All that can be heard in the opening moments of MurderBall are the ambient sounds of Mark Zupan getting himself into his wheelchair, lifting his body and legs into place, and the sound of a compressor. In some ways, the opening images of MurderBall or Quadriplegic Rugby are deceiving. You might imagine a very different scenario for a documentary that follows Mark’s life.
MurderBall – 2005 – Think Film/MTV/1 More film – 88 minutes. Directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro.
MurderBall focuses on the USA Quadriplegic Rugby team’s path to the 2004 Olympics in Greece, their rivalry with the Canadian team, its coach Joe Soares, and the US Quad Rugby players. The film’s pace does not slacken as it takes you with these warriors on their quest to win the Olympic Gold in Athens.
In the opening scenes, you quickly get to know several players through their words and actions and from interviews with their friends and families. The sport of wheelchair rugby is highly competitive, as are the participants. The rivalry between the USA and Canada is intensified by the animosity of the US team members toward Joe Soares, an ex-U.S. player who has “defected” to become the coach of the Canadian team. This angst is even more evident after the US team, undefeated in eleven years, loses a game to the Canadian team, coached by Soares, in Vancouver. After the game, one of the US players asks Soares, “how it feels to be a traitor to his country?”
One of the unique aspects of this documentary is that you are drawn into the players’ lives and given an understanding of their disability in a non-condescending fashion. Instead, there is empathy and respect for these athletes who have overcome adversity and ask for no sympathy. This documentary is about a sport and athletes who have overcome adversity to play it.
Murderball is a documentary; nonfiction is structured like an action/drama fiction film and is scripted in three acts. The rivalry between the two teams, the US players versus Joe Soares and the Canadians, gives us clear a protagonist and antagonist. Joe Soares’s aggressive and often insensitive behavior makes him the person to dislike, although, toward the middle of the film, he does get some redeeming value when he attends his non-jock son’s concert. Another, more subtle antagonist in the movie is the personal physical limitations the athletes must overcome to play this contact sport.
Murder Ball was nominated for an Oscar as Best Documentary Film and has an impressive list of awards, including one for editing. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436613/awards
Review by James R Martin
“Murder Ball directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro, produced by Jeffrey Mandel and Shapiro, photographed by Rubin, works like many great documentaries to transcend its subject and consider the human condition.” – Roger Ebert – July 22, 2005
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62 replies on “MURDER BALL”
Murder Ball has a great flow to it, and it is a very interesting, as well as entertaining documentary.
Murder Ball is an entertaining, yet informative piece that really delves into the lives of these paraplegic athletes. I was impressed with how they used many characters with a few main ones and bringing all there stories together. I thought the film gave a great look into how being paralyzed doesn’t mean your life has to be.
Good point regarding the parallel development of all the characters.
JRM
What I appreciated most about Murderball was how they began with candidly depicting how difficult day to day activities are, like getting dressed, for the people with the disabilities, then moved right into showing us how so very able they are in pursuing excellence in the sport of wheelchair Rugby. It made the clear point throughout that these guys don’t sit around feeling sorry for themselves, so we shouldn’t. I was wanting to show this to my sons as a great story of overcoming obstacles up until the point of the graphic details the filmmakers went into on how they manage their sexual lives now. That, to me, was unnecessary to dwell on and mostly only for shock value. Too bad. Otherwise, great story!
It seems that questions about sex for these men, in particular the young man in the motorcycle accident, are important for them to answer, as they adjust to their condition. We are seeing through their eyes. It resolves for everyone how it’s possible for them to have normal relationships. The graphic instructions, however, do seem out of place with the rest of the documentary, maybe best left to the viewer’s imagination?
The Keith character represents some of the things each of the players went through to get to where they are presently.
JRM
In my Opinion what make this Documentary so enjoyable is that follow the hero’s jorney perfectly. You can see the obstacles in the way of this people and how they archive overcome it. It a true record of the power of the human spirit. I love it I can’t wait what Documentary is Next! Scratch Please!
The story does pull us in to the journey these men are on an the obstacles encountered, as you mention, a testament to the “human spirit.”
JRM
I really enjoyed this! After class I mention to my dad that we had watched it. The first thing he said was, “we have it at home, I’m not sure why you haven’t watched it.” The point of view of the story is great. I really liked how the music played in the background as it gave me goosebumps. Overall, I would recommend this to others.
Sometimes the expectation of a documentary about a subject like this is that it will be condescending and try to evoke sympathy but this one turns out a lot differently.
