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Ashton Rich

Tyler Smith

FLM 1070

3 May 2021

Final Research Paper

In this paper, I will be discussing two films, 42 (2013) directed by Brian Helgeland and

Race (2016) directed by Stephen Hopkins. Both films deal with racism in sports before and after

the events of WW2. This was a time of developing political ideology where the world saw

extreme growth, both in industry and ideals. The exploitation of extremely racist fundamentals

by countries abroad really forced Americans to review its own beliefs and practices. With Jim

Crow Law and segregation still overtly present in many parts of the United States, the integration

of African American athletes into sports was one of the first steps toward the dissolution of these

practices. I will review how these films represent African American athletes of this time period

by examining how accurately they are represented, what the filmmakers have done to present a

culturally diverse message, and where those representations may have been guided by

mainstream American culture.

The film 42 is about Jackie Robinson, the first African American baseball player to play

in Major League Baseball. His achievements both on and off the field were instrumental in the

segregation of American sports and laying the foundation for the civil rights movement. This

meant that Hegeland had an enormous responsibility in his representation of this incredible

historical figure. In order to truly show Robinson’s character, Hegeland highlights the

unforgiving environment he was surrounded by.

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The war produced a continuous sense of patriotism amongst the American people of all

races. The county was unified against a common enemy. However, its unification was

fractionated. Upon the war’s conclusion, African American soldiers returned home to a country

that refused to acknowledge their rights as a citizen and as a human being. Many written and

unwritten laws discriminated against Black citizens and encouraged hatred and bigotry across the

nation. This was especially prevalent in America’s national sport of the time; baseball.

The truly racist behavior exhibited by the players in the film is a reflection of the attitude

of many Americans. Robinson is faced with countless racially discriminatory actions throughout

the film. Some examples include the inability to use entrances or bathrooms labeled “white

only”, a constant barrage of hate mail and death threats, and the physical abuse that he is forced

to endure on the baseball field. Helgeland exploits the sport of baseball by doing so. He is

relentless in this depiction through the use of racial slurs and hateful language. He creates

sympathy through this dialogue and his portrayal of Robinson’s passion for the sport of baseball.

The film shows the racial pressure from Robinson’s perspective. This is most notable

from the crowd’s reaction when he travels to different cities. One scene in particular when he is

in Ohio. A man and a son are seen conversing before the game discussing baseball and the son’s

favorite player, Pee Wee Reese (played by Lucas Black), like any father and son would at a

baseball game. They are shown as being very nice and friendly, until Robinson takes the field.

The father’s demeanor immediately changes as he begins to degrade and threaten Robinson. His

son watches his father and follows his example by shouting racial slurs and cussing him out. It is

at this moment when Reese puts his arm around Jackie and thanks him for what he is doing.

When the boy sees this he becomes visibly ashamed for what he has done. This scene to me

shows how the filmmakers were able to show the prevalence of this kind of racist behavior
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during this time, and how it was able to continue. From fans, to police officers, to umpires,

Robinson is outnumbered and the film accurately portrays this struggle and its imbalance.

The film Race shows a similar situation in its portrayal of Jesse Owens and his struggle

as an olympic athlete during the late 1930s. The film not only shows the intolerable racism in the

United States, but an even worse situation in Nazi Germany where the 1936 Olympic Games

were to be held. Director Stephan Hopkins shows the conditions of African American collegiate

athletes of the time. They were given much worse living quarters, were less equipped, unable to

shower when the white athletes were using the locker rooms, and were not considered as

important as the white athletes. This took a considerable toll on Jesse’s home life as it did for

many black families during this time. These struggles are shown and highlighted throughout the

film and seem to be the driving force behind some of his poor decisions. The ludicrous

discriminatory behavior belonging to many at the time are encapsulated in a scene when Owens

is forced to use the service entrance to an event after his gold medal victories in which he is the

guest of honor.

The attitudes toward the Olympic Games are depicted as well. It was difficult for any

African American athlete to participate in these games when there was even more hatred and

racism towards blacks in Germany. Participation for some felt like submission to white power

and indiffernce towards racial injustice. This dilemma is thought on and reflected many times

during the film.

These films work to portray the numerous struggles faced not only by professional

African American athletes of the time, but those faced by all African Americans. Their

depictions are brutal, and accurate. However, both of these films were directed by white, male

directors. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to say that there are subtle nuances encoded into these
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films that support mainstream American capitalist culture in which people of color are still

discriminated against. For example, both of the athletes portrayed in these films have to learn

self-control from a wiser, more intelligent white man. In 42, Branch Rickey (played by Harrison

Ford) is the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers. He instigated the move to bring Robisnson to the

Dodgers, making him the first African American to play professional baseball. In the film Race,

Owens’ coach, Larry Synder (played by Jason Sudeikis) acts in a similar role. He has to help

Owens overcome his emotions in the face of racial adversity. In both films, the success of these

athletes is dependent on these men.. Though these positions are accurate, it is interesting the

roles that these men play in these movies. In both films, these men are also very financially

driven. Their involvement with these athletes is largely motivated by success measured through

their financial gian, supporting American capitalism and the “American Dream”.

In conclusion, though these films include these subtle nuances, they are accurate in their

depiction of the challenges faced by African Americans during this time and in many ways the

tribulations that are still faced today. They provide an accurate evaluation of racism in the United

States. Films like these allow us to visualize historical events that lead this nation to where it is

today. These films give us the opportunity to reflect on what still needs to be done in the fight for

equality and racial justice and motivate us to continue that progress.