Movie Time: Victory (1981)

This is the movie that started the idea for a movie post. A number of weeks ago I pulled it off the shelf with the intent of using it for 'background noise' while I was doing something else (I love the music). It was not long before I found myself planted in a chair where I proceeded to watch the whole thing.

Now, I must confess: I'm not a big fan of war movies (like Mr. Squirrel is) or sports movies, but there are some treasures out there. I consider this movie to be one of those treasures. When I watch it, by the end of the movie, my spirit seems more fortified and I'm encouraged to 'keep fighting the good fight' no matter the odds.

The movie is rated PG. There is a little bit of language, but it's not harsh or repetitive (PG rating is legitimate). There is also a good mixture of humor, tension and excitement from beginning to end. Unfortunately, the story necessarily touches on some of the ugliness of war, but this is the foundation where we watch men (prisoners of war) from different backgrounds band together to overcome challenges and reach for a common goal. [No pun intended, but appropriate in this case.]

The cast of actors is top-notch and the musical score is energizing (especially if you enjoy marching bands - and as a former trumpet player, I do!). Watching the movie's final confrontation(s), the story plays with your emotions, but the audience is allowed a growing sense of what I would call 'national pride'. You want to cheer on the players and you feel the outrages that they must overcome.

The skills of the players are amazing, too... Yeah, I know that "it's a movie", but if you dig into the 'extra stuff', you will find out as I did - a fair number of those "players" aren't just acting like soccer players... they ARE soccer players... with some being National Champions! Check out Wikipedia for some of those details: click here. Here also is the IMDB page that has some additional details: click here.

I don't know about other people, but I watch movies to be entertained. I want to feel good when a movie is done, or at least like I've shared something important. This movie does that for me. Thanks for letting me share it with you!

Enjoy!