EIGHT MEN OUT

US, 1988, 114 minutes, Colour.
John Cusack, Charlie Sheen, John Mahoney, D.B.Sweeney, David Strathairn, John Sayles.
Directed by John Sayles.

Eight Men Out is an interesting historical piece of Americana. It focuses on the fixing of the World Series in 1919, where gangster influences corrupted eight of the players and the series was lost. There was a subsequent investigation and court case, the players were considered not guilty, but were not permitted to play any professional baseball after that.

Amongst those ousted was the famous Shoeless Joe Jackson. (Shoeless Joe was one of the main characters in the fantasy baseball film, Field of Dreams.)

The film was written and directed by John Sayles. Sayles is a writer of many genre films (Alligator, Battle Beyond!-the stars). But he also direct6,and writes small budget features including The Return of the Secaucus Seven, Baby It's You, Liana, Matewan. This is a bigger budget film than usual for him and has a strong star cast line-up.

The film re-creates the period excellently. It also has enough baseball to interest the fans. However, the focus is on the men themselves, the agents of corruption and the consequences for the game. It was exceedingly detrimental to the American ethos which so identifies with baseball as a national sport and the players as national heroes.

1. An interesting piece of Americana? History? Baseball as a symbol of the ethos of the U.S? The corruption of baseball and that symbol?

2. The work of John Sayles: his writing, the films he wrote and directed? His perspective on history, on baseball, on American ethos? (And his own playing of a journalist character, critical of the corruption.)

3. The title, the players, the money, their being ousted? The status of these players?

4. The re-creation of Chicago 1919, the opening with the kids going to the baseball field, the chorus of the kids recurring through the film, their comments, role modelling, admiration, disillusionment? The play, the fans, the newspaper Journalists and commentators? Post-war, the way of life? The musical score, songs?

5. The introduction to each of the players: their names, nicknames, age. intelligence or lack of intelligence. their sports skills, their particular roles in the game? Seeing them playing, the comment on their abilities, their moral character, corruptibility?

6. Comiskey as owning the group. his advisers, his tightness with money, giving a bonus for 30,+ictories (not 29), the references to the players not getting a human wage? The poor conditions for morale amongst the players? Comiskey in his box, lack of contact with the players? His pat words and comments? Distancing himself from them?

7. Bill Burns and his associate, their watching the players. estimating and calculating? His past career as a player, his friend as a boxer? Sullivan and his overtures to the players? The contacts for Arnold Rothstein? His aid and his plea for committing himself to the fixing of the games? Rothstein, his character. his comments on being the fat boy? His owning teams? Eating, the meeting with Sullivan, his disdain? His agreement to be involved? Abe as his adviser, his discussion with Abe and Abe declaring that no matter what, he was the champ?

8. The portrait of the players in themselves? Young men, skills? About town, in the clubs? Their families? Eddie and his pitching, the key to the issue, the 30 games needed for a bonus? Lefty? Chick and Swede and their oganisation, their friend and agreement to have him in? Hap and his bravado? Shoeless Joe? The train meeting, morale? The playing of the games, the angers of the other players?

9. Buck Weaver: his character, place in the team, knowing what was happening, refusing the money, playing his best? Idolised by the children, going to play with them? Not being able to answer them about their hopes that the corruption wasn't true?. His relationship with his wife?

10. The portrait of the coach, his past career, his reputation? Urging the players on? Concerned about the train meeting, wondering about morale? His going to testify? His faith in the team?

11. The structure of the game play: indication of game numbers? The competition? The national anthem and American honesty? The highlights of each game? Good play, bad play? The collage effect? The reactions of the fans? The kids? The journalists and their calculation as to who was corrupt? The winning game and the enterprise? Their pride? The final threats, to Lefty's wife? The losing of the final game?

12. The portrait of the journalists, their observations, comments, astuteness? acting as a chorus throughout the film? Hughie and his offsider, their observations and comments? The newspapers, the headings, leading to the inquiry?

13. Comiskey and the losing of the series, his attitude towards the inquiry, advice? Approach to the judge (and his reputation)? The press conference and the introduction? The deals behind the scenes? His testimony? Shrewd answers?

14. The trial, the attitudes of the players, careless and carefree? Their testimony? The public's support of them? The journalists' observations and comments?

15. The effect of the trial on Buck? His innocence? His plea for a separate trial? His not being heard? The comments that the 'not guilty' verdict was even more fixed than the game?

16. The celebrations, the greetings of one another? The irony of the declaration of their being ousted?

17. The passing of five years, people watching the game in New Jersey, Shoeless Joe Jackson and his expertise? Buck watching? The regrets about their lives? The information about Joe Jackson and Buck Weaver and Buck Weaver not being able to: prove his innocence?

18. The portrait of young men,. the insight into sport and gambling, the possibilities of corruption? Poor conditions for players? A prey to gangsters?

19. The game of baseball, its qualities and skills, a symbol of the American ethos? A dent in its heritage in this episode?