Stephan James soars as Olympian Jesse Owens in 'Race'
At a pivotal moment in Stephen Hopkins' galvanizing biographical sports drama "Race," American athlete Jesse Owens - impressively embodied both physically and spiritually by Canadian actor Stephan James - walks into the 1936 Olympic Stadium in Nazi Germany and is stunned by what he witnesses.
A towering arena covering 390 acres holding 110,000 seats filled with screaming sports fans from around the globe emanating a deafening din of raw energy bearing down directly upon him.
Cinematographer Peter Levy's camera goes full-tilt Brian De Palma on us, swirling around, around, around Owens' face, capturing modulating expressions of disbelief and concern. The shot disorients us, renders us dizzy and discombobulated. It intimidates us. And superbly approximates how a kid from Ohio State University reacts to something mere mortals can't imagine.
"Race" marks the most amazing Olympics sports film made since the 1981 British production "Chariots of Fire" won the Best Picture Oscar.
James, who humanizes the fastest man on Earth, will undoubtedly win a 2017 Oscar nomination for best actor, and not just because of the political and social flap over this year's all-white performance nominees.
Watch this man. He is a guided missile wrapped in a calm demeanor, surrounded by quiet strength and dedication. Whatever accolades he receives are justly earned.
"Race" traces the evolution of Owens from a struggling student athlete in Depression-era America to a stunning victor over the anti-Semitism and racism of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. (Oops. Did I give away the ending?)
Owens arrives at Ohio State University to meet legendary track coach Larry Snyder, played with whimsical gravitas by former "Saturday Night Live" star Jason Sudeikis. Snyder doesn't see race, except as speed on the track.
Owens and his fellow African-American athletes deal with the expected racism from their white teammates. Owens has other pressures, including his responsibility to the little girl he has fathered out of wedlock with Ruth Solomon (Shanice Banton).
Sheer speed, dedication and coaching earn Owens a slot on the U.S. Olympics team.
If there is one.
The American Olympic committee lapses into a hissy fit over Hitler's anti-Semitic, anti-black policies.
President Jeremiah Mahoney (William Hurt), who demands America boycott the Olympics, locks horns with kajillionaire industrialist Avery Brundage (Jeremy Irons) who insists the games must go on. (His company also helped build the Olympics stadium, just so you see where he's coming from).
Brundage narrowly prevails. The games go forth, but now with the spotlight on Owens as the free world's chief political weapon against Hitler's belief in Aryan superiority, plus infamous Nazi propaganda filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl ("Game of Thrones" actress Carice van Houten).
At its core, "Race" remains a conventional sports biopic, but one beautifully ensconced in period fashions, vehicles and props, crowned with winning performances from James and Sudeikis, all captured by Levy's sharp, zesty camera work.
But, did Snyder really give Owens a new pair of track shoes right before an all-important Olympic race, and Owens wore them - without bothering to break them in first?
“Race”
★ ★ ★ ½
Starring: Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Irons, William Hurt, Carice van Houten
Directed by: Stephen Hopkins
Other: A Focus Features release. Rated PG-13 for language. 134 minutes