Million Dollar Baby : boxing and mourning according to Clint Eastwood
Barely emerging from the success of mystical river (2003), Clint Eastwood continues with one of his most memorable films: Million Dollar Baby (2005). A grueling drama that shines a light on the world of women’s boxing based on current events The Million Dollar Girl by FX Toole. Like the first Rockythe film presents this environment far from rhinestones and sequins. It is inside a small boxing club in Los Angeles, barely left standing, that the story takes place. The former boxing trainer Frankie (Clint Eastwood) runs this gym with his friend Wreckage (Morgan Freeman)a former boxer.
The daily life of the grumpy Frankie will be turned upside down by the arrival of Maggie (Hilary Swank)a woman determined to become a boxer from scratch. Maggie has no technique, can’t use her legs and is already too old. But her perseverance will eventually convince Frankie to train her. A strong relationship will then form between them.
With this film Clint Eastwood addresses several issues around death and mourning. Frankie has never really gotten over his wife’s death and has since lost his faith. Reason for his perpetual conflict with Father Horvak. With Maggie he finds meaning in his life until tragedy strikes. A last fight by the boxer that leaves her tetraplegic. Frankie will then have to retrace the different stages of mourning, before questioning euthanasia. As always, Clint Eastwood does not judge his characters, but presents a possible and understandable situation, or not. He explained it Million Dollar Baby it is not a position on the question of euthanasia.
Hilary Swank’s Intense Preparation
Clint Eastwood needed less than 40 days spin Million Dollar Baby. Before that, Hilary Swank had to submit three months of intensive training be credible as a boxer. Hector Roca, one of the best trainers in the world, took care of her boxing training, while weightlifter Grant Roberts followed her in her daily bodybuilding sessions. The four-time world championLucia Rijker, described at the time as “the most dangerous woman in the world”, also helped the actress as a sparring partner. This preparation later allowed Hilary Swank to gain nine pounds of musclebut it also gave him a blister infection on his foot, forcing him to stop filming for a week.
An impressive success
A blessing in disguise when we see the welcome Million Dollar Baby. While Warner Bros. had been reluctant to finance Clint Eastwood’s film, the $216 million harvest has shown that this time the studio would have been wrong not to follow the director. Especially since it is not only the public opinion that is affected by this tragedy. The press was generally enthusiastic. ON Assigned for example, the movie is displayed an average rating of 4.9/5 from 25 newspapers. Among these criticisms, that of Libération writes: “Million Dollar Baby is a film as difficult to describe as it is exciting to watch. Without a doubt because what he says, he says with an obviousness, with a naturalness, that seems almost inconceivable to us in today’s cinema.“.
Finally, the success of Million Dollar Baby It wouldn’t have been complete without major rewards. Nominated in seven categories at the Oscarsthe film won four, and not least. In 2005 he leaves with the Oscar for best filmBest Director for Clint Eastwood, Best Actress for Hilary Swank and Best Supporting Actor for Morgan Freeman. Added to this were two Golden Globes and above all a César for best foreign filmawarded to the director in 2006. Two years after his first César (not counting the honorary César of 1998) he won for mystical riverand four years before that of Great Turin.
Source: Cine Serie
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