FIRE IN BABYLON
UK, 2010, 85 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Stevan Riley
Fire in Babylon? A historical documentary? War in Iran?
No. Cricket!
This is a very interesting as well as entertaining documentary about the dominance of the West Indies in world cricket for two decades from the 1970s to the 1990s. Even those who do not have the patience to watch a five day test match, let alone a one day match (or even a 20/20 match), will find much in the film to enjoy, and even be excited by. (Some British and Australian fans may also get excited in the glum sense as they see the West Indians returning the conquering compliment to Lillee and Thompson and the England bowlers.)
But, Stevan Riley’s documentary focuses on the independence movements in the Caribbean in the 1960s, and the desire for freedom from European colonial power, the power of Britain. He uses news footage from the period. He also links the movements and the ascendancy in cricket to the music of the period, reggae music with Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and the Rastiferian background.
But, with so much cricket footage, rapidly paced and inserted, there is a growing sense of exhilaration as we see the defeated West Indian players decide to strike back against the fast pace bowling – and the many hits, bumps and bruises. And strike back the players did, scouting for and finding a new generation who developed bowling techniques that gave as good as it got. And the past dominating sides had to accept being beaten at their own game.
What enhances the film is the footage of talking heads, the cricketers from those times but also the strong contemporary interviews from Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and many others who offer the benefit of their memories and their reflections after so many years. Colin Croft also appears, which raises the issues of rebel teams playing in South Africa in the 1980s and the consequences.
The running time is short, shorter than many an innings, but it is made by those who have an affinity with fast-paced bowling but don’t mind some tricky spin now and again.
