Movies You Might Have Missed: Fire in Babylon

On a week in which England secured a remarkable 3-1 series win over South Africa, it seems an apt moment to champion Fire in Babylon (2010), a cricket film that manages to transcend the limitations of sports documentary and appeal to a far wider audience. Touching on racism, colonialism and music, this is the story of how the West Indies team of the 1970s and 1980s dominated the sport and broke records at every turn.

The turning point for the side came when they travelled to England in 1976 with one goal in mind – to beat their former masters at the game they created. England captain Tony Greig, with his South African accent, courted controversy before the series when he referred to the opposition players and insisted, “I intend to make them grovel.” With apartheid the major issue of the day and the sinister slavery connotations, this was not a good look. Suitably riled up, the bowlers took great delight in adding yards to their run-up when Greig came out to bat and he had a miserable series. Indeed, in the final test at The Oval, with his side having been comprehensively outclassed, the England skipper crawled on his hands and knees in front of the West Indies supporters in a play on his infamous “grovel” remarks.

Blending interviews and contemporary footage, director Stevan Riley explores cricket and its role in the emancipation from colonial rule. Though there isn’t a great deal of match footage, compelling figures like Viv Richards, Colin Croft and Michael Holding are eloquent and erudite enough to ensure the pace never flags. Reggae legend Bunny Wailer, as eccentric a character as you’d find in any work of fiction, talks us through the musical landscape of the time and how the ascent of Bob Marley signalled a sea change in attitudes towards the region.

While such things are impossible to quantify, it is arguable that, for a decade and a half, this team were the greatest in the history of sport. From February 1980 to March 1995, the West Indies did not lose a single test series and won the love of cricket fans all over the globe. This would be an incredible story even without the political and cultural implications but, taking those things into consideration, it is a joyous and life-affirming tale. Fire in Babylon is a fascinating and incisive film that somehow manages to do justice to its inspiring subjects.