JRM
I thought Murder Ball was very unorganized with its presentation. They had a lot of information presented that was completely unnecessary or irrelevant to the original “Murder Ball” theme. Although I feel this way, I do think that the documentary was very entertaining and kept the spirits of the viewer positive. This was an excellent approach by the film crew to make something that can be very depressing for people rather entertaining. They also did a good job to never make the handicapped look inferior to the rest of us. They did this with camera angles at some points, and by just showcasing how similar we are to them throughout the documentary.
Interesting, what would change to make it more organized? What do you consider to be the “original Murder Ball?”
JRM
I really enjoyed Murder Ball. It was a very motivational, and true documentary. The way the film mixed the reality of a life with limited mobility and the ability to overcome it was very well done. This documentary was informative, creative and funny.
One big factor that makes this documentary successful is that it tells a story that keeps the viewer engaged.
JRM
I really liked the parallel structure that “Murderball” utilized, interweaving all the different stories and experiences of the numerous team members all the while still following the main theme. It never felt cluttered or hard to follow, probably due to the fact that it was highly entertaining as it was informative.
This film was very motivational and definitely opened my eyes more to their constantly stigmatized world. It really shows how strong the human spirit can be, no matter how much someone has lost or how many obstacles they face.
I also appreciated that despite their difficulties, they were all able to maintain a positive attitude and strong devotion to the sport.
Even though Joe Soares was a very aggressive and “antagonistic” person in the film, we can’t deny his incredible enthusiasm for the sport and his well being for his team, regardless if it was so called “traitorous” to coach for Canada’s team.
One flaw of the film I agree could have cut out was the instructional video of paraplegic sex, it almost seemed to be comical and mocking at their handicaps as shown by the awkward laughter in class.
Good point regarding Joe Soares and his determination.
JRM
I believe the filmmakers handled the subject of the athlete’s disabilities by focusing more on their personalities rather than disabilities, as their flawless, strengths, and weaknesses were all depicted in the foreground. Even though the filmmakers constantly reminded the viewer of the athlete’s predicament, they were portrayed as everyday people with aspirations and dreams, instead of going down the easy lane in a bid to garner sympathy. Overall this was a fantastic project; the filmmakers did a wonderful job.
Enjoyed reading all the comments on Murder Ball. Thanks.
JRM
I thought Murderball was a inspirational story about hope and adversity. The day-to-day lives of paraplegics and their fight to win gold and the fight of their lives. Awesome shot composition and B roll was excellent.
They did get great coverage of the games and life outside the main events. The “B” roll was always part of the story.
Thanks for your comment.
Jim
I found the story to be both hopeful and realistic. Yes you wanted the US team to kick everyone’s ass but that is not always how it goes in life. The young men in the competition are normal in every sense of the word, they just happen to have gone through an accident that put them in a wheel chair. They have definitely gotten over whatever caused their paralysis and moved on towards better things in life than self pity.
Very inspiring. Go team USA!!
Murderball was exactly what it sounds, a gritty, unabashed look at individuals continuing to live their lives regardless of the appearance of a handicap. I loved it.
I absolutely loved this documentary it was highly entertaining and informative. The filmmakers did an excellent job in not showing the paralyzed rugby players in an extremely weak demeanor. I learned a lot from watching. I love how these rugby players do not succumb to their situation they prove to us all that they are not beaten and broken just because they are paralyzed. It’s inspiring in some ways. The editing of this documentary also had a lot of great quick cuts and editing style and the shots were really cool too.
The documentary “Murderball” had was interesting and had a natural flow to the story. The filmmakers do a good job of showing the grittiness of the sport and also do a good job of making the audience feel as though they are watching athletes with no disability whatsoever. At times you find yourself even forgetting that the players are paraplegic. “Murderball” is an interesting take on paraplegic rugby and the players behind it.
I think the filmmakers did a very nice job of getting lots of b-roll to keep the story flowing and interesting. I loved the fact there weren’t any static interviews. It helped made the film visually appealing.
“Murderball” was a very curious and interesting documentary, also very informative. It brought a sense of hope. The filmmakers did a great job on doing a respectful story about people that are quadriplegic. Impressively you saw more than just people, you saw athletes. Showing the world that a wheelchair does not limit your lifestyle. It was a great documentary.
This documentary is colored with a variety of emotions. It really caught my attention because it showed the sad story, the funny part, the hope, happy moments, competition and many more. Personally, I believe that a documentary must capture the essence of reality and this documentary covered the most important parts to tangled the story together. It has the actual development of the sport but it got the personal life and story. I also liked how it was filmed with interesting shots.
“Murderball” is an appealing, touching, and inspiring documentary; many viewers might identify themselves with the paraplegic mad max-style wheelchair rugby athletes and their families because of who they are, what they’ve been through, and how they live life.
The filmmakers do a good job informing and entertaining the viewer. The world of paraplegic rugby is demonstrated very well, the process of recovery is shown in detail, and the whole story has many elements such as humor, sadness, and triumph that make it entertaining.
This is a social and sports documentary that will control your emotions, and that’s what makes it worth watching.
… all without being condescending to the subjects.
the only condescending people were the nurses in one of the hospital scenes. i don’t get what was up with that but she sounded like she was baby talking to him.
The film Murderball takes an interesting look at paraplegics, people who we typically look down upon. However, instead of focusing on their disabilities, the documentary starts right in with what they can do, rather than what they can’t do. It’s not until about half way through do they even discuss being handicapped. To keep an emphasis on the athletes, the camera is kept at their eye level, rather than the eye level of a person not confined to a wheelchair. The film contains a perfect balance of emotions, entertainment, information, drama and comedy.
This was a great documentary because it doesn’t only focus on the sport “Wheelchair Rugby” but it also focuses on the athletes lives and how the cope with the world and get over their Disabilities. This documentary is very informative and entertaining, but it is also very emotional because you get wrapped up into these peoples lives and feel their excitement, disappointment, and anger (towards the other teams).
It was neat watching this for a second time (almost a year later), and being moved by this film–but in different ways. I feel like “Murderball” has the diverse capacity in its content to speak to many different people and social groups. As stated in the above review, the film’s not just about wheelchair rugby, it’s (among other things) about perseverance, loss, and finding strength within yourself. The broad range of content included in the film is what makes it so great.
The thing that I really liked about “Murderball” was how all the story lines intertwined. I’m a sucker for this, “Crash” being one of my favorite movies. It just reminds us that we are all connected. Had Zupan decided not to go to the Rehabilitation Hospital, I have a feeling that the motorcycle rider would have remained depressed. I also liked how the documentary didn’t dwell on the handicaps of the people. Yes, they mention it to satisfy the natural curiosity of the audience, but they don’t keep it dangling over your head the entire film. Very well done. A roller coaster of emotions throughout the whole movie kept me entertained.
Murderball was a entertaining and emotional documentary, by the end of the movie I hated the canadians. The characters were amazing, strong and inspirational.
I thought that Murder Ball was one of the most interesting documentaries I have ever seen. Very good characters, they almost seem unreal. I love how the documentary starts out to seem like a constant struggle do do everyday things but when you see them destroying each other during murder ball it shows you that they are capable to do something extreme.
I found myself sucked into the story, and it was very well put together. I loved the way that the games were cut together, and the suspense that it built, regardless of the fact that I was on the side of both teams.
Murder Ball was an entertaining and inspirational documentary. This documentary just goes to prove that all you need is determination and passion to get you through life. I enjoyed watching this and learning about Murder Ball and the inspirational athletes and coaches who are a part of the league.
This was by far my favorite documentary I have ever seen. The story was captivating and the characters were interesting. It has a very universal appeal. With qualities that young fans of MTV will love, and still a story that the older can appreciate as well.
It made me laugh. It made me cry. And it opened my eyes.
Murderball. Even the title immediately screams different. And that is the main characteristic that this film provides. Instead of feeling remorse throughout the documentary, you feel excitement and hope. Watching what these different men went through, and everything they were able to overcome, is a miracle. This is amazing art not only because of how it looks, but how it makes us feel. Interestingly enough, the piece that evokes so much emotion is often filmed as if the audience was watching a sporting event. In the end, the U.S.A. concedes defeat, but the hope still stands. These filmmakers made it so the audience, and the characters within the story, can move on.
What I really liked about this documentary was how much these guys stressed that they are just as normal as those of us without deformities or accidents. I think it’s a condition for people to ask people, whom they think is less fortunate than them for help or assistance. With all do respect, some of these people with physical fall backs have their life together more than any non-physical fall back person would have. The invention of Wheelchair Rugby is a brilliant one. This is a true testament to will power, the power to overcome any obstacle and still be standing or sitting up with smile!
I thoroughly enjoyed the Murderball documentary because it successfully told the story of the struggles and triumphs of the quad rugby team. I loved the way that the documentary started because the rugby players’ humor allowed the audience to feel comfortable about the subject matter. This style of humor continued through the rest of the documentary and it really captivated my attention.
Murderball was touching and fun all at the same time. It made me laugh and bring tears to my eyes. It was amazing to see how strong these damaged men are, and how they completely turned their lives around from being impaired to being able, in their own unique way. I enjoyed the rawness of the documentary. Nothing was held back, and nothing was censored. We were able to completely dive into the lives of these people, and never once feel sorry for them.
Murderball was “real.” It touched on the sad reality that unfortunate things happen to good people. However, despite it’s compassionate take, the film was empowering. It documents the sheer will of the human spirit and its ability to overcome emotional and physical adversity.
