Murderball (R, 2005)

Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro's documentary delves into quad rugby. The fast and hard sport combines elements of rugby, basketball, roller and demolition derbies, as the players bring pit crews to maintain their tricked-out wheelchairs during matches. Conceived in Canada as "murderball" (then renamed wheelchair or quad rugby), the sport is now organized into international competitions. MURDERBALL is organized to highlight three interrelated storylines. Mark Zupan's background emerges slowly. He was injured in a car accident in 1993. Three years later, he was playing rugby. Passionate, devoted, and supported by his girlfriend, Zupan has found a sense of order and focus in the sport. Similarly committed, Joe Soares is a onetime U.S. star cut from the team when he began to slow down. Frustrated by what he perceived as rejection, Soares started coaching for the Canadian team. Keith Cavill was injured in a motocross accident. His story reveals another angle on quad rugby, in that he enters the film at the start of his recovery, finding in the sport a way to channel his energy and depression. As if to underline this point, the film ends with the players meeting a group of injured Iraq War veterans.

Rowdy and inspiring, Murderball provides multiple perspectives on what it's like to play quad rugby. The players see themselves as gladiators, and Rubin's innovative camerawork suggests why, alternating between long shots of the arena (bodies and chairs crashing into each other, barreling down the court, scoring and spinning) and close, "wheelchair cam" shots that emphasize the intimacy of all this speed and aggression.

The community of quads -- and potential rugby players -- is not limited to those who have suffered illness or freak accidents. Instead, this moment suggests, war (and the improved technologies that allow troops to survive devastating wounds) extends the community. It's a smart, sensitive coda for this saga of survival.

Studio: THINKFilm
Director: Dana Adam Shapiro, Henry Alex Rubin
Cast: Andy Cohn, Joe Soares, Mark Zupan
Genre: Documentary
Run time: 86 minutes
Theatrical release: July 8, 2005
DVD release: November 29, 2005
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: language and sexual content