Undefeated is a 2011 sport documentary directed by Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin. It follows the story of three working class youths from Manassas High School and their football coach who aims to help them beat the odds on and off the pitch.
It is an extremely moving story which was made even more touching and tear- jerking due to the fact that we know it is true to life. The film touches upon a huge range of extremely important and hard hitting themes, some of which include class, friendships, privileged, opportunity, masculinity, determination, drive, aspiration, family, father/son relationships, failure, success, strength, positivity, perseverance, motivation and the idea of 'never giving up'.
One of the most important, and therefore memorable, quotes from the film is said by the Tiger's volunteer coach Bill ~Courtney and that is:
"The character of a man is not measured in how he handles his wins, but what he does with his failures ."
This, I believe, is the overall message and moral as the film because, as it is of course a true story, unlike in many fictional dramas where the protagonists team will never lose the final match, in undefeated the Tiger's don't actually win the playoff game however what they learn is that it is always about winning and that that is one of the harsh but helpful realities of life. Therefore, this statement becomes very important for not only the character's in the film but also for the audience who can come away from the film having learnt that lesson. Something which many dramas may not have been able to do, or at least do with the same effect.
A common convention of documentaries which helped to portray this message along with the other main themes of the film was through the use of narrative. For example, title cards, and animated info graphics such as the map animation, really helped to move the story along as well as making it even more visually appealing to the audience, whilst also informing of the facts, statistics and realities on the subject.
Furthermore, the animated graphics weren't the only visual aspect of the film that would be appealing to the audience. The clever and varied use of cinematography was also key in achieving this. For example, there was a wide range of camera, shots, angles and movements, even during interviewing scenes and a beautiful and fitting color palette also helped in creating and solidifying the mood of the film throughout.
All of which came together to create a beautiful piece of work that was both visually and emotionally/intellectually appealing and I believe, would really move and inspire any audience member as well as also teaching them the same important life lesson that we see the character's learn on their journey throughout the film.
This, I believe, is the overall message and moral as the film because, as it is of course a true story, unlike in many fictional dramas where the protagonists team will never lose the final match, in undefeated the Tiger's don't actually win the playoff game however what they learn is that it is always about winning and that that is one of the harsh but helpful realities of life. Therefore, this statement becomes very important for not only the character's in the film but also for the audience who can come away from the film having learnt that lesson. Something which many dramas may not have been able to do, or at least do with the same effect.
A common convention of documentaries which helped to portray this message along with the other main themes of the film was through the use of narrative. For example, title cards, and animated info graphics such as the map animation, really helped to move the story along as well as making it even more visually appealing to the audience, whilst also informing of the facts, statistics and realities on the subject.
Furthermore, the animated graphics weren't the only visual aspect of the film that would be appealing to the audience. The clever and varied use of cinematography was also key in achieving this. For example, there was a wide range of camera, shots, angles and movements, even during interviewing scenes and a beautiful and fitting color palette also helped in creating and solidifying the mood of the film throughout.
All of which came together to create a beautiful piece of work that was both visually and emotionally/intellectually appealing and I believe, would really move and inspire any audience member as well as also teaching them the same important life lesson that we see the character's learn on their journey throughout the film.
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