ONE NIGHT IN TURIN DVD Review

Every four years, hundreds of millions of hearts are broken. We're talking about the World Cup, of course, which is not merely a sports championship, it's a matter of national pride. In 1990, England badly needed a reason to be proud.

As depicted in One Night in Turin, based on Pete Davies' book All Played Out and directed by James Erskine, the country was in terrible shape, "a nation of riot and robbery." Emblematic of the nation's failings, the reputation of England's national team, under the direction of manager Bobby Robson, had been routinely mocked since their disappointing loss in the 1986 World Cup tournament.

Adding to the misery, football hooligans became a blight upon the sport, hitting a low spot in 1985 with rioting fans held responsible for the death of 39 persons at a match. That resulted in English clubs being banned from playing in Europe, which didn't stop unruly, violent young men from traveling there anyway, simply to make more trouble. A small minority of "fans" were giving millions of devotees a bad name.

The sport's bright young hope, the brash Paul "Gazza" Goscoigne, had tremendous talent but was criticized for selfish play and questionable character. In this hothouse atmosphere, manager Bobby Robson faced a formidable challenge, one not helped when it was reported that he would be quitting the national team for a job with a Dutch team at the conclusion of the World Cup. No matter that Robson had already been informed by FA that his contract would not be renewed; he was branded a disloyal sell-out by the rabid tabloid national media.

One Night in Turin utilizes archival footage, narration, and recreated scenes, all traditional tools of documentary filmmakers, to present a "You Are There" feeling to England's run in the 1990  tournament. Much time and care was spent on the recreations, but they have an odd flavor, with the majority of them consisting of unnecessary inserts that stick out from the archival material like a series of sore thumbs. For example, night football matches are interrupted to show recreated shots of banks of lights in isolation. Also, director Erskine is inclined to insert a still photograph of a key goal, interrupting the flow of the match and calling attention to itself.

Gary Oldman, who narrates, speaks in flat, even tones, without the pomposity we've come to expect from narrators of momentous sporting events. It's a refreshing, realistic approach, but it's undermined by the recreations. I wonder if all that time and effort wouldn't have been better served by integrating modern-day interviews providing historical perspective, such as the interview with author Pete Davies that's included as one of the extras. 

None of that will diminish the enjoyment of those who are seeking to relive the excitement of England's unexpected success in the World Cup tournament in 1990. If it doesn't make any effort to draw in non-fanatics, that allows it to remain razor-focused on the tournament and the team.