A short time ago, I reviewed the documentary mini-series Apocalypse: World War II, a World War II documentary almost entirely made up of home videos, wartime filmmakers, and other found footage. I really enjoyed it because the footage had been beautifully restored, and the film's directors created a clear narrative throughout the whole series. Like Apocalypse: World War II, HBO's baseball mini-series When It Was a Game is entirely made up of real footage of baseball's greats including Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Jackie Robinson. Both documentaries are made in the same style, but When It Was a Game proves that having the right director at the helm is key. Where Apocalypse: World War II was a documentary with a clear purpose, When It Was a Game devolves into a rosy love letter to the old days of baseball, double-dipped in sentimentality with a soundtrack carefully calculated for maximum nostalgia potential.
When It Was a Game is a documentary about the early days of baseball before high-paying contracts or even contracts that lasted longer than one season. Baseball players got hunting dogs and a nice gun as a retirement gift. In the off-season, they were farmers, teamsters, and other blue-collar workers who were more than willing to hang around after a game to talk with their fans. Baseball games were a cheap form of entertainment instead of the pricey night out that it is today with hundred-dollar seats, fifteen-dollar hot dogs, and ten-dollar beers.
Though the film spends some time focusing on the first African-American players and the legacies of some of baseball's great players like Babe Ruth, the series is pretty meandering with its subject matter. Instead of real transitions, the filmmakers just throw in James Earl Jones reading a poem about baseball. (Who knew there were so many poems about baseball?) The film is less interested in saying anything about baseball than reminiscing about the good old days. They cut together some footage of Jackie Robinson and toss the overused main musical theme on top and call it a day.
My disappointment with When It Was a Game goes deeper than its shallow and sentimental intentions. The filmmakers remember to talk about the smaller teams, the Hispanic players, and the African-American players, but they don't even bother to mention the woman’s league that formed during World War II when many of the major players enlisted. It would have mattered a lot less to me if they hadn't made a point of talking about the inclusiveness of baseball. They had an entire segment about clowns, jugglers, and other entertainment at baseball games, but they couldn't take one minute to bring up the woman's league? HBO, you really dropped the ball on that one.
Ultimately, When It Was a Game does not live up to its potential. HBO had all the advantages a documentary filmmaker could hope for. They had incredible film footage, big-name voice-over stars, and the added bonus of Americana nostalgia that could overlook numerous flaws. What they produced was a syrupy love letter to the game that could have been so much better in another filmmaker's capable hands.
SPECIAL FEATURES
This is a bare-bones release. The only special features are another version of the audio track and subtitles. I can't believe that there wasn't leftover footage that they could have compiled into some deleted scenes, interviews with the filmmakers, or a commentary track with baseball historians. I would have been content with an audio track that cut out the series' melodramatic soundtrack. It wasn't the worst soundtrack I've ever heard, but I was absolutely sick of it by the time the end credits rolled. I would only recommend picking up the series if you really loved When It Was a Game when it originally aired or if you love baseball enough that you want to see this up-close footage of the players. Otherwise, this Blu-ray release is underwhelming at best.
"When It Was a Game" is on sale June 7, 2011 and is rated G. Documentary, Sports, Television. Written and directed by Steven Stern. Starring Hank Aaron, Joe Dimaggio, Willie Mays.
