, and Triathlon: Through the Eyes
of the Elite joins the company of documentaries like The
Hard Road and Pro
in looking behind the scenes at an interesting sport. In this case
it's the triathlon, a relatively new discipline that combines the
sports of swimming, bicycle racing, and running into one challenging
event.
From the studio of Endurance Films,
Triathlon: Through the Eyes of the Elite is a film that's made
by people who understand these athletes. The film does a nice job of
informing the viewer of what triathlon is all about without being
didactic, while also clearly showing an appreciation of the
triathletes profiled here. It's a piece
that will be interesting to a broad audience, both those who are
interested in knowing more about what the sport of the triathlon is
about, and those who are already fans of the sport and want to get to
know it in more depth.
The film follows the progress of
several triathletes as they try to earn spots on the US Olympic team
for the 2000 Olympic Games. We get to see them training for their new
competitive season, and doing their best to earn the three coveted
spots each on the men's and women's triathlon teams. Since most
viewers will have little idea of how the Olympians are actually
chosen, it's quite interesting to see the level of competition and
challenge that goes into just getting a spot on the team. It's a
reminder that even the lowest-placed athlete at the Olympic Games is
a world-class competitor, one who beat out many other talented and
dedicated people to secure a chance to be at the Olympics.
Triathlon: Through the Eyes of
the Elite follows one triathlete, Wes
Hobson, closely. and touches on various others as the film develops.
I liked the focus on the single athlete, as it gives us a chance to
really get to know him and appreciate his efforts to get to the top
of the sport, and I wish that the film had stuck just to one or two
rather than trying to include many others. Still, the film does get
us familiar with several interesting figures so we're eager to find
out who made the team and who didn't . Another strong point in the
film's favor is that it gives an honest portrayal of the ups and
downs of the triathletes' journey toward the Olympics: while some
have great performances when they need to, others have to face the
disappointment of not being able to meet their goals. As an athlete
myself, I appreciate the way the film honors all the athletes for
their effort and talent, not just the ones who happen to do well in a
particular season.
One thing that I wasn't too keen on
in the film is the appearance of sponsorship logos superimposed on
the corner of the screen at various times during the film. Sure,
these athletes are sponsored; sure, these companies helped fund the
film, and rightfully they do have a place on the back-cover copy and
in the credits. But putting their logos on the screen actually during
the film is distracting and detracts from the good impression that's
created by the rest of the content.
All in all, Triathlon: Through
the Eyes of the Elite is a solid, interesting film. At slightly
over an hour, it's briskly paced, and I felt that I'd have enjoyed an
even longer version, which is always a nice feeling to have as you
walk away from a film. It's engaging both on the human-interest
level, as a candid look at the training and lives of the elite
competitors in an interesting sport, and as an informative
perspective on what the modern sport of triathlon is all about, and
what challenges the athletes have in doing their best in it.
The DVD
Video
Triathlon: Through the Eyes of
the Elite appears in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The image
quality is not the best, but it's watchable. Colors are consistently
good, with a nice, natural appearance; the main fault in the transfer
is simply that it's very pixellated in medium- to long-distance
shots, so the level of detail suffers. Close-up shots look fine,
though.
Audio
The Dolby 2.0 soundtrack offers a
clean and satisfactory listening experience. The voiceovers and
interviews are always clear and easy to understand, and the music is
nicely balanced with the rest of the track.
Extras
There are quite a few special
features here, adding to the overall appeal of the DVD.
A section of interviews gives us
additional footage of Mark Allen, Tony De Boom, Joanna Ziegler, and
Scott Tinley, discussing various aspects of the triathlon experience.
The clips are interesting for any viewer but will be of particular
interest to triathlon fans who know who these athletes are. We also
get a three-minute clip of Ryan Bolton's performance in the Olympic
Trials from the film, with Bolton providing a voiceover commentary on
his experience of the day.
The "Cutting Room" section
includes six minutes of outtakes, many of which are extremely funny,
along with a few interesting segments that show how a few shots in
the film were thought of and implemented. This is definitely worth
watching.
Finally, we get a trailer for
Triathlon: Racing Faster (which also shows up as a forced
trailer before the film starts), and text information on the music
score and on Endurance Films.
Final thoughts
Anyone who's interested in the
highest levels of athletic performance will find Triathlon:
Through the Eyes of the Elite to be very interesting viewing, as
it provides a personal view into the lives of professional athletes
trying to earn spots on the US Olympic Team. Fans of triathlon will,
of course, like it even more; we get to meet some of the current "big
names" in the sport and see what their day-to-day training is
like, and we get a real sense of what it's like to compete at this
elite level. Though the image quality isn't ideal, it's perfectly
fine, and the addition of some interesting special features makes the
DVD into a more complete package. I'd say this merits a "highly
recommended."
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