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Except for a cameo in Poldark as far as I can tell there are no movies featuring Cornish Gig rowing. I hope that changes soon, given the way the media love Cornwall its only a matter of time.
However, there are quite a few feature films about pond and ditch rowing mostly in eights. These are some I have watched.
True Blue 1996 is a British film about the Oxbridge showdown as Dan Topolski brings in a professional touch to the former sport of gentlemen
Its mostly about men shouting at each other. Change is so painful especially when it involves Americans messing up the British upper class.Boys in the Boat is a 2023 film directed by George Clooney about the underdog team from an unfashionable US university overcoming the odds to row in the 1936 Olympics final and win gold. The usual US corn but some good rowing scenes and detail about the craftsmanship needed for the wooden boats of that era.
The Novice is a 2021 movie about an obsessive female student who wants to get a rowing scholarship. She trains ridiculously hard on the erg getting her 2K time down to 7.45. There are a few good rowing scenes especially when she takes out a single scull at 5 am and communes with the mist on the flat water, the birds and lightening sky. The camera loved that section, so calm and catching that magical time you can get on the water occasionally. Its mostly about obsession and psychosis and women shouting at each, the need for team members to respect each other even if they don’t like each other. A few good lines, novice crew says “are we really going out in this rain” cox ” its a water sport, you’ll get wet”
I found it a bit too full on. Men of a nervous disposition should probably avoid it. Its available on Channel 4 at present.There are plenty of other older feature films that I will get around to watching but these were the best recent ones. There are a couple of documentaries including some ocean rowing – which is taking a great sport a bit too far in my opinion.
Does anyone else have any favourite films featuring rowing.
Toby
Thanks Toby I will search out some of these. I loved all the corn in Boys in the Boat and read the book first. I have not seen the mini series but enjoyed the book Lessons in Chemistry which features rowing. Rowers as obsessive oddballs surely not?
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