Murderball was a great film that enjoyed a lot. Sometimes we forget that people with disabilities are no different then we are they just have to do things in a different way to get them accomplished. I think sometimes it is hard for us to let go the fact that they don’t want us to treat them differently. I like the part when the guy was talking about how he got done with the store and someone asked if he needed help getting into his car and he said that if he had trouble getting into his car then he wouldn’t have come.
I also like the fact that this story shows Jon and the fact that he wasn’t a very nice guy to his family and to his country. I found myself not liking him very much in the begging but found that he was a pretty good guy in the end. Overall it was a great story.
Murderball was a great documentary, that dealt with quadriplegics. It covered everything from how they became a quadriplegic, to the struggles of becoming handicapped, and a creative form a rugby known as Quad Rugby. This documentary will always be one of my favorite and one i will recommend to other people to watch because of the number of emotion it brought out of me while watching it.
One of the best and most heart-felt documentaries i have seen in awhile. I thought they did a great job at capturing the emotion and intensity of the sport as well as their personal lives.
It was an amzing Documentary. As soon as it started I began to realize that you have to be Thank Full for everything you have and always give thanksto god for keeping you and your family healthy because, we humans are always complaining about being to fat or to skinny, or having long hair or short and unfortunately their are some people out their that don’t have that luxury. Great fim, Great Edit, Well Shoot, and Great Message.
Murderball was great! I found myself smiling a lot, felt engaged, and enjoyed getting an interesting insight to their lives. It reminds me how lucky I am to be able to walk and use my hands. Really cool and I’ve already recommended it to others.
I think it was an interesting topic. I like the overall aspect of the story. However I wished the documentary would’ve shown little bit more about all the players from the US teams’ personal life. On the other hand, I like the way it started and I wished the documentary would’ve focused on little bit more on the players as much as the doc. focused on the US former player and the coach of Canada and the current spokesperson of the US team. My most favorite part of the doc. the all the coverage of the games. I think that was done really well. It was a pretty good one!
This is one of my favorite documentaries. Very informative and entertaining at the same time. I felt very engaged in their personal lives as well as the games. This was very well done and deserves the awards they’ve won. A very heartfelt documentary which already got me recommending it to others. 🙂
WOW, I loved this documentary. I have heard about it before, but never watched it. I thought it as entertaining and informative. The competitions between USA and Canada were very thrilling. I wish I could play quad rugby, however I am not in a wheelchair so I will just have to be content with watching this film over and over again.
I’ve enjoyed the documentary very much. There was a good balance of information and entertainment. I do see it leaning on the advocacy side of things but on the overall, it was well edited and I’ve leant a great deal from it.
I really liked the documentary. The editing of it flowed very well and I got sucked into their world. It definitely moved me when they lost and one of their dad’s told them how proud he was of his son for getting to the Olympics.
This was a very amazing documentary. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, and barley looked away from the screen. It pulled me in and moved me almost to tears at some points.
The style and attention to not exploiting the lives of these athletes should be commended. I liked the parallel story of Joe Soarez betrayal and Zupan’s road to the Olympics. A must see for any fans of documentary films.
I REALLY enjoyed this documentary! I had to stop myself from shouting a few times in class especially when Canada won for the 1st time. I was totally rooting for team USA. All in all, this film really got a good reaction out of me, and in my book, that’s a damn good movie.
I thought this documentary was intense. Who knew this sport would be so competitive. I also like the over all flow to the story. It was well balanced with information and had a beginning middle and end that kept you interested the entire time.
Murderball was a good documentary showing the trials and the triumph of pro murderball players. the film had a good 3 part sequence and keeps you intrigued throughout.
I was not sure about this documentary at first, however, the further into the story the more interesting it got. The shear athletic ability of these men shines far beyond their disabilities. There were a flood of many different emotions this documentary pulls from its viewers, from sympathy, to anger, to excitement and joy for the accomplishments of these athletes. I found myself thoroughly enjoying the entire story. There was an easy flow to the story, the film was shoot very well and the audio was spot on.
I picked up a copy of this documentary on DVD about 5-6 years ago; watching it again really opened my eyes on how interesting the director’s POV was during production.
I loved this documentary! While being informative it was also very entertaining. I felt very engaged in the games as well as the players personal lives throughout the movie. I would definitely recommend it to others!
I thought that the film took a new perspective on the lives of handicapped individuals. The film took all of the pity and the sadness that usually follows this lifestyle and threw it out the window and completely turned the audience on their ear! I thought it was an entertaining, fresh new look on this lifestyle and it was not only interesting and exciting, but it really changed my perspective!