Jackie Robinson Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Jackie Robinson Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 13, 2016

In his 1994 production, “Baseball,” director Ken Burns set aside time to explore the career of Jackie Robinson and his influences on the sport and national race relations. There was no room for an in-depth examination of Jackie’s life and times, with his experience largely detailed in suspect bio-pics (like the recent “42”) and periodic interviews before his death in 1972. Championed by his widow, Rachel, “Jackie Robinson” allows Burns and his team (including co-directors Sarah Burns and David McMahon) a chance to take in an entire life, offering a four-hour documentary that tracks Jackie from birth to death and beyond, highlighting his famous sporting dominance, racial unease, and eventual experience away from the baseball diamond. It’s a long journey, but as always with Burns and Co., it’s incredibly informative and smoothly assembled, permitting a new opportunity to see Jackie Robinson as he was: a man, not a stoic superhero.

“Jackie Robinson” begins the story with the subject’s birth in 1919, but the first part of the documentary largely explores Jackie’s gradual exposure as an ace athlete, developing a special passion for baseball, where his gifts came together. There are race issues as well, with Jackie the black man working his way through white communities, subjected to the open discrimination of the day, triggering anger issues that kept him on edge, determined to prove himself through physical gifts. The story of the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the color barrier, and all the aggression that followed Jackie is explored in full, but surfacing here is an understanding of personal submission. To fill his role as the first black player in Major League Baseball, Jackie was required to absorb ugliness from all sides, taking in pure hatred while playing games and raising a family with Rachel, suppressing his natural combative instincts for as long as he could stand. Also of interest is a dissection of myth, exposing a specific incident of physical respect between Jackie and Pee Wee Reese as make-believe to support a comforting narrative of racial harmony that was never true.

The second part of “Jackie Robinson” moves beyond known events, taking a look at the baseball legend’s life after the game, with retirement finally permitting Jackie a chance to fulfill his yearning to become an activist, involved in politics and the Civil Rights Movement. While Jackie was never shy in front of a camera, it’s fascinating to see this side of the man, taking opportunities to question inequality and challenge leaders, while concern for the black community largely influenced his travels and interests. There’s also a family side to Jackie, meeting his children and Rachel, who largely dominates the discussion, offering her unique perspective on the subject, celebrating his dignity and his fallibility, working to identify her husband as a noble man. It’s an eye-opening summation of hardships and glories.

Episodes

“Part One” (113:11)

Born in Georgia in 1919, Jackie Robinson’s life commenced with turmoil. Abandoned by his father and raised by his mother, Mallie, Jackie was moved from Georgia to Los Angeles so the family, which included three brothers and a sister, could find financial opportunities. While Mallie kept her household together, racism was always in view, preventing opportunities. Cursed with a hair-trigger temper, Jackie worked through a troubled adolescence before achieving glory at UCLA, where he dominated most varsity sports, finding fame. Also during this time, he romanced future wife Rachel, drawn to her intelligence and support. With a “Gentlemen’s Agreement” ban on black players in baseball in place, opportunities were few for Jackie, who turned his attention to duty in WWII, struggling to find equality in combat. The history of Branch Rickey is recalled, with emphasis put on his moral code and interest in the talent pool of black baseball players to help his team, the Brooklyn Dodgers. After a heated insubordination trial, Jackie was released from the military, soon finding his way to the Negro Leagues and into Rickey’s view. Drawn to his power as a player and a man, Rickey brings Jackie into the Dodgers family, starting his education in the minor leagues before sheer skill lands him a job as a first baseman in the majors. Facing abuse and isolation, Jackie remains detached from his emotions, a battle that will come to define the rest of his life. Becoming a major success for the Dodgers, Jackie is transformed into a hero and an inspiration, bringing in fans from all over the country to see the legend play.

“Part Two” (114:40)

After achieving success in Major League Baseball, Jackie decides to speak out on issues involving race, displaying his true personality to a public that wasn’t prepared for it. As more black players come into the league, Jackie capitalizes on his fame, making a superficial bio-pic in Hollywood. A diabetes diagnosis threatens his career, commencing a lifelong battle with medical issues. Feeling unexpected racism in New York, Jackie and his family eventually settle in with Carly Simon and her family before moving into their new home. Taking the long, frequently disappointing road to the World Series, Jackie finally tastes glory with a victory, only to end his baseball career soon after. Transitioning to the corporate offices of Chock Full O’ Nuts, Jackie begins a new career, also amplifying his activism, which involves a NY Post column and the backing of Richard Nixon in the 1960 Presidential election. The sad saga of Jackie Robinson, Jr. is recounted. In 1962, Jackie receives Hall of Fame honors. Using his celebrity, the baseball star becomes a controversial figure in the civil rights movement, unsure how to deal with extremists and separatist groups. And his long medical decline concludes with his death in 1972, in the arms of his wife, Rachel.

Jackie Robinson Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Jackie Robinson" delivers a crisp, clear viewing experience that manages multiple film and video sources without pronounced disruption. Visual evidence is the primary focus of the program, working through aged photographs, newsreels, and low-res footage, which is carefully blended into a smooth documentary flow, while interview segments (collected from different time periods) remain fresh and inviting, offering sharp detail to bring out age and enthusiasm. While black and white dominates the show, color does manage to make an impression, emerging from clothing and footage from Jackie's later years. Delineation is secure. A minor amount of banding is detected.

Jackie Robinson Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix doesn't provide a completely immersive listening event, but its frontal presence is superbly maintained. Interviewees are commanding and nuanced, isolating emotional response and accents. Scoring is supportive, contributing crisp instrumentation and tonal leadership when commanded. Atmospherics are managed carefully, bringing out baseball stadium commotion and group activity. And while low-end isn't needed for much of the story, wartime bombs encourage rumbling.

Jackie Robinson Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "The Anderson Monarchs" (4:24, HD) highlights an inner-city Little League team from Philadelphia that's adopted Jackie's spirit and style of play to compete.

• Outtakes include "Lifelong Hero" (6:38, HD), "Ready to Play" (5:43, HD), and "In The Thick of It" (5:10, HD).

• "A Conversation with the Filmmakers" (15:27, HD) sits down with Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon, who dissect their documentary efforts for "Jackie Robinson," heaping much praise on Rachel Robinson, who pushed the project on the team for many years, looking to do more with Jackie's story.

Jackie Robinson Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Interviewees largely push the story along, with scholars, baseball players, and writers maintaining accuracy to the narrative, exposing amazing achievements during an impossible time. Famous faces also join the conversation, including President Barack Obama, Tom Brokaw, and Harry Belafonte, adding some thoughts on Jackie's legacy as a black leader and his influence over the country. As simply designed as it is, "Jackie Robinson" is revelatory work, delivering the icon in a whole new light. It avoids becoming yet another hagiography to understand how Jackie viewed the world and his place in it, presented with traditional Burns, Inc. skill, attention to detail, and adoration for a complicated existence.