Review by dromasca

On the occasion of the Europe Championship ARTE-TV broadcast this documentary about one of the most famous games in the history of football - the final of the World Cup in 1954 between Germany and Hungary. It is sure something that the football fans will enjoy, although the film techniques 54 years ago were ages beyond what any live TV broadcast can provide, so football action may not look that spectacular. The interest of the film relies more on the story of the preparation of the German team, symbolizing the revival of a whole nation defeated and reduced to ruins at the end of the second world war. This match was much more than football, it was an opportunity to gather and be proud again. The film focuses much more on the German team which were the underdog, as Hungary had the best team in the world at that time. The information about the German team preparation, training and the preliminary matches until the great final are interesting, but most of all there is one sensational revelation that comes towards the end. Without saying it clearly and probably lacking solid proofs, the film alludes to the fact that the victory of Germany may have been eased by the used of substances that were injected to some of the players by the team doctor, the same substances causing a malady the following year. This is sensational information, but more solid research could be done in order to confirm it or not. Maybe this is the subject of another film, in the investigation genre.