Shocking Truth

Pittsburgh's sports world is shaken when former pro football player Mike Webster (David Morse) is found dead. What drove the onetime hero first to homelessness, then to madness, and finally to death, no one really wants to know. Nothing should tarnish the image of the triumphant athlete. But pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith), who is not exactly popular with his colleagues because of his unusual methods, wants to get to the bottom of it. And indeed, he discovers something that is to be confirmed in further cases later: a brain trauma caused by sports. Dr. Omalu is sure that the NFL wants to know about it so that they can protect their players from it in the future. But instead of gratitude and support, he receives only hostility and threats. And soon he must decide if he wants to risk everything he has painstakingly built up by actually messing with the NFL, one of the most powerful institutions in the world.

Shattering Truth tells the true story of a David versus Goliath battle as a pathologist from Nigeria takes on America's most beloved institution. That there is something that could taint American football - a national treasure for many Americans - is something most people don't want to know. They don't want to let it spoil cheering for their team in the stadium or in front of the TV, celebrating the victory or drowning the defeat with friends and having heated discussions about the games with colleagues at work the next day. The importance of American football is shown again by the ratings of this year's Super Bowl alone. So although this film tells a really important and explosive story - and does so in an extremely gripping way - American viewers tended to stay away from the cinemas. Unpleasant truths are not so easy to swallow, even if they are served up in such a way that is worth seeing. And anyone who knows what risks the players expose themselves to for the amusement of the audience (and for a lot of money, of course) will never be able to enjoy watching a game again with a clear conscience.

Of course, one can also argue that the risks are known by now, thanks to Dr. Omalu, and that each player can decide for himself whether he wants to put his mind and life on the line in the truest sense of the word. That may be true, but even so, the film still makes it clear how much the NFL cared about keeping the results of Omalu's studies secret - both from their players and from the public. This is actually a huge scandal, but it didn't hurt the NFL's image in any way. That's why the film can't be accused of patronizing. It doesn't want to tell the players what they should or shouldn't do. Nor does he want to tell fans to stop loving their sport. What he does want is for a powerful and wealthy organization like the NFL to stand by its responsibilities and do everything it can to ensure that there are not more victims in the future.

Aside from this concern, Shattering Truth simply tells a gripping story that is stirringly brought to the screen by very good actors - most notably an excellent Will Smith. Although there are a few small lengths here and there, overall the drama offers a truly gripping two hours. A slightly different sports movie that will definitely make you look at American football through different eyes. Absolutely worth seeing

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp