Franz Klammer - A Lenda do Esqui

When Franz Klammer raced for the most wanted and expected and needed Olympic gold medal in the history of at least the Austrian sport, I was 12 and jumped and screamed in front of the TV set. So was my mother. Maybe, lacking this experience or any connection to Austria whatsover, it's difficult to relate what was going on in this little, ski crazed country of ours, and watching the movie you might think it's over the top in that regard. Well, it's not. For me, it was reliving the days of anticipation, the nervousness, all of it. Added to it the colourful depiction of the spirit and style of my home country in childhood days, the insights into the scene with ski producers acting like Russian oligarchs, and the overall light and charming and humorous tone, I was positively surprised how much this movie got to me. Loved it!

A romantic sports biography set in the 70ies austrian alps. It follows the sympathetic Franz Klammer who won the gold medal in the 1976 winter olympics ski downhill race in Innsbruck. It was a home game for him. Also we see a sweet and because of Franz' fame a bit complicated love story unfold as he and his girlfriend start getting closer. The film draws besides that attention to his carinthian origins, dealing with fame, scenes with colleagues and a conflict with his ski sponsor. Its a somewhat lighthearted sports competition film photographed with retro touch and colors. Productionwise its high value and although the story is not very deep or complex, Franz smile and quirky charme will take u over. Somehow he is portraited a little shy, hiding that under a big smile. He raises the question what he needs to win and that he has to know that at the start. And in a nice blending of scenes on the final meters of the race it seems one can see what this is for him: foremost his love, is family, his colleagues and furthermore all people cheering him up to win. He also wins for them and for us, so its a kind of collective win and euphoria. I also think the dialect speech was very authentic and i applaud that.

Catching the spirit of the Olympic winter games in Austria marvelously. The characters are well developed and the stress the downhill racers are exposed to both regarding the race as well as regarding the expectations are well described. Great ski racing scenes.