The legendary rivalry between the two tennis greats Björn Borg and John McEnroe was first filmed in 2017. We took a closer look at Borg/McEnroe for you and raffle ten streaming links to give you an impression.
Björn Borg versus John McEnroe. This duel has electrified generations and is one of the greatest sporting rivalries in tennis history.
But why are the matches between Sweden and the US-American so attractive and worth seeing?
Borg was considered almost unbeatable around 1980 and was the undisputed number one in the world. As one of the first players, he beat the backhand with two hands and thus played a major role in the backhand revolution. In 1980, the then 25-year-old entered Wimbledon to celebrate his fifth title in London. A young and up-and-coming American stood in the way of this project. McEnroe was considered rude and rude on the court, insulted referees and lamented loudly. But his playing was excellent, aggressive and everyone told him that he had enough talent.
In the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, the expected showdown of the superstars took place in the final. In a thriller finale, Borg won in five sets, McEnroe came out on top, but still won the audience’s sympathies because he held his ground and didn’t lose his composure as usual. Only a year later, the American triumphed over his older rival in the Wimbledon Final and became the world’s number one. Afterwards, Borg ended his career at the age of 26.
In the feature film “Borg/McEnroe” this rivalry is depicted and the tournament on the “holy lawn” 1980 is taken as a hanger. Under the direction of Janus Metz, a film closely oriented to the facts is produced, which is visually inspired in all respects by the 1980s and thus appears more authentic.
The main part of the story is the wrestling of Borg with his favorite role. The focus is on the pressure situation that arises for the athlete. To this end, his childhood will be illuminated and his transformation from a fierce youngster to a stoic, cool professional on tour will be developed.
In contrast, Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf embodies the naughty, obviously unprofessional newcomer John McEnroe. Introducing the American is presented less on the square than much more at parties and impatient conversations with his friends and colleagues. Director Metz clearly aims at one thing: Borg the Gentleman, McEnroe the Bully.
The final between the two players is the highlight of the film. Producers Jon Nohrstedt and Fredrik Wikström bring excitement and variation to the screen with different camera perspectives. Screenwriter Ronnie Sandahl aims to bring the audience into the final feeling, to take them back in time and to do the same. You can feel the excitement at the Court in London. The emotions of the two players and especially the tension of Björn Borg, well represented by Sverrir Gudnason, are clearly expressed.
Due to the production in Scandinavia and the Swedish screenwriters the focus is clearly on Borg, whose story gets a lot more time in the film. Nevertheless, all roles are equally high-calibre. The coach of Borg (Lennart Bergelin) is represented by Stellan Skarsgard, not least because the character has an important meaning for the story.
It is remarkable that the film gets along almost without music and lives only from the emotions and conversations of the actors. This is reminiscent of Scandinavian Swedish film productions such as Mankells Wallander or similar. The composition of light and shadow is also skillfully staged and enhances the drama in the film. The sound is puristic and authentic. Training scenes in a tennis hall or entertainments in changing rooms work unchanged and without any major improvement. This brings authenticity into the scenery and merges the viewer with the film. The feeling of being there is getting to the point.
A fight between the giants stages director Janus Metz with such merciless tension dramaturgy that in between you forget who was defeated by the other,”headlined the Berliner Zeitung. Time, on the other hand, wrote:”The attention to detail is enchanting and thrilling.”
The conclusion is:”Borg/McEnroe” is a must for every sports and tennis fan!
If you feel like watching the movie and want to get your own impression, you can win one of ten iTunes streaming links right on time for today’s DVD release. Just share our sweepstake post below on Facebook and tell us which tennis buddy you’d like to watch the movie with. You can leave by 28. February 2018.