Kennedy Miller’s TV mini series classic about what remains still the most famous test match series in history: the 1932-33 Australia vs England series, where tough Pommy captain Douglas Jardine (Hugo Weaving, in a star making performance) concocts a strategy that came to be known as ‘bodyline’, whereby England’s fast bowlers, led by Harold Larwood (Jim Holt), would aim their deliveries at the batsman’s body. The strategy was devised to combat the batting ruthlessness of Australia’s Don Bradman (Gary Sweet, very charismatic); it succeeded, but at great cost.
The long running time (330 minutes) enables Kennedy Miller to really explore the game of cricket at the time – not just the rules (wittily explained for the novice via a non-cricket character) but the myths and archetypes that around it. England’s cricketers are show to be a combination of upper class twits, ruthless aristocrats, and forelock-tugging coal miners; the Australians are democratic, down-to-earth, and incapable of reading French menus.
Stirring stuff, very well done, with lots of humour, intelligence and good acting in amidst the run-scoring montages. The series has come under criticism for some factual errors, some of which is fair enough (Bill O’Reilly’s contributions are barely mentioned, Jessie Bradman consoles Don after getting a duck – on his way back to the dressing room!) but a lot is simple nitpicking (eg. David Firth’s comments in the recent book, Bodyline Autopsy). It’s certainly no less accurate than most cricket autobiographies you read, and they get a lot of it right. Deduct two stars if you don’t like cricket.
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