8 Seconds

Sometimes perception can deceive you. I don't know about a person called as Kuthumi. Some time back while I was searching for some good films and found out his page on piratebay. The movies that he was seeding looked impressive. So I downloaded a few of them and really appreciated Kuthumi about his choice. That is how I formed my opinion about movies seeded by him to be good. That was my perception. 8 Seconds was an exception.

The title was very interesting and intriguing. IMDB added further fuel to fire by describing rodeo tournaments in which rodeo has to ride a bull only for 8 seconds to be declared as winner. Well, this flared up my interest and I acquired this movie.

Lane Frost, the protagonist of the film, was born in Oklohoma on a ranch. Right from the childhood his parents encouraged him and actively helped him to be a professional rodeo. He was good. Some of the scenes are really wonderful. While watching them you heart counts 8 seconds and when the buzzer sounds you are relieved. That is the good part of this movie. It thrills you. But that is it. I had seen similar thrills thousands of miles away at buffalo races in South Canara. They are known as Kambla. Seen similar daredevilry at Russian Circus. And to be fair almost all the fairs that I have seen across 4 continents. One thing is sure, in any society, you are bound to find out some kind of brave hearts and their dedication to follow something mind boggling and adventures. One must respect them for what they do.

The movie captures the adventures of Lane Frost well but does not bring out the human element. The human relationship portrayed is too ordinary and too predictable. It is not Lane's life I am commenting on. It is the movie making of his life I find too banal. The powerful medium like a movie gives you ample scope to color human lives in a very artistic and universally admirable way. I like to feel like the character when I see a movie. I must feel the inner dilemmas of the characters. To me it is not the story of Lane Frost you are telling me. You are making me think like him, at least for the duration of movie. On this count movie fails completely.

Those who have seen Jack Nicholson starred movie "The World's Fastest Indian" may agree with me that during the movie YOU are competing in the races at Utah and it is not the story of that hero but it is the story of how you understood the hero.

Though I may like to remember Lane frost and his some of the rodeo stuff, I would rather forget the movie.