Babe Ruth

If you're a fan of Babe Ruth (and who isn't who knows anything at all about baseball) then you won't find much new here. But if you think "Babe Ruth" is a candy bar, then this is mandatory viewing and will give you a good introduction to the Babe - his remarkable pitching abilities, the "king of swat", and his personal strengths and foibles.

After watching the first ten minutes of this film, I was not impressed. It had, up until then, consisted nothing but interviews with folks today as they heaped superlatives on the man...and I found this a bit dull. I am very glad I kept watching, as it turns out it's a dandy film...and probably the best film about Babe Ruth you can find...which isn't hard, as they've made some terrible films about this legendary ballplayer. "The Babe Ruth Story" (with William Bendix) was like a fairytale...a complete whitewashing of the man. Later, John Goodman's version went the opposite direction and seemed to have nothing good to say about the man. But this one hour film manages to talk about the man...warts and all, but also the much good he did as well.

After the first ten minutes or so (which, by the way, could easily have been shortened), the film then jumps back...giving biographical information about Ruth. This portion, while a bit too short, was important because up until then it didn't feel like a biography....just a lot of nice reminiscences. From here on, the film really worked well...discussing the real Ruth, his career, death and impact on America. Overall, extremely good though short.

HBO's "Babe Ruth" looks, feels, and sounds like a longer version of a chapter of Ken Burns's "Baseball." Many of Burns's techniques are used. Methods like panning along pictures, use of rare archival footage, and interspersing narration with interviews. That's a compliment though, as Burns's work is typically considered the definitive presentation of baseball history.

"Babe Ruth" is an exploration of the legend of Babe Ruth, as it concentrates more on the man and the myth rather than his on the field exploits. This is still a fascinating study, but will likely leave fanatics of the game (like myself) wanting for more hard-core baseball information. But the issue there is probably more with my expectations that with the doc itself. It isn't as much about baseball as it is about a pop culture icon who just happened to play the game.

As an historical character study, the documentary is solid, delving into most all of the Babe Ruth lore you may have heard. It doesn't provide many new tales to someone who has seen "Baseball" or knows a decent amount about Ruth, but it does go a little deeper into most of those tales. Stories like Ruth's Called Shot and his promise to the dying boy are addressed, and their veracity is examined.

I appreciated how the documentary did not pander to or worship Ruth. Instead it painted a realistic picture of Ruth's life. Although media at the time often overlooked his personal vices, this film points them out, not maliciously, but as the way things were.

The personal testimonies are the highlight of the doc. Never have I seen such a collection of people who had personal contact with the Babe in one documentary. From his young 'mascot' to teammates to family to his contemporary media to historical biographers, just about every angle is covered in these interviews. Seeing the eyes of the men and women who provide recollections sparkle as they talk says just as much about Ruth as their words. The man was a giant in many different ways, and these people explain how and why.

(Side note...As a DVD, "Babe Ruth" is pretty lame. There is nothing on the disc besides the 60-minute documentary. If you saw the special on HBO, you've seen the disc. I don't recommend purchasing this if you're not an avid Babe Ruth fan, unless you find it cheap somewhere.)

Bottom Line: As fine a portrait of Babe Ruth the man as you'll find. 7 of 10

Babe Ruth's legacy is something hard to grasp especially in an hour long documentary, but this film does it justice.

Growing up as a baseball and specifically a Yankees fan I had only ever heard of Babe Ruth's life and career through family, friends, and television but this film covers so much more that many people may not be aware of if they are not already deeply entrenched in the lore of the Sultan of Swat. Sure this doc continues the mythical legend but it also reminds us of his humanly errors throughout his life.

I recommend this film for all baseball fans, new and old as it will either reignite your interest in America's Pastime or spark the flame to dig deeper into the sport that has helped shape the United States and its culture.