Ray escaped Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in 1977, not far from where Cantrell lives, and covered about 8 miles of the treacherous Tennessee mountain terrain in 55 hours before police apprehended him. A close friend tells us he’s a redneck, not too politically conservative, but definitely “not a bleeding heart.” The native Tennessean came up with the idea for the race when he heard about the prison break of James Earl Ray, the man who killed Martin Luther King, Jr. The race’s founder, Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell, is an enigma. What makes it such a successful and entertaining movie is the rich subject matter. The style is a very straightforward look at the history of the race, its founder, and those participating in it. It’s worth noting that there is nothing particularly groundbreaking about the way co-directors Annika Iltis and Timothy Kane shot or edited The Barkley Marathons. We then seamlessly transition into a competition documentary, to watch and wait for who – if anyone – will be able to complete the 60 hour, 100+ mile trial by misery. ![]() ![]() The documentary The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young is about the few brave souls who gladly, and in many cases repeatedly, answer “Yes!” The film examines the event’s history and the athletes participating in the 2012 race, including their personal philosophies about life and what compels them to sign up for such a grueling few days. ![]() “Who on Earth would do such a thing?!” You’d be right to answer that way, and not many people would fault you for doing so. “No,” would be the honest and sane answer. Would you be interested in participating in an athletic event that’s been held annually for almost 30 years, attempted about 1200 times, and finished by only 10 people? It’s a race so punishing that most people quit before they’re even a fifth of the way through the course.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |