BORG McENROE
Sweden, 2017, 107 minutes, Colour.
Sverrir Gudnason, Shia La Boeuf, Stellan Skarsgaard, Tuva Novotny, Leo Borg, Marcus Mossberg, Jackson Gann, Scott Arthur, Ian Blackman, Robert Emms.
Directed by Janus Metz.
An interesting film for tennis fans as well of those who like psychological portraits – especially when there is some rivalry.
Some reflections on the topic before the review of the film. The public tend to take for granted that sports champions are celebrities. Professional journalists and paparazzi supply sometimes avid readers and viewers with behaviour that can be exemplary as well as behaviour that elicits some reactions of shock-horror. But, how much attention is given to the life of the celebrity, the constancy of practice in exercising their expertise, the toll that this takes on body and soul, on the human spirit, on emotions, and on human relationships.
And the question arises, how much is the media to blame for the pressures on the celebrities? And how much is the public to blame for the pressures on the media to supply continuous coverage? Bjorn Borg was called an iceberg in his time, showing little, if any, public emotion. By contrast, Mc Enroe was highly emotional in public, often objectionably so, even eliciting boos from the Wimbledon audience in 1980, his first attempt at winning the championship.
And, can people change? What about John McEnroe? And, speculatively, in 10 years will we be seeing a feature film about Nick Kyrgios?
As regards the film itself… It is a Scandinavian production, with more emphasis, naturally, on Borg than on McEnroe?. Personnel, finance, post-production facilities all came from contributions from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The director, Janus Metz, was born in Denmark and moved to work in South Africa, a documentary filmmaker, now with is first feature film.
Bjorn Borg was Swedish and Swedish actor, Sverrir Gunadson, quite a remarkable lookalike, portrays the intensity of Scandinavian introversion, a methodical life, even obsessively detailed and repetitious. There are scenes showing him as an eager youngster hitting the tennis ball against garage doors at home. There are scenes showing him as a rather temperamental teenager, rather McEnroe-like? at times, catching the eager eye of former tennis champion, Lennart Bergelin (a fine Stellan Skarsgaard this time speaking in Swedish) , who takes him in hand, is pressurised to let him play in the Davis Cup at the age of 15, confronts him about his tantrums and instils in him the resolution not to show any external feelings and to play one point at a time. Borg certainly fulfils this as he wins so many grandslam championships in the 1970s. By 1980, he had won Wimbledon four times in succession.
If you remember the result of that match, you will enjoy seeing how it is played out. If you don’t remember the result of that match, there will be a lot of dramatic tension in the progress of the sets and at one stage, of the record set points played.
As with the recent Battle of the Sexes, matches between Bobby Riggs and Margaret Court and, especially, Billie Jean King, the play is meticulously reconstructed and dramatically edited.
But the film does give attention to John Mc Enroe, something of a child whiz at arithmetic in his head when he was young, a chess player – but a telling scene where is mother is cutting his hair and comments on the 96 that he gained four and exam: “what about the other for?�. And there is quite some pressure at all times from his father. Which doesn’t necessarily explain his emotions, his extraversion, his tantrums and the bad impression that he made at press conferences (which did sometimes tend to ask you more about his behaviour than his tennis).
He is well portrayed by Shia La Beouf, an actor who has, in real life (or, according to the media and paparazzi) exhibited behaviour like that of an angry sports brat. Some might say it is not a stretch for this performance but he does do it particularly well. And this is the case during that fateful 1980 match on Wimbledon centre court. He did control himself that day and eventually won, and deserved, the applause of those watching.
The film mentions at the end that Borg and Mc Enroe became friends, Borg becoming godfather to one of Mc Enroe’s children.
You might not expect to enjoy a feature film on tennis – but this one is worth seeking out.
1. A film for tennis fans? A film for psychological portrait and study is? In the context of sport? World celebrity?
2. Sweden in the 1960s and 70s, the suburban towns, homes, garage walls, tennis, centres? Vistas of Monaco? London, Wimbledon? Filming in sets in Prague? The musical score?
3. The title, Wimbledon 1980? The media, fans and expectations, worldwide interest? Drama?
4. The tennis sequences, recreation of the matches, editing and pace?
5. The 1980 narrative: Borg living in Monaco, Mc Enroe living in New York City, their both going to London for Wimbledon? The respective status? Borg, his fiancee, the background of his family, his coach? The intense preparation, exercise, running, his focus on his rackets and their tightness? The comparison with John Mc Enroe and his family, the fans booing him, his hopes that Wimbledon? The play, the drama, the inter-cutting of flashbacks? Celebrity, the press, interviews, pressures? Borg winning, celebrity, the information subsequently about meeting Mc Enroe, Mc Enroe winning? Their careers, Borg’s retirement? The friendship between the two?
6. Borg’s story, Swedish background, as a boy hitting the ball at the garage, pleasant young man, getting older, moody? The coach seeing him, recognising talent, his hopes? Borg and his excessive tantrums? The issue of the Davis Cup, the coachs’ hesitation, the desire for publicity? Age 15, winning? The response of the press? The coach, making Borg promise not to show any emotion? The title IceBorg? Winning point by point, one point at a time? His career, age, wins? His fiancee, her presence, his control of her, her tennis background? Her patience? The coach, friendship, support? Borg’s mood, precision and obsession with detail, repetition, the sameness? Firing Lennart? Lennart’s making the move, reconciliation? The final play, Mc Enroe saying Borg was not an iceberg better volcano underneath?
7. The coach, his own career, 1948, the difficulties in losing? His eye on ball? Training, the patience, giving advice, response to the tantrums? Staying with him? Borg’s threats, following him, the repercussions for the coach? The reconciliation? At Wimbledon with the fiancee?
8. Mc Enroe as a boy, skills in tennis, his energy, family, mother cutting his hair, her demands about winning? His father, the arithmetic in his head? Playing chess? His moods, becoming more excessive, into tantrums? Public tantrums, confrontations with the authorities, swearing, breaking rackets? The reaction of the public?
9. The role of the media, the journalist and their questions, their taking sides? The press conferences, asking more about tantrums than tennis play? Stances for and against? The 1980 match, the comments on Borg, growing respectful for Mc Enroe?
10. The paparazzi, celebrity and pressures, as seen in the behaviour of each? Borg introvert, Mc Enroe extrovert? The role of the sponsors and their expectations, advertising?
11. Other tennis players, the relationship between Mc Enroe and Peter Fleming, friendship, their playing each other, suspicions? Vitus Geralitis, extrovert, taking Borg to Studio 54 and his response?
12. The drama of 1980, the audience knowing or not knowing the outcome? Dramatic tension?
13. The audience, the change of heart, Mc Enroe’s behaviour, Borg’s persistence, the record number of setpoints? The coach and the fiancee watching?
14. Winning, the cup, Mc Enroe’s congratulations? The celebration – and Borg and his fiancee leaving?
15. The scene at the airport, the meeting, shaking hands, the beginning of friendship? And the subsequent information about each of them, career, friendship, Borg as Godfather to a Mc Enroe child?
