It’s easy to forget that heroes are human too. After all, they accomplish the impossible. They walk on the moon. They lead revolutionary wars. They usher in the era of the civil rights movement.
They showed the world in the 1970s that women didn’t just belong in the kitchen.
Indeed, that is the film’s charm.Battle of the sexes,“The 1970s” depicts the famous primetime tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, a match that was supposed to demonstrate men’s complete dominance over women and forever shatter the idea that female athletes should be paid equally to their male counterparts.
Of course, things didn’t work out that way.
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But what makes this film great isn’t the historic nature of the moment it aired in primetime on ABC, but rather the look inside the minds of King and Riggs, two men who will forever be linked in history.
Every great sports movie manages to put humanity above the sport — Field of Dreams, Remember the Titans, Hoosiers, Million Dollar Baby — and Battle of the Sexes does just that, showcasing two characters struggling to right the wrongs they’ve suffered because King is a woman and Riggs is a high-stakes gambler.
It’s how the latter is handled that makes the film a much more successful one than expected: Riggs isn’t the film’s villain, but its antihero, a down-on-his-luck man looking for a way to get attention again. Like King, he fights for the right to be who he is, and even preaches about the virtues of gambling addiction.
It is an institution in men’s sports. Male-dominated tennis promoter Jack Kramer embodiedearns the moniker of a well-deserved villain in the film. Treating Riggs as a lovable jerk, despite his outrageous misogynistic remarks, was a strong choice by the film’s director and writers. King is occasionally shown smiling and laughing with Riggs’ circus troupe, reflecting historical reality while also highlighting her competitive spirit, being able to shake hands while punching at the same time.
King is portrayed not only as a hero on paper, but also as a lesbian trapped in the role of a 1970s icon, and a woman struggling to balance her true self with her public persona. Larry King” is a powerful portrayal of the struggles of a heterosexual couple forced to hide their true selves from society, and while King’s fight for equal treatment for gay people came years after the period depicted in the film, it offers a glimpse into her emergence as a lesbian and LGBT pioneer.
When King and Riggs finally took the court in front of a global television audience of 90 million, their styles were in stark contrast. Riggs had already beaten then-world number one Margaret Court 6-2, 6-1, so most of the world expected her to dominate King, even while wearing an uncomfortable Sugar Daddy jacket. Tennis isn’t the most exciting sports action we’ve seen on film, but the moment-to-moment drama brings the match to life.
The outcome isn’t hard to predict: Everyone knows Billie Jean King, but few know Bobby Riggs outside of this match.
After watching Battle of the Sexes, we understand these two characters a little better. While the film certainly takes creative liberties, the story and human conflicts are very true to life plots in the opinion of many. I wouldn’t be surprised if this film makes waves during awards season. As far as sports movies go, this is one of the best.
This story was originally published in 2017 when the film Battle of the Sexes was released.
Source: Outsports – www.outsports.com
