The legend of Bagger Vance

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Movie
German title The legend of Bagger Vance
Original title The Legend of Bagger Vance
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 2000
length 121: 28 minutes
Age rating FSK 6
Rod
Director Robert Redford
script Jeremy Leven
production Jake Eberts , Michael Nozik , Robert Redford
music Rachel Portman
camera Michael Ballhaus
cut Hank Corwin
occupation

The Legend of Bagger Vance is an American film directed by Robert Redford and starring Will Smith , Matt Damon and Charlize Theron from 2000 . The drama is based on the book of the same name by Steven Pressfield .

action

Savannah , Georgia in the 1930s: Ex-golfer Rannulph Junuh was once his town's hope in golf . At the side of his charming fiancée Adele, he was a welcome party guest. But during his service in the First World War he changed completely. He returns to Savannah traumatized, where he succumbs to alcohol and gambling and no longer touches a golf club. He also breaks off contact with Adele.

Adele's father, who owns a professional golf course, faces bankruptcy during the Great Depression and takes his own life. Immediately the loan sharks stand at Adele's door, but she doesn't want to sell her father's dream. As a last chance she sees a golf tournament with the two greatest golfers of the time: Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen . With a few tricks she manages to win the two golfers for her tournament.

A local hero should also take part in the tournament. The choice fell on Rannulph Junuh, who however only accepted the offer after some hesitation. The problem: Rannulph has lost his authentic momentum , with the help of which he achieved many successes before the war.

When he tries to hit a few balls for the first time in years, a man appears as if by magic, posing as a digger Vance and offering Rannulph to be his caddy .

The tournament is not going very well for Rannulph. Gradually, however, Bagger managed to free him from the fears he had taken with him from his experiences in the war. Rannulph regains his authentic momentum and is gradually catching up. More and more Savannah residents take part in the spectacular sporting event, and on the all-important final evening, the whole city is on its feet. Shortly before Rannulph makes the last blow, Bagger says goodbye to him, because he thinks he is no longer needed; Rannulph will now make it without him - the tournament ends in a draw.

background

The film is based on the book of the same name by Steven Pressfield, the story of which is borrowed from the ancient Indian epic “ Bhagavad-Gita ”. The mystical impression that the Caddy Bagger Vance leaves behind in the film is based on the parallel to the Bhagavad-Gita. The Caddy Bagger Vance stands for Bhagavan , which in the epic describes the god Krishna ; Rannulph Junuh represents the prince Arjuna .

In the film, Rannulph Junuh is challenged by Bagger Vance to compete with the two mighty golfers Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones, while the people of Savannah place all their hopes on their local hero Rannulph Junuh. In the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavan challenges the young warrior Arjuna to go into great battle for his people between two armies.

In a key scene of the film, Bagger asks Vance Junuh to recognize the field before a tee shot . This relates to the 13th chant of the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna speaks to Arjuna of the field and the knower of the field : The earthly body and all of nature are referred to by Krishna as the field. The field expert is the spirit that animates this body. The field changes at all times and only through equanimity towards external things and complete devotion to it can the beginningless, highest Brahman be achieved.

The story is told in a flashback by Hardy Greaves, who accompanied Rannulph Junuh and Bagger Vance throughout the tournament. The film begins and ends in the present, where old Hardy is played by Jack Lemmon , who made his last appearance in the film before he passed away in 2001. However, his name does not appear in the opening or closing credits. However, at the end you see the unaged excavator Vance waving to old Hardy. Here the film leaves open whether Hardy follows it and thus died.

Reviews

  • “'The Legend of Bagger Vance' tells an entertaining and quite nice story. The film doesn't offer a lot of depth (...), but it is still nice to watch and by no means a waste of time. It's about the life story of a simple person, and since the film is also attractive in terms of acting and appearance, it can only be described as successful, even if it shouldn't be everyone's cup of tea . " (Zelluloid.de)
  • “Despite [Matt Damon's] commitment, Redford's clear will for perfection and wonderful shots by camera magician Michael Ballhaus, the story ripples slowly and with little tension. One ray of hope is Will Smith, who as the mystical Caddy Bagger helps Vance Junuh to find the right momentum again. " ( CINEMA )
  • "Despite the perfect staging, the excellent equipment and an almost flawlessly told story of a timeless nature, The Legend of Bagger Vance 'is in the end just a' So what 'movie, albeit a really good one." (Filmszene.de )
  • Rotten Tomatoes evaluated 129 reviews and came up with 43% positive
  • Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film 3½ out of four stars
  • The Time called the film one of the most painful in recent years. Above all, the figure of the Magical Negro was criticized.

Awards

  • Golden Satellite Award (2001): Nominations for Best Cinematography (Michael Ballhaus) and Best Original Score (Rachel Portman)
  • Image Awards (2001): Nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture (Will Smith)
  • Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA 2001 : Will Smith nominated for Best Supporting Actor
  • Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination for Charlize Theron
  • Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination for Will Smith
  • Golden Trailer Awards 2001: Best Romance (Nomination)
  • Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards 2001: Nominated for Best Makeup Feature
  • Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards 2001 Best Music (Rachel Portman)
  • Shanghai International Film Festival 2001: best camera: Michael Ballhaus
  • World Soundtrack Awards 2001: Nomination for Best Music (Rachel Portman)
  • Young Artist Awards 2001 nomination for best young supporting actor: J. Michael Moncrief
  • The German Film and Media Assessment FBW in Wiesbaden awarded the film the rating particularly valuable.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Vance excavator . In: Rotten Tomatoes . Flixster . Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  2. ^ Roger Ebert : Roger Ebert: The Legend Of Bagger Vance . Chicago Sun-Times . November 3, 2000. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  3. ↑ http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,998604,00.html