The Express

The story of a real American football player. Ernie Davis grew up in Pennsylvania, a fast and durable running back. He is recruited by Syracuse University and starts working under the coach Ben Schwartzwalder. Across the 1958 and 1959 seasons the team rises and goes to a championship. But what the film is interested in is not the games; it is where Davis plays and how he is received. On trips to southern states the black players are refused hotel rooms, abused from the sidelines, and the officials look away. The coach does not treat this as a problem at first, and then his attitude changes. Davis became the first black player to win the award given to the best college player in the country. He was drafted by a professional team but never played a game; he was diagnosed with leukaemia and died at twenty-three. Rob Brown plays Davis and Dennis Quaid the coach. Gary Fleder directed. A solid example for anyone who likes sports films and true stories. For a viewer expecting something new, the narrative follows the familiar shapes of its genre.