"Zidane" opened in London this week, and it was the hardest film of the year for me to watch. I'm a big fan of Zidane and have been ever since the '98 world cup. But I'm a fan of Zinedine Zidane in the same way I love to watch lions lounge in the savannah and when hungry attack cattle unawares.
Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait is a film about Zidane – how he thinks, moves, walks, talks, spits, smiles, and stares. The approach of directors Douglas Gordon and Phillipe Parreno was to place seventeen cameras in the Burnabau Stadium on April 23, 2005 to film nothing but Zidane as Real Madrid faced opponent Villareal. What emerged was the most complete portrait of man of whom we know very little.
From the first kick of the ball, to the final whistle, Zidane walks around the pictch saying very little, and only moving when the ball aproaches. Most coaches would be outraged by a player who smokes twenty cigarettes a day and takes a languid approach to the match, if it wasn't for the haunting touch and razor-like precision to Zidane's game. All of which in this film unroll over a spectoral Mogwai soundtrack and raucaus crowd noise.
Most will remember Zidane for his famous headbut, but for others he'll be remembered as a man of few words, acerbic temper, and graceful movements. For me, I most remember his mesmerizing volley against Bayern Leverkusen in the 2002 UEFA Champions' League Final. I was always told to mimic his game. My club coaches would say, "Aaron, can't you see how patient he is? You should watch more Zidane games and focus soley on what he does." So now I can say I have, and the truth be told, Zidane doesn't do a whole lot during the match. He grunts and spits more than he touches the ball. And given the circumstances of the film, he gets involved in needless fights and often gets ejected for even more needless behaviour. Yet he is the epitome of football genius.
No other sports figure in the history of the game has been worshipped for his greatness, and jeered at for his nonchalant maner. Portrait captures this perfectly with a brief series of quotes. "When things go bad... I can focus on anything in the crowd": Zidane understands the circumstances to his behavior, and the repercussions of violent actions. But as he states, "It's as if the game has already been decided before the first kick-off." He takes the game with the philosophy that whatever happens, happens for a reason. If that ball comes to him, then it comes to him, and there is no other person it should have come to. And if he gets into a skirmish, then there was a reason that his emotions told him to do so.
With that in mind, I can finally understand the reasoning behind his headbut in this year's World Cup Final versus Italy. It may be hard to swallow, and more difficult to understand, but to Zinedine Zidane, there was no other way. Call him Morpheus, knowing that Matterazzi was destined to jeer him, and he destined to get ejected, and France...destined to go down in defeat.
This may be the greatest film about football ever, but it's not the type of film I'd take a junior league team to in order to get them pumped up for a match. It's more of the type of movie I'd venture to in order to contemplate the human mind and the mysteries that even the great ones hold.
I've also included some of my favorite Zidane moments, and for those of you who haven't seen it...the headbut.
-Aaron Colussi
The Headbut. Committed in this year's World Cup Final as France lost to Italy in penalty kicks.
The famous full-volley against Bayern Leverkusen. [for more info, check out www.vicecoulter.com]
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