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Rating: 
Summary: Gods in Pain
Review: 'Gods in Pain,' the title of one of the chapters in the film, would have been a better title for the entire film. This film has many shots of rowing in the morning mist. Some say too many; I say not enough. My three favorite scenes; 1) the crews rowing to the Harvard boathouse; 2) Tiff Wood taking to the water in a single for the first time, with Parker placing his hand over the water to show how flat it is, as if to say, "If you can't balance the shell, it's you, not the water," and 3) the real Tiff Wood rowing a single past the actor's four. Rowing, like chess, is an activity of the mind. Once you watch a few beautifully rowed strokes, it's boring, unless you are a rower. And even rowers get bored watching rowing. You need to do it. So, to make a film about rowing is hard. Thank you to the group who put this film together.
Rating:
Summary: Gods in Pain
Review: 'Gods in Pain,' the title of one of the chapters in the film, would have been a better title for the entire film. This film has many shots of rowing in the morning mist. Some say too many; I say not enough. My three favorite scenes; 1) the crews rowing to the Harvard boathouse; 2) Tiff Wood taking to the water in a single for the first time, with Parker placing his hand over the water to show how flat it is, as if to say, "If you can't balance the shell, it's you, not the water," and 3) the real Tiff Wood rowing a single past the actor's four. Rowing, like chess, is an activity of the mind. Once you watch a few beautifully rowed strokes, it's boring, unless you are a rower. And even rowers get bored watching rowing. You need to do it. So, to make a film about rowing is hard. Thank you to the group who put this film together.
Rating: 
Summary: A flawed effort
Review: As a former oarsman, this film is a major disappointment. While visually stunning, it suffers from a major flaw: none of the actors can row at a level anywhere close to the one they are supposed to be at. As a result, despite grunting and grimacing, they cannot convey the true spirit of the sport: the combination of pain, power and grace. Besides making the story difficult to believe, it also prevents the director from getting us into a "rowing rhythm" as what would otherwise be flowing scenes must be shortened and edited to avoid showing too many obvious "crabs". Too bad.
Rating:
Summary: A flawed effort
Review: As a former oarsman, this film is a major disappointment. While visually stunning, it suffers from a major flaw: none of the actors can row at a level anywhere close to the one they are supposed to be at. As a result, despite grunting and grimacing, they cannot convey the true spirit of the sport: the combination of pain, power and grace. Besides making the story difficult to believe, it also prevents the director from getting us into a "rowing rhythm" as what would otherwise be flowing scenes must be shortened and edited to avoid showing too many obvious "crabs". Too bad.
Rating:
Summary: not quite so flawed
Review: Certainly the actors had less than perfect rowing form. And this does limit the amount of footage of edit-free rowing that can be shown. However I was surprised that they found actors who could row at all. And I was also pleasantly surprised at the professional level of film making in terms of photography, sound, editing and acting. Since this is the only dramatization of rowing that I am aware of it is easily recommended. Highly evocative of the colors, sounds and feel of the sport. So overall authenticity (given the actors marginal rowing skills) is preserved. If I wanted to watch rowing skills I can put in a VHS of the Olympics or maybe last years IRAs. I think the producer / director of "Rowing Through" had other intentions.
Rating:
Summary: not quite so flawed
Review: Certainly the actors had less than perfect rowing form. And this does limit the amount of footage of edit-free rowing that can be shown. However I was surprised that they found actors who could row at all. And I was also pleasantly surprised at the professional level of film making in terms of photography, sound, editing and acting. Since this is the only dramatization of rowing that I am aware of it is easily recommended. Highly evocative of the colors, sounds and feel of the sport. So overall authenticity (given the actors marginal rowing skills) is preserved. If I wanted to watch rowing skills I can put in a VHS of the Olympics or maybe last years IRAs. I think the producer / director of "Rowing Through" had other intentions.
Rating: 
Summary: Read "The Amateurs" instead
Review: I guess things must balance out for Tiff Wood. After having his Olympic efforts being beautifully chronicled by David Halberstam in "The Amateurs", he is portrayed as a childish, selfish buffoon in this pointless movie. The novice level rowing aside, this movie makes "Oxford Blues" look like "Chariots of Fire" or "Breaking Away" as far as a well made, inspiring sports movie. Unfortunately, I know of no decent rowing movie that has been made. "A Fine Balance" by Brad Lewis is a very good film but it is a documentary.
To summarize, the rowing is terrible, one develops no affection for any of the characters, and the historical facts are skimmed over. Brad Lewis, the only main character in Halberstam's book to win an Olympic gold medal, is mentioned only as "Paul Enquist's partner". I consider Mr. Lewis one of the lucky ones in this regard. Save your money and read the book instead. Or you can have my DVD copy for free.
Rating:
Summary: Read "The Amateurs" instead
Review: I guess things must balance out for Tiff Wood. After having his Olympic efforts being beautifully chronicled by David Halberstam in "The Amateurs", he is portrayed as a childish, selfish buffoon in this pointless movie. The novice level rowing aside, this movie makes "Oxford Blues" look like "Chariots of Fire" or "Breaking Away" as far as a well made, inspiring sports movie. Unfortunately, I know of no decent rowing movie that has been made. "A Fine Balance" by Brad Lewis is a very good film but it is a documentary.
To summarize, the rowing is terrible, one develops no affection for any of the characters, and the historical facts are skimmed over. Brad Lewis, the only main character in Halberstam's book to win an Olympic gold medal, is mentioned only as "Paul Enquist's partner". I consider Mr. Lewis one of the lucky ones in this regard. Save your money and read the book instead. Or you can have my DVD copy for free.
Rating:
Summary: Read "The Amateurs" instead
Review: I guess things must balance out for Tiff Wood. After having his Olympic efforts being beautifully chronicled by David Halberstam in "The Amateurs", he is portrayed as a childish, selfish buffoon in this pointless movie. The novice level rowing aside, this movie makes "Oxford Blues" look like "Chariots of Fire" or "Breaking Away" as far as a well made, inspiring sports movie. Unfortunately, I know of no decent rowing movie that has been made. "A Fine Balance" by Brad Lewis is a very good film but it is a documentary.
To summarize, the rowing is terrible, one develops no affection for any of the characters, and the historical facts are skimmed over. Brad Lewis, the only main character in Halberstam's book to win an Olympic gold medal, is mentioned only as "Paul Enquist's partner". I consider Mr. Lewis one of the lucky ones in this regard. Save your money and read the book instead. Or you can have my DVD copy for free.